The landscape of commercial building security is undergoing a significant shift towards contactless access control systems. This trend offers substantial benefits for facilities managers responsible for securing office buildings, warehouses, and other commercial spaces. Ultimately, contactless access control systems are creating a more secure and user-friendly experience for tenants and property managers alike.
Hygiene and Efficiency
The pandemic undoubtedly accelerated the adoption of touchless technologies due to hygiene concerns. However, the advantages of touchless technology extend far beyond virus prevention. Contact-less systems, particularly those utilizing QR codes, eliminate the need for physical keys or key fobs, which can be misplaced, stolen, or require costly reprogramming. What this trend translates to is a more streamlined security operation for facilities managers, a reduced administrative burden and a lower need for physical key management.
The Smartphone Advantage
Alongside this trend, the widespread adoption of smartphones as a reliable and convenient access credential has also fuelled the rise of contact-less access control. QR codes, especially now they can be scanned using native phone cameras, provide a convenient and secure authentication solution for commercial building operators. They offer several key advantages over traditional systems.
- Users simply scan a unique QR code with their phone to unlock doors, eliminating shared touchpoints.
- Unlike traditional key cards, QR codes can be dynamically generated and revoked, offering superior control over access permissions.
- Granting temporary access to deliveries, contractors, or visitors becomes effortless with QR codes. No need for physical cards or cumbersome key management procedures.
- QR codes are easy to generate, manage, and distribute, making them adaptable and versatile.
Beyond Hygiene: Long-Term Benefits for Facilities Management
The initial adoption of contact-less access control was certainly fuelled by hygiene concerns. However, the value proposition extends far beyond this initial driver. Facilities managers are discovering a wealth of benefits that improve not only security but also efficiency and cost management. QR code-based systems eliminate the need for physical key cards – a significant expense that encompasses production, distribution, and inevitable replacements. This translates to immediate cost savings. Furthermore, the beauty of QR codes lies in their inherent scalability.
QR codes, which offer temporary access permissions, can greatly reduce the reliance upon the human concierge resource, typically an overhead of the property owner or management company. QR code access credential use in manged residences is also growing. When a resident is not at home a concierge would normally have to manage all access and receipt of parcels. Finally, QR codes streamline access control processes altogether. Wait times at entry points become a thing of the past as building occupants gain access with a quick scan. Facilities managers also benefit from a simplified system that requires less maintenance and empowers them to manage access remotely, creating a more efficient and manageable security operation from start to finish.
Keyless access control systems can effortlessly adapt to the dynamic needs of a commercial building. Adding new employees, accommodating departmental shifts, or creating restricted access zones is easy with this type of system. Gone are the days of complex key management or reprogramming procedures. In addition, as mentioned above, with a QR code-based system, temporary codes can be programmed to expire after a specific time or after a single use, ensuring access is only granted for the intended duration. QR codes are simple to generate and deactivate. Lost or compromised codes can be easily revoked, maintaining a secure environment.
Conclusion
Contact-less access control is transforming commercial security, MDU, apartment living and the build-to-rentsector. It offers a secure, cost-effective, and user-friendly solution that goes beyond hygiene concerns. For facilities managers, this translates to enhanced security, streamlined operations, and significant cost savings. As technology advances, non-touch access control stands to become a cornerstone of modern commercial building security.
About CIE-Group
CIE-Group is one of the UK’s leading Audio Visual & Security distributors, supplying installers and integrators with professional AV, intercom & access control products from key brands including 2N, Akuvox, InterM, CYP, Axis and many more.
