If you are a company growing quickly, moving into a new office or just looking to upgrade your existing system, getting a new access control system in your office is a lot easier said than done. What seems like a simple “order and get it done” task in the beginning can explode into a full time project. What if your new hires can’t get in? What if the new locks do not work properly? To avoid headache, use these five steps to decide on a new access control system.
1. Evaluate your environment and doors
- Are your doors made of wood, metal or glass? This determines the type of locks you are able to install.
- How many doors would you want to manage access for? Do you really need the back door on the access system too, or is that door frequently unused?
- Is it possible for all these doors to be connected to one IT closet? Pay attention to distance and where the wire can run.
- Are there different floors in your office? If so, you might want to connect both floors with wires to save on installation costs. Otherwise you may have to install two separate access control systems.
- Is there a local vendor who installs doors? Usually doors do not come equipped with electronic access infrastructure. Do not experiment here, try to source everything from a single vendor.
2. Define your access policies
- Should the door always be locked or always open during office hours?
- How many people need access to the space? How often does this change and how often are people added?
- Are there different access roles for managers, employers, freelancers and interns?
3. Define the full scope of the project
- What is your ideal time frame to get the access control system installed? Consider hard deadlines like a signed lease or a booked moving date.
- How much do you want to spend on your access control system? If you have no existing access control infrastructure, an electric strike installation with keypad would on average be around £800 – £1800. Alternatively, a magnetic lock installation with a pin pad is around £1500 – £3000.
- Are aesthetics important for you? If so, you may want to tell your installer to choose a bronze plated security lock to match your door frame.
4. Selecting a vendor
- You might want to Google search “security integrator”, “security systems”, “access control installation” and the city you are located in.
- Before contacting the vendor, make sure to read reviews.
5. Get a quote from your vendor
- The last step is usually the first step people want to do: Getting an idea what it costs
- Good installers do free site visits or credit the cost of the site visit towards your bill should you decide to move forward with them.
So, now you know a few steps you should take in the lead up to deciding on your access control system. But how can we help with that? Well, get in touch today for more information on our access control systems at 0113 868 0124.