5 Top Considerations for Designing Your Business Access Control System

As a business, protecting and securing your assets is a paramount concern. By designing and managing your business access control system to fit your specific needs, you can limit accessibility and track activity in a more efficient manner, internally and remotely, and identify breaches in real time.

Your needs will be determined by your type of business – a pharmaceutical manufacturer will require higher levels of security than a pallet building company. This is not to say that either commodity is more valuable than the other–it simply defines the level of security necessary to protect the assets.

Boulder Mobile Locksmiths, a mobile locksmith company, has proudly served the Boulder area since 2012, serving Lafayette, Broomfield, Erie, Louisville, Boulder, Longmont and other nearby communities. Theyspecialize in the installation of State-of-the-art Access Control systems, from installation configuration to end-user management, providing you, the end-user, complete access, and functionality from any device, anywhere via a cloud-based system.

#1. Analyze Your Needs

In order to design the most efficient Access Control System, a business should start the process by:

• Assessing how much security it needs when designing the risk management framework
• Have a complete understanding of regulatory restrictions required to stay compliant
• Analyze the infrastructure in order to provide the proper level of accessibility to personnel

In our example above, it is easy to see that the needs of a pallet construction business versus a pharmaceutical business are remarkably different. The pallet construction site needs to consider theft or vandalism of their valuable equipment, when designing their access control system, making it inaccessible. The pharmaceutical company is mandated to secure its regulated drugs in such a manner as to remain compliant with FDA and DEA requirements and would, therefore, have a vastly different set of requirements.

#2 Is an Access Control System Right for You?

There are several reasons businesses consider installing access control systems. A careful analysis of the RMF (risk management framework) and hierarchy accessibility will help you design an appropriate ACS.

Some of the most common reasons businesses install these systems include:

• To secure their data
• To secure product
• To secure sensitive equipment (labs, medical devices, etc.)
• To restrict access to “clean rooms”
• Restrict access to back up servers

#3 What Levels of Security Do You Need?

Different sectors of a business may require different types of access control. Access control systems may include a combination of the following components. Your servers and sensitive data will require higher levels of security vs. the lobby. This can be accomplished using a combination of various components, for example:

• Access Cards
• Card Readers
• Keypads
• Locking hardware

The pallet construction company in our example needs locking hardware to discourage theft and vandalism of its heavy equipment, while its on-site sales office may require a simple key.

Very simple Controlled Access Systems are utilized at public storage facilities–typically, the renter is provided a security code or swipe card to access the facility’s units. Conversely, a financial institution requires more sophisticated access controls, utilizing every type of access control device throughout the premises, restricting access to certain areas based on security clearance. The ACS can even be designed to restrict elevators from accessing certain floors.

#4 How do I Design an Effective Access Control System?

Designing an efficient ACS takes careful planning.

• With too little security, you risk losses
• With too much security, it becomes tedious and people will not use it properly

Do your due diligence. Enlisting Boulder Mobile Locksmiths to assist in designing the most effective access control system will save you time, research and money–not to mention the risk of missing important details.

Here are some suggestions:

• Identify security levels based on an impact analysis
• Identify your baseline security controls, then customize based on RMF
• After implementing the access controls, determine if they are operating and meeting security requirements
• Monitor on an ongoing basis
• Design built-in fail-safes to compensate for personnel neglect, such as allowing others in, or not closing doors. etc.

Remember, the more complex and elaborate your ACS, the more it will cost. The major factors include need, space, size,and location.

• How many employees will have access and to what areas
• Number of doors/area to be secured
• Level of security in each area

RECOMMENDATION:Make two lists

– “Must-Have” list -absolute features you are not willing to compromise

-“Want” list of options you would like to have but can do without if cost is a factor

#5 Review Your Budget

Setting a budget is very important. Access Control System components can be costly and without a budget, you can easily spend thousands of dollars you were not prepared to spend.

Your budget will help you determine:

1. If your “Must-Have” list is affordable
2. If some of your “Want” list items can be included

When laying out your budget, be sure to include any additional labor costs, ongoing fees, including the setup fees, monthly access fees and permit fees.

If you are looking for a locksmith in Boulder or Longmont, CO, Boulder Mobile Locksmiths are your best choice.Call now to set up your appointment and meet with one of our professional technicians to discuss a customized access control system for your premises.