Benefits of access control systems for your business

Unfortunately, a lock and key won't keep you very safe anymore. In today's security landscape, there are physical security risks; someone stealing your purse, wallet, or the last piece of cake you've been saving in the office fridge... and there's digital security; hacking classified data, intellectual property, and proprietary information. 

Physical and digital security have typically been thought of as separate issues with separate solutions, but that is no longer the case. A misplaced or stolen laptop is the easiest example of the physical and digital security worlds colliding and both being compromised.  Elevated, smarter access control is the easiest example of an all encompassing solution.  

Organizations used to believe that evaluating building security just once a year was sufficient enough – the routine day when inspectors showed up and simply confirmed the emergency escape routes were unobstructed. Today, the level of physical security at your office and the benefits of implementing access control needs to be a much bigger part of the conversation around your whole company security posture. In order to help keep itself and its employees safe, organizations need to know where and when someone is in the office. However, with shifting operational needs, contractors, visitors, and the expectation of flexible hours for employees - controlling office access can be cumbersome and challenging.  Especially considering the outdated methods available for people to access their offices today:

Enter access control for the modern office via mobile credentials. Smartphones are the safest, most user-friendly way to grant access credentials. We already use our mobile devices for everything in our personal lives anyways; shopping, home security, controlling our thermostat.  It’s time for the workplace to catch up. Mobile devices, like smartphones and smart watches, support current encryption and communication technologies that allow for a layered, more effective approach to security.  

In addition, with a smart access control solution, managing guest access has never been more convenient or secure. When implementing a cloud-based, mobile forward access control solution such as Openpath, you have the ability to text a temporary access code to an outside contractor or visitor that can be tracked and monitored via the cloud, and then expires shortly thereafter.  Via the cloud, the administrator has real time visibility and can manage the office security system anytime, from anywhere. This promotes peace of mind for the employer AND the visitor, knowing only the people that need to get in are getting in.  And in the event there is an unsolicited visitor attempting to enter, you always have mobile-ready ability to "lockdown" the building, even if the doors are generally unlocked during office hours.

Security and safety are never easy initiatives, they are often an onerous burden on an organization's productivity and are also very rarely merged with convenience or personalization in the processes. However, rest assured that an investment in access control is worthwhile. Organizations gain greater control and visibility to what is really happening around their offices while improving their employee's day to day experience via convenient access tools. Investing in the right technology up front is important in order to future proof the security system that will likely be controlling the office doors for many years to come. Consider a modern access control system that leverages Mobile credentials, Cloud based software and flexible deployment models when evaluating vendors and systems. Its safer, easier to manage and fits better with today's modern workforce.

Importance of Mobile, Cloud-Based Access Control

Openpath combats many of the common challenges and headaches created by old legacy systems, providing businesses with a mobile-ready, cloud-based Smart Office access control solution – a better and more holistic approach to making your office both safer and smarter.

Additional Resources

• Stay safe with the Return to Work Safety Guide

• Learn more about Physical Access Control