Beyond Electronic Security: The Role of Mechanical Hardware With Electronic Access Control

I have been in the mechanical security space for longer than I can remember. I was happily helping my dad install deadbolts throughout a hotel when I was younger than current labour laws would allow. The fact that the hotel was still using deadbolts should tell you something about how long ago that was!Since those days with my dad, the physical security space has changed a great deal. Especially with the advancements in electronic hardware.

I’ll be the first to admit that electronic hardware is the future. It offers many advantages over traditional locks and keys. (I’ll save that for another post)I won’t dive not the different kinds of electronic access here. For today, we’ll focus on card access as it is the most common and relevant to this post.

Last week I attended the ISCWest conference to look at all the new products and learn more about security consulting. While there, I couldn’t help but think about how mechanical and electronic hardware interrelate with one another. One example is that I used a card to unlock my hotel room door but, once inside, I swung the mechanical door guard over to make sure no one else could open the door.I’ve had several conversations with clients who were looking for my input on where and how to install card access, but they were surprised by all my follow-up questions. This is because they haven’t considered what to do with the existing mechanical hardware. Some of the questions I’m asking are:

• Does the door hardware have to be changed so it can’t be left unlocked?

• Is there a door closer and does it properly latch the door every time?

• Is there a doorstop installed or wedge close by that could be used to prop the door open?

• Should the hardware be rekeyed to keep people from using their key instead of their new card?

  
  

In my opinion this last one is the most important. This is especially true when a facility is first implementing a card access system. Some people embrace the change while others will not. The group that falls into the latter category will keep using their key as long as they are able.(More on getting employees to embrace the change to electronic access in another post)Worse yet is if the facility can’t account for all the keys that work the door in question.All these above questions are helpful to keep in mind when budgeting for your new card access system and ensure a successful transition.

If you have any questions about this or any other security hardware related issues, I’m always here to help.