Access control systems can be housed on a cloud server or a local server. You can control access via keypads, card readers or mobile devices. When it comes to setting permissions, you have three options for how you can manage access:

• Role-based access control: In this control structure, all users who have the same role have equal access. For example, in a healthcare lab, all researchers can access a chemical storage room, while administrators cannot. This system can grant access based on the level of privilege, so employees of various seniority only access what they need.
• Discretionary access control: In this model, the business owner has control over who has access to each entry point. Each door’s card reader has a list of authorized users, set by the business owner, and these individuals have access to that building or area. 
• Mandatory access control: Mandatory access control is the most restrictive. In this case, a policy, software or hardware component restricts access without exception. Mandatory access works for larger organizations where a head of security determines the rules that grant access. For example, employees may need to know a password or enter a pin into a keypad to enter a building. This is ideal for companies with lots of specific security needs, such as tech companies. It allows a centralized authority like a security office to make policy decisions about who can access what areas. It also enforces standardized security policy across many locations.

BENEFITS OF AN ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM

How can an access control system help your business? No matter the size or industry, automated access control can protect employees and let administrators know who accesses the premises. The most significant benefits of access control systems are:

1. INCREASE EASE OF ACCESS FOR EMPLOYEES

An access control system allows you to “set and forget” who has access to each area of your business. Once you give the authorization, an employee can access all the areas they need to get their jobs done. With the scan of a key card or input of a PIN, the employee can get to wherever they need with ease.

2. GET RID OF TRADITIONAL KEYS

The use of traditional keys has a few drawbacks. Restricting access to particular areas requires individual keys. The larger the building, the more locks you need. For an individual like a janitor or a high-clearance individual, this can mean a bulky key ring and confusion about which keys do what. An access control system saves time for those accessing restricted areas and also saves you visits from the locksmith.

Also, keys can be duplicated, leaving you vulnerable to unauthorized access. If an employee doesn’t turn in their key before they leave your company, you leave yourself unprotected or must get your locks changed. Access control security does away with this.

3. SAVE MONEY AND ENERGY

With access control security, you save money on locks and security personnel. An access control system can verify a person’s identity without the need for a security guard.

Access control systems can also be integrated with lighting, heating and cooling systems. Lights can turn on when there are people in a room and will shut off when they leave. You can also adjust temperatures when no one is in an area to save on energy costs.

4. KEEP TRACK OF WHO COMES AND GOES

An access control system gives you data on who enters and exits a building or room and when. You can ensure people are working when they are supposed to be. If theft or an accident occurs, you know exactly who accessed a specific area at the time of the incident.

5. PROTECT AGAINST UNWANTED VISITORS

A large company creates an opportunity for visitors to go undetected. One of the benefits of using access control systems is that unauthorized people cannot get in. Since doors need credentials before they unlock, only those you’ve given credentials to can access the area. With this system, you can be sure everyone in your building is supposed to be there, whether you know them or not.

6. GIVE EMPLOYEES THE FREEDOM TO WORK WHEN THEY NEED TO

When employees work at different times, an access control system lets them enter whenever they need to. People can come in early without waiting for someone to unlock the doors, and managers don’t have to stay late to lock up at the end of the day. You’ll have the ability to offer flexible schedules for your employees. With the management dashboard, you can also check comings and goings without being there yourself.

7. PREVENT AGAINST DATA BREACHES 

Health information, financial records and client data are often stored on company-owned servers. Access control systems can restrict or grant access to IT rooms and even individual computers or networks, so only trusted individuals may access them.

8. CREATE A SAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT

Access control systems let trusted individuals inside and keep others out. You have the freedom to do background checks and keep out anyone without the right credentials.

Also, access control systems can keep your employees safe in the case of an emergency. Doors with lock-and-key mechanisms remain locked, which can be unsafe when a fire or other emergency requires a swift escape. Through the use of fail safe locks, doors unlock when the power cuts out, so all people can exit a building without the need to fumble for their keys.

9. REDUCE THEFT AND ACCIDENTS

You can protect your company’s assets, expensive equipment or even office supplies by controlling access. You can restrict access to supply closets and computer banks, so only trusted individuals can access them. Employees know their arrivals and departures are tracked, which deters theft.

Also, lab equipment or chemicals in schools or hospitals can injure people who aren’t trained to use them. To prevent accidents, you can restrict access to only those who know how to follow safety protocols.

10. PROVIDE ACCESS TO MULTIPLE BUILDINGS AND LOCATIONS

Traditional key-based security gets complicated in areas with multiple locations. A school with two campuses might have some faculty members that teach at both and some that teach only at one. A hospital with two buildings might need to grant different levels of access to people who work in each building or on each floor. A national or regional company might set security policies at their headquarters to be followed at each branch. 

Each of these situations can be managed with an access control system that can customize and implement access permissions across many locations.