If your business premises have a lot of people visiting them every day, it is important that you ensure that only those authorised to do so gain entry to different areas of the building. The best way to do this is to install an access control system. Below is a guide which will help you to plan your access control set-up.

Consider your requirements

Before you commence with the installation of an access control system, it is essential that you consider the precise requirements of your particular business. For example, if you only wish to control who enters the premises but wish for free movement within a building, you will only need to install an exterior access control system. However, if you wish to control access to different areas of your building such as staff rest areas, server rooms or sensitive record stores. By installing different grades of access control, you can grant different levels of access to different groups of people.

Consider how many doors you will need

Once you have established your requirements, you should sit down and work out how many doors you will need. The easiest way to do this is to look at a floor plan diagram of the space. You can then establish which doors need to be kept secure. If you are unsure of the best configuration for your access control doors, you should contact a security contractor or locksmith who will be able to offer you further advice.

Consider the precise features you need

Once you established the number of doors you wish to install, you should consider the precise security features you wish to have installed on each door. A locksmith will be able to install a range of different security measures to meet your needs. For example, you may wish to issue your staff with keycards which they can swipe at the access control panel. If you wish to go a little bit more high-tech, you could opt for a biometric keypad which reads peoples fingerprints before granting or denying them access. You should also consider if you want your access control panel to be linked to other systems. For example, you could have the keypad or card slot on the access control panel linked to the CCTV system in the building. When someone attempts to gain entry through the door, the camera will be activated and will film their movements.

If you would like further advice, contact a security consultant who specialises in access control.