For commercial properties, security issues often start with everyday decisions, not dramatic events. It’s far more common for everyday decisions to create security problems that make systems more vulnerable. The concern with small security issues is that they often go unnoticed, building over time until a larger failure catches everyone’s attention.
Let’s explore what these security challenges look like in real life and how the right access control strategy can improve visibility and flexibility to keep your day-to-day operations running smoothly.
Challenge 1: Standalone Access Control Systems
In the access control industry, you’ll often hear about the importance of integrating your systems. But what does that actually mean? Many facilities have siloed systems for each type of security. This can look like separate systems for:
- Visitor management
- Security cameras
- Access control cards or fobs
- Employee and Credential Databases
- Reporting, Audit Logs, and System Monitoring
This is rarely by design. Most organizations end up with separate systems because their security needs evolve over time, and it often makes the most sense to add a new layer with a different technology instead of starting from scratch.
The issue with this approach is that these systems don’t always communicate with each other. Multiple systems can also overlap and share the same purpose, making them more complicated to manage. At the same time, it’s easier for gaps in security to go unnoticed when there are so many layers to manage.
Case Study: A large food manufacturer with multiple access control systems across their national company came to VIDIX when the system became too cumbersome to manage. We partnered with them to create a single badge access control system that worked across their entire national organization. Executives visiting different site branches of the business now need only one access card instead of carrying multiple credentials. Read the full case study.
Challenge 2: Planning for Access Control Outside of Normal Operations
It’s natural for businesses to build their security system around standard business hours. In these situations, however, rigid security measures make it difficult to accommodate after-hours vendors, temporary contractors, or holiday schedules without significant manual effort.
Inflexible security systems often require workarounds, such as sharing credentials, propping doors open, or making staff adjust their regular schedule so they can be on-site to grant access. The result isn’t just inconvenience, but vulnerability.
Challenge 3: Anticipating Business Growth
Not all access control and security systems are designed to evolve with your business. Solutions that work for a small team or single location might become a burden as staff, departments, or facilities grow.
Likewise, many security systems aren’t designed to sync across multiple locations. If you add a new branch to your business, entry-level security systems may not provide the centralized visibility or flexibility needed to manage multiple locations efficiently.
Challenge 4: Choosing Hardware Suitable for the Installation Environment
Credential readers, keypads, door intercoms, and other physical security devices are designed to withstand a lot, but they aren’t impervious. Think about these factors when choosing hardware:
- Dust, moisture, and weather conditions can affect how devices perform in outdoor locations or in warehouses with heavy debris.
- Keypads, intercoms, and card readers in high-traffic areas need to withstand constant use and may need more frequent commercial security maintenance.
- Older buildings may not have suitable cabling and wiring to support modern security devices. Installing them may require additional electrical work and more labor hours.
Challenge 5: Establishing Security Lifecycle Processes
Even with the best access control system, the absence of an established protocol for issuing credentials can create vulnerabilities. One of the best ways to strengthen your security is simply to develop policies for who can create access badges, how to handle forgotten credentials, when to reset PINs, and how access is removed when someone changes roles or leaves the organization.
Challenge 6: Covering All Access Points Effectively
For many organizations, access control focuses heavily on entry points. However, your organization may have a variety of interior zones that need security as well. Adding access control to areas like these can make your organization as safe on the inside as it is from the outside:
- Cabinets with restricted or controlled items.
- File cabinets with sensitive documents.
- Inventory areas.
- Server rooms.
- Shared tenant spaces.
The Hidden Costs of Security Gaps
While security issues make your people and assets more vulnerable, access control isn’t just about risk prevention. With a fragmented system, you’re more likely to spend time and money on:
- Training or retraining staff on security protocols.
- Regularly printing new badges.
- Being physically on-site instead of managing security remotely.
- Chasing down reports and data for audits.
- Managing credentials with manual processes.
Access control doesn’t have to be complex to be secure. In fact, a system that’s too complicated is far more likely to create the problems it was built to solve.
VIDIX Control helps turn unnecessarily complex access control systems into solutions that help manage your building security with confidence. Want to see what that can look like for your organization? Contact our team to learn more about creating an access control and commercial security system designed around your business.
