Who would have thought back in the 1950s that a B-movie actor would become President of the United States? In the 1980s, how many people would have predicted they’d be swapping their 4x4s for electric or hybrid cars? Come to think of it, who’d even envisioned hybrid cars as a possibility, let alone a working reality?
We can’t predict the future, of course. None of us can, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to take it into account when planning ahead, in particular when that planning involves a financial outlay (perhaps a substantial one).
Whether you’re looking to install, refurbish or upgrade an electronic access control system, how do you ensure you end up with a system that will serve you well into the future? How do you even know what requirements you may have ten years down the line from now? A lot can happen in a decade.
Let’s examine, then, how you can best future proof your access control system by understanding the full scope of what today’s superior solutions can offer the end user, through to ensuring that the set-up chosen remains flexible and adaptable to meet ever-changing demands – both your own and those placed upon your organisation by others.
How to avoid redundancy
First, the basics. The key components of an access control system are a control unit, readers and cards – or ‘tags’ – encoded with an individual number. At its most basic level, an access control system permits or denies entry through a specific door. If the code is valid for that door at that time, the electronic door release or electromagnetic lock is ‘opened’.
Every access control system has a limit on the number of users, which is why it’s important to ensure the system you choose is more than adequate for not just current needs, but also any future expansion. What happens, for example, if you merge with another organisation and all of the additional staff are moved to your premises? You may even expand into the adjacent building. If your system can’t cope with this dramatic increase then you may face the prospect of ripping out the entire set-up and starting from scratch. This is costly, extremely inconvenient and could represent a potential security risk to the organisation. It’s a procedure to be avoided at all costs.
On the other hand, what you don’t want is to install a high-end access control system that can cope with thousands more users than you’re ever likely to need, as you will be paying for the extra capability without ever needing it.
The ideal situation is to install a system that’s readily expandable with minimal equipment redundancy – you want to retain as much existing kit as possible, and simply add to it. The key to this is system flexibility – modular systems are best in this respect – and the quality and power of the controller.
When examining access control systems, ask the manufacturers tendering for your business exactly what’s involved in system expansion – what extra equipment is needed, what needs to be replaced, how easy is it to expand in terms of the installation work and what support do they offer?
System expansion and avoiding equipment redundancy is only one aspect – albeit the most obvious – of the equation you need to consider. You may do well to look at factors outside of your control and likely to affect your business in the future. Two key areas for consideration are environmental factors and litigation.
Access and the environment
Environmental considerations and energy efficiency will be major factors for businesses big and small in the years ahead. With the pressure on for organisations to reduce their environmental impact, there’s every likelihood the Government will look to tax pretty heavily those who use more fuel and who aren’t energy efficient. Think about the issues now and you could lessen your bills in the future.
No doubt you’re reading this and thinking: ‘What on Earth has access control to do with the environment?’ You might be surprised to learn how some of the more flexible systems on the market can serve very cost-effectively as a building management system (BMS). Dedicated BMS are often cost prohibitive. It makes sense to kill two birds with one stone by combining BMS functions with an access solution.
For example, top-of-the-range systems have the ability to turn electricity on and off to specific appliances or areas. This can realise hefty energy and cost savings when it comes to heating, lighting, office equipment, air conditioning, PCs and factory machinery, etc. This is achieved through zone counting, using sensors – such as PIRs – or long range readers to activate or deactivate power supplies.
In the case of the latter, specific areas’ power may be controlled by fitting the system with In and Out readers at the entrance of each zone, configured to support strict anti-passback control. The readers’ software counts people entering and exiting the zone – the first person to enter activates the power on, and the last person to leave automatically triggers the power off. Such a method is ideal for larger zoned areas (such as those in factories and warehouses, for example).
When it comes to sensors, the access control system isn’t restricted to just PIRs. In theory, any sensor could be linked to the system. An underground car park is an ideal scenario. Using the access control system linked to a carbon dioxide detector, the car park fans can be activated or deactivated automatically when a pre-determined level of the gas is detected.
What the end user needs to do is take a look at the bigger picture… What equipment uses energy? Is it possible to reduce the level of energy used by that equipment? Can the access control system you are contemplating handle it? If not, you should be looking further afield.
Health and Safety proposition
As a society, we are swiftly heading down the American litigious path, and there doesn’t appear to be any turning back. The Health and Safety proposition in an access control system could, therefore, potentially save your company thousands of pounds in legal bills and claims. It helps you to safeguard against not just intruders, but also misuse by your own members of staff. It’s of benefit to those staff, as well, in particular lone workers who are more vulnerable than most.
The ability to turn electricity on or off for specific appliances or areas is not only beneficial to your bottom line, but also has safety implications. For example, if a site harbours heavy duty machinery that needs licensed operators for deployment, it’s essential for the management to prevent non-licensed personnel from trying to operate it.
Installing a keypad reader to the machinery, linked to the access control system, means that an employee must present his or her tag to the reader and punch in their unique PIN code.
It might even be the case that the machinery cannot be used until a supervisor is in the room. In this instance, power will only be activated once the ‘Supervisor Unlock’ tag has been presented.
The same edict can be applied to dangerous areas which members of staff are not allowed to enter alone. Dual tagging may be employed to ensure access is only granted when two tags are presented to the reader within a set time.
Zone Routing: what does it entail?
Another use of the access control system for Health and Safety purposes is defined by Zone Routing. As the name implies, this ensures staff have to go through a set route and routine to arrive at their destination.
For sites that are widespread or where it’s not practical to have a reader installed – many construction sites offering the classic example – hand-held devices with an integral reader (like a PDA) can instead be used for mobile verification. This arrangement is particularly suited to Health and Safety, as you can check against personnel records for each and every member of staff to ensure they are not only where they are authorised to be, but that they’re performing tasks they have been trained to do.
Even with all of the features and benefits we have mentioned, there is still more that can be done with good quality access control systems which you may take into account – as long as they are based on an open platform. This really is essential. Built on an open platform, an access control system should be able to integrate not just with third party reader products, but also third party software (such as HR, time and attendance and other systems, including CCTV and intruder alarms).
Integration for a Reason
Integrating access control solutions with other security systems is an obvious route to go down. Combining access control with an organisation’s Time and Attendance software, on the other hand, is not so common. When achieved, however, it’s a powerful Human Resources tool that shows who is on the premises, where they are and for how long.
When linked to a Payroll system, management can simply, quickly and conveniently export the data and provide comprehensive reports – such as time sheets – by person or even by company and department or trade. All of the detailed information may be fed back to a PC located anywhere in the world, making life a good deal easier.
In much the same vein, the system can also be set to require a ‘Reason Code’ before an employee leaves his or her area during working hours. Any number of Reason Codes could be listed, but the employee must select one before the door will open. This affords management an accurate picture of who is leaving and for how long and, just as importantly, why. It also helps in addressing any staffing issues both quickly and simply.
