OUR ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS
If you own any kind of business or run an enterprise that is open to staff or the general public, ensuring the security of your building is a top priority. A large part of this is regulating who has routine access to your premises.
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You can achieve this by restricting the number of people with access, by limiting the opening hours to times when your property is fully staffed, or by monitoring all those who enter your building.
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Using an access control system enables you to control the locks on every door easily and safely. There are two options when it comes to access control: the standalone system, or the networked system. ​
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We can install several different types of access control system to suit a variety of structures, so if you have any questions about how to make your building more secure, please contact us, and our friendly team will be in touch with you shortly!
Call us on 01234 230690
or email info@kcsprojects.co.uk
STANDALONE SYSTEMS VS. NETWORKED SYSTEMS
What Is A Standalone System?
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In short, a ‘standalone system’ means just that; it affects only one point of access, is not connected to a wider network or other devices, and does not need to be operated from an external control point, such as a PC.
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Standalone systems usually require proximity readers, magnetic stripe cards, or PIN numbers to unlock the doors.
They are typically used in low-security and small buildings with few access points - such as offices, private homes, storage units, or sports facilities - or when the premises are only being used by a small number of individuals who do not require routine monitoring.
Standalone systems are a good option if your building is only open to a limited number of staff members or residents who you know you can trust.
Typically, standalone systems are cheaper than networked systems, so if you are looking to keep costs down on your properties, a standalone system may be an economical choice.
Another benefit of standalone systems is that they offer a range of access options; you may choose to use fobs, cards, or codes as per your requirements, which makes these systems versatile and adaptable.
They can fit a variety of different layouts and you can add as many or as few access points as you need.
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However, standalone systems are not suitable for high-security premises, as they cannot be used to monitor the movements of users throughout the building.
As they are not connected to any other systems, it also means that any reprogramming cannot be done in one go, and that each door will have to be reprogrammed individually.
What Is A Networked System?
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A networked system, on the other hand, involves a ‘network’ of all access points connected and linked to an external control and monitoring point, such as a PC.
From the control point, the administrator can review users’ activity and manage which parts of your building they have access to, and when.
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By monitoring which doors users accessed at which time, administrators can also track and check an individual’s movements, which may be useful in emergency situations.
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From the main control point, you may choose to set up ‘free access periods’ - like for example, during work hours. Out of hours, you may then decide to restrict access to proximity card holders.
Also, the alarms can be enabled to alert users if any doors are left open - and in the event of a fire, the system acts as an employee ‘register’ for safety purposes.
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You may find that a networked system is a good option for your building if you have a large number of users entering the building at any one time, and/or a large site that is difficult to secure.
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Generally, these systems are more flexible and offer a wider range of options to control access to certain zones and specific doors.
For example, you may want to allow different groups of employees access at different times – perhaps providing office workers access from 8am to 6pm, cleaners from 6pm to 8pm, and managers at any time.
Call us on 01234 230690
or email info@kcsprojects.co.uk
CASE STUDY: A CHILDREN'S NURSERY
We were employed to check and improve the access control security for a three-storey children’s nursery with three rooms on each level for each age range.
We found a few problems with the security of the building; for example, there was access control only on the main door to the building.
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Once you were inside you could get to any classroom, and the intercom only alerted one phone in the Nursery office.
As such, not all staff were made aware when somebody had entered the building. This posed obvious safeguarding issues and led to inefficiency during busy hours.
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To help to resolve these issues, we installed a video intercom on the main door, and placed video phones in every classroom and the main office; this meant that users at the main door would be able to directly call the classroom that their child was attending.
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This intercom was also linked to a proximity card reader, enabling staff to present their ID cards to ‘clock in’ and enter the building.
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To provide another added safeguarding protection, we also installed magnetic locks and proximity readers on every door in the main corridors, stairwells, classrooms, and offices, so that if any unauthorised person was able to gain access, they would not be able to go much further than the main entrance.
To monitor staff movements, we set up the PC to track their activity throughout the building. We also set up an alarm that would alert a member of staff if any door were left open.
This PC was set up to be flexible in programming; for example, staff could add new ID cards for new members of the team, and be able to change settings on the system.
This helped to create a safer, more secure, and more flexible system that was far more effective in ensuring the appropriate safety measures were being upheld.
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We can install many different types of access control system to suit a wide variety of structures, so if you have any questions about how to make your building more secure, please contact us, and our friendly team will be in touch with you shortly!
Call us on 01234 230690
or email info@kcsprojects.co.uk