Managed Access Control: What's the Best for Your Organisation

Physical access inside buildings, especially in highly exclusive territories, should not be taken lightly. Even

with security checks and security guards present at access points, it is important that these measures are

supported and doubled with an access control system that is hard to compromise. If you walk along

the central business district in your area, you will find different buildings with different security access

methods implemented. This is mainly used in order to ensure the safety of the people, mostly employees,

top managers, CEO’s and other executives, while they render their work hours and obligations for the

day. If you are the building manager of your office, you have to know what the best way is to manage

and stay on top of your building’s overall security facade.

It all starts with an ample use of security locks. Today, security features can be physically or

electronically opened. Physically opened locks require keys that are to be left in the hands of the security

personnel manning the building. It is important that spare keys are safely hidden in a location that is

discreet enough from other people’s knowledge yet easy to retrieve by authorised security heads of the

building when a spare is needed. Locks always

come in a combination or a set. Most office

buildings have at least 2 or 3 locks to open to

deter any illegal access especially at night.

Electronically opened locks are those that come

with a keypad where a combination or a pass code

need to be entered before the entrance door can

be pulled to open. Electronic locks are usually

installed inside the different divisions, levels or

areas of the office where entry becomes more and

more exclusive to authorised and recognised

employees only. In office buildings, there are

usually different floors for the different

departments the business has. These departments

cater to a unique group of employees, thus for

instance, the Finance department that occupies an entire floor would normally require a pass code to be

entered on the access control keypad before the door can open.

These pass codes are given exclusively to the people who need access to the floor. Aside from the use of

pass codes, there are also security locks that need a biometric record such as an employee’s fingerprint

in order for them to gain access inside the floor. Biometrics is a reliable form of limiting security since

these are unique to one person only. Aside from being treated as a security feature, a biometric

recording also acts as an attendance taker in some organisations. For more exclusive organisations, on

the other hand, eye retinas are used as an identifier whether the person trying to gain access can be

granted permission or not. These are more popularly used in chemical and scientific laboratories

operating with top-secret projects. The nature of the access control of choice greatly depends on the

nature of the organisation and its respective work flow and operations.

Even with several forms of security features installed in the different parts of the building, the same level

of vigilance and awareness must still ensue so as to prevent any risks or potential danger of intrusion

from occurring. Security locks must also be treated with care so it always works to your building and

your organisation’s utmost advantage.