System choice is greater than ever

A building’s access control not only deters intruders and safeguards against theft, but also contributes to the occupants’ health and safety. With access control playing such a vital role in the smooth and efficient running of healthcare estates, it is important for estates and facilities managers to keep abreast of developments in the market. Today, thanks to advances in technology, the choice and capability of access control products has never been so great – from versatile integrated systems that control and monitor more than just access, to the once-humble standalone digital lock, today’s products are also all designed with ease of use in mind. This is good news for facilities managers, as it gives far greater scope for control within their properties, and makes access more convenient to manage on a large scale. 

Have keys had their day?

As products in the access control market become more sophisticated, keys are no longer considered practical or convenient as the primary source of access. Key management on a large scale can take up a great deal of time, and cause facilities managers numerous problems. This is because keys have a habit of going missing, and simply replacing the key does not necessarily regain ‘control’ of the lock. To do this properly, the facilities manager, or a member of his or her team, must fit a new key and cylinder – which is both costly and time consuming, while the administration of maintaining all the master keys, and keeping track of registered key-holders, present an even greater challenge for such personnel. A key can also only let a person in and out of a room; it cannot do anything else. Today, even the most basic electronic keypad locks can offer more in terms of functionality.