Many different factors go into securing a building and its facilities. Increasingly, businesses and property owners are leveraging smart technology to create a comprehensive access control system and then integrate that system with other building systems.
The latest access control technology not only helps to make facilities more secure than ever, but these smart devices also open up a whole new world of possibilities. For example, integrating access control systems with video surveillance, business intelligence, and other systems provides both better security and more business insights. But the key to making this happen is effective integration.
Before we get into that, let’s start with a quick overview of modern access control.
Understanding Access Control
Although it hasn’t been called access control until recently, the idea of securing a building has been around as long as we’ve had buildings. For centuries, we have controlled access using doors, locks, keys, gates, fences, and other analog measures. The latest digital technology brings access control to a whole new level, and some of the latest technologies include:
- Key fobs
- Card readers
- Biometric systems
- Near-field communications (NFC)
- Bluetooth
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
These technologies can be used to provide granular access based on individual identity, role within a building or company, time of day, situational response, and more. In addition to providing access, digital access control technologies can also enhance other security and business systems by being integrated with them.
How Integrated Access Control Works
Integrating access control connects it to other systems, but integration can also mean bringing together disparate components of an access control system. For example, if smart locks on exterior doors, an elevator card reader, and an NFC reader for parking lot gates are all made by different providers, granting or removing access for an individual requires updating individual systems. However, if all three systems are integrated, changing access can be done through a single platform.
That said, the real power of integration comes from knitting access control together with other systems. For example, a smart lighting system could be integrated with access control to automatically switch on outdoor spotlights when someone leaves a building at night.
Integrating access control systems with other business systems can provide a number of valuable benefits, as listed below.
Better Security
An integrated access control system provides better security, especially when integrated with other security systems like video surveillance systems. Integrating these systems allows building managers to coordinate an overall approach to security, making building occupants and property much safer.
Greater Efficiency
When an access control system is compartmentalized, it can be very difficult to manage. On the contrary, building managers can easily control access across an entire facility or multiple facilities with an integrated system. Having a unified system also lowers complexity, decreasing the risks of oversight and human error.
Scalability
It is much easier to scale up business systems when they are integrated. For example, if a company is building an addition to one of its buildings, the new addition can quickly be added to existing access control and office building surveillance systems after the necessary hardware has been installed.
Evaluating Your Current Security System
Integrating an access control system starts with evaluating the capabilities of your current system. A proper evaluation can identify areas of weakness, limitations, and necessary upgrades before starting the integration process.
The first step is to catalog all assets in your current access control system, including doors, locks, security gates, card readers, and software. It is also important to inventory alarms, video surveillance, and other access-related assets. This initial assessment can help to determine capabilities and any potential compatibility issues with a new system.
It’s also important to document the systems that support these assets. For example, video surveillance cameras might upload footage to a cloud storage service. Understanding the back-end systems helps to highlight integration points that must be considered when planning a new system.
Reviewing current access control and security policies is another key step. It is important to review everything from visitor management policies to emergency response plans. Policies should be reviewed for their effectiveness and how they might be improved through an integrated access control system. For example, a review of current policies might reveal that visitors are capable of accessing sensitive areas while remaining undetected. This could be addressed by the integration of additional surveillance and access control measures.
Any review of a current security system should include an evaluation of the communication infrastructure. For example, some smart locks and door sensors might communicate over Wi-Fi, while security cameras are hard-wired. If the current security infrastructure uses outdated communication methods, it is important to update these methods in a way that supports systems integration.
An evaluation should also include the existing user database and system for managing credentials. This ought to include the storage of user data, how it is accessed, and how it is updated. If a new credentialing system is being considered, there should be a plan for migrating and transitioning between systems.
A complete review of facilities is also a critical step. Identifying entry points, high-traffic areas, restricted zones, and other key areas can help assess the current access control system and identify areas for additional access control measures. New measures should be placed in a way that ensures security but isn’t unnecessarily restrictive.
In many industries, access control measures are critical to complying with regulatory requirements or maintaining certifications. These requirements should be reviewed, and any lapses in compliance should be addressed immediately. These requirements should also be considered when designing a new integrated access control system.
If your company has existing providers related to access control and security, you should consult with them about integrating your systems. Existing providers can offer insights into your current system and its compatibility with other related systems. You should also consider talking to other providers and asking them about the best approach to establishing an integrated access control system based on your current system and capabilities.
Planning the Integration Process
After performing a thorough evaluation of your existing access control and security systems, you can start moving forward with planning your integration process. This construction process involves several essential stages.
Outline Objectives
The objectives of an access control system should be fairly straightforward. However, the integration of that system opens up a whole new world of possibilities. For example, tracking the use of your parking lot with your access control system can help you determine if it is worth resurfacing the lot more frequently or adding additional parking.
Consider Compatibility
Integrating different systems is impossible if they aren’t compatible with one another. Determine the compatibility of your existing infrastructure and the compatibility of potential additional components. Technical specifications and consulting with providers can shed light on any potential compatibility issues.
Make Detailed Plans
Putting the integration into writing helps you when a new integrated system will be created. This starts with an integration blueprint that includes hardware components, software platforms, network architecture, and connection points. Blueprints can also indicate how data will flow throughout the integrated system.
Detailed plans should also include a timeline and budget. The budget should consider all potential costs, including installation fees and ongoing maintenance of the system. It’s always a good idea to include contingency funds for the unexpected costs that always pop up.
Identify Compliance Concerns
If maintaining compliance with regulations or certification guidelines is critical to your company, then it is essential to identify compliance concerns while planning and implementing an integrated access control system. All aspects of a potential system should be reviewed to ensure they comply with critical standards, such as privacy and financial regulations.
Engage Stakeholders
Once the initial details have been drawn up, the plan should be reviewed and revised with input from all relevant stakeholders. While the obvious stakeholders are security staff, senior management, and IT personnel, it is also important to engage employees and other end users of the integrated system. These folks can provide a boots-on-the-ground perspective and point out potential issues that may have been missed using only a top-down approach.
Perform a Risk Assessment
No access control system is perfect, and even Fort Knox has its vulnerabilities. Conducting a thorough risk assessment can help you spot potential vulnerabilities in your planned access control system. While some vulnerabilities may be relatively low risk and can be ignored, it is critical to have mitigation strategies to address high-risk vulnerabilities.
Perform Incremental Testing
Instead of rolling out an entire integrated system at once, roll out aspects of the system incrementally and test each aspect as you go along. Continue testing as you integrate the system to ensure that it’s performing as expected.
Common Challenges in Access Control Integration
Even with precision planning, access control integration is a challenging process. Building owners and managers looking to retain some legacy systems must figure out how to blend the old and the new. If different systems from different providers are being integrated, there can be an issue with data compatibility. To get the best results possible, companies integrating an access control system should adopt a change management strategy.
Ideally, you want to build an integrated access control system from the ground up. However, many buildings have a legacy system that cannot be completely replaced for logistical or financial reasons. Integrating new components with a legacy system can be incredibly tricky, and replacing more legacy components midway through an integration process may be necessary.
The adoption of newer technologies can still result in data compatibility issues. Because different systems use different types of data, it is very important to ensure these systems can communicate with one another without crashing or losing data. Getting stakeholders together to plan ahead can help to avoid major compatibility issues. Minor issues can be resolved using effective data validation protocols.
Effective integration is about more than just changing infrastructure. It’s also important to ensure new systems are backed up with new policies and practices. An effective change management strategy helps building occupants change behaviors and adopt new methods. This strategy should include input from all stakeholders because it helps to develop a more well-rounded approach, and it increases by and from everyone involved. It’s also important to communicate the benefits of integration and how the new approach will make lives easier.
These challenges are significant, and it’s critical to address them with the right amount of expertise and resources. While in-house technicians might have a lot of knowledge, access control experts who have performed many integrations know how to avoid common and costly pitfalls. Obviously, there are budgetary considerations with any new investment, but cutting corners can result in an underwhelming integration.
A leadership group should conduct a cost-benefit analysis that includes Everything from productivity rates to employee satisfaction. A clear-eyed analysis can reveal how investments in expertise and resources will pay dividends in the long term for a building and its occupants.
Taylored Systems Can Help Secure Your Business
At Taylored Systems, our experts have many years of experience integrating access control systems. We can help you integrate different aspects to create a unified access control system, and we can also help you integrate your access control system with other systems, such as an office building surveillance system or visitor management system. Our experts can help you take a comprehensive approach to security and get the most out of your investments. Please contact us today to find out how we can secure your facilities.