Why Preventative Maintenance on Your Access Control System is Critical

Access Control Maintenance
George Schneck
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Innovative access control systems add an extra layer of security to your building. However, regular maintenance is critical to the effectiveness of the system. If your access control system isn’t maintained, it will degrade over time, exposing your employees and customers to security risks. Here are three reasons to make routine maintenance a priority.

1.      To Prevent Internal Theft

Businesses often think their biggest threat comes from the outside. However, the Chamber of Commerce says that an astounding 75 percent of workers admit they’ve stolen from employers at least once. They also believe that 30 percent of all business failures occur because of employee fraud, abuse, and theft.

This type of threat really affects small businesses with 150 employees and under. Generally large corporations understand that internal theft and fraud can cost millions of dollars every year.

You should control access to areas that have sensitive information and critical technology such as storage areas, datacenters, and supply rooms. Regularly audit your access control system to ensure that it’s functioning properly, and that employees are following the rules of access. Test all locking mechanisms to make sure they work correctly to secure your property.

2.      So You Can Let the Right People Access Your Property

Even the best access control systems can start letting the wrong people in when the system begins to degrade. Locking mechanisms break, and access cards end up lost or stolen. Previously secured areas are often propped open, making access easy. When access control systems work correctly, they make it extremely hard for the wrong people to get into your building.

Make sure you maintain your system and repair things that break. Maintenance and repair ensure that your access control lets the right people in and keeps the wrong people out.

3.      So You Know Who’s Accessing Your Property at All Times

Contemporary access control systems allow you to monitor who comes and goes through every door controlled by the system. You can review reports weekly, monthly, or daily to see if employees are using the correct keycard or if unapproved people can enter the property. Over time the accuracy of this monitoring decreases without regular maintenance.

It’s common for someone to forget their card and use another employee’s. Perhaps there are spare cards floating around that aren’t assigned to anyone.

Someone could even steal a keycard that an employee lost in the parking lot. To avoid these issues, perform routine audits to verify the card assigned to each person. You can also take unassigned cards out of the system. Audits help you find discrepancies and fix problems.

These three reasons to regularly maintain your access control should illustrate how important routine maintenance is to protect the people and property associated with your business. The efficiency of your access control system becomes even more critical when you manage more than one property. Your security integrator can help you with the maintenance and upkeep of your entire security system and protect the critical components of your business.

ABOUT SECURITY INSTRUMENT

Founded in 1960, Security Instrument Corporation, a privately held U.S. Corporation, provides electronic security and life safety detection and associated monitoring and support services. Protecting guests, and profitability is paramount in every industry. If you have questions about how to improve your security, feel free to give us a call today.

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