Upgrade from Conventional Lock and Key Method to Card Readers for Better Business Security

Employee theft accounts for a large percentage of inventory loss on an annual basis for most businesses. This occurs mainly because of personnel replacements, keys that are allocated to employees and not given back, or failing to restrict or control access to keys for certain areas around the company. Unlike the conventional lock and key method, electronic access control systems such as swipe access cards have proven to offer better access control security. Basically, every employee or user is issued with a dedicated special card that has been pre-programmed into the control unit or reader. With these access cards, business owners and facility managers can control who has access, the time they have access and which exact areas they have access to. Read on to find out what kind of card reader to use to establish better security for your business. 

Types of card readers

There are basically three major distinct forms of card readers. First, the swipe access card operates on the principle of swiping the card across a long narrow opening at each end. Another type of card reader is one where the card is inserted into slot reader. The third card system, referred to as proximity reader, just requires the card to be flashed to the reader a short distance from its face.

Manage who goes where

Employee theft is made possible because an employee can steal a physical key and access a restricted area. With card access systems, such a scenario is impossible. In contrast to a traditional lock and key system, in the event a swipe card is stolen or misplaced, it can be quickly deleted, thus maintaining the security of the premise.

Moreover, swipe access cards may be programmed in such a way that specific individuals can have access to specific areas that other personnel cannot access. This is particularly important in a premise with plenty of staff.

For example, you may prefer only your laboratory personnel, scientists and directors to have right of entry to your laboratory. It's just an easy matter for the commercial locksmith to program the swipe cards for the respective authorized personnel so that no other personnel can access the laboratory.

Control time of access

Still on the laboratory example, you may also want your laboratory to be cleaned, which means allowing access to cleaners during the scheduled cleaning period. Yet again, it's just an easy matter for the commercial locksmith to program the system so that the cleaners can only access the laboratory facility between, say, 7.00pm and 8.00pm, which is the scheduled cleaning time.

Engage the services of a commercial locksmith if you want to upgrade from lock and key system to card reader access control system for your business premise.