Many institutions have been haunted by the memories of disastrous shootings and tragedies where, among other things, access control went wrong: Columbine, Virginia Tech, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.
Retail, banking and convenience store sectors face the unique challenges of high employee turnover, “floating” employees, internal fraud/shrinkage, and cost center for key/lock/card management and, therefore, it is easy to see the importance of a reliable and affordable access system.
It’s old, it’s outdated, it’s archaic – call it what you will. When the moment arrives when your card reader refuses to let you, your staff, or someone else who is authorized into your organization, it’s time for a change. How that change is done and how much it will cost is the hard part. But there’s good news: a switch might be on a smaller scale, like the Falls Church City Public School System in Virginia.
Let’s be honest. The average employee probably doesn’t give his or her ID badge much thought. They hope that they remember it each workday, it gets them in the building and it’s fun to swing around when they’re bored. But new badging systems are changing how IDs are being used throughout an organization, adapting the piece of plastic from a utilitarian accessory to an integrated business tool.
Using metrics provides a quantifiable way to measure the effectiveness of security programs and processes. As the popularity of metrics has increased over the past few years so has the number and type of metrics that are used to evaluate efficiencies. However, without proper vetting, metrics may not effectively evaluate the process or program that is being measured.
Smart cards, like other steps along technology’s ever-evolving pathway, biometrics and megapixel cameras to name two others, share ingrained challenges. New stuff is often more expensive than existing stuff. Bring something new in and, often, you have to upgrade other gear that is part of the total system to make it all work together. Then there are design, installation, maintenance and training costs as something new comes through the door.
I was searching my email outbox archives the other day and I ran across a column that I’d written a few years ago about the use of video and integrated security systems. I was adamant that a camera be ruled out for an access control solution versus considering it as an optional feature. I still maintain that assertion. I’m not saying that every door should have a camera – every door should be considered for one – as an integrated component of your access control system.
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