Security systems are present in the vast majority of commercial premises to reduce risk for workers and protect valuable business assets. However, very few businesses make full use of the reporting potential of these systems.
For access control systems in particular, these reporting mechanisms can be extremely valuable in informing strategic business decisions.
What reports can my access control system offer?
Depending on your specific system, access control systems can offer a range of reports, which can have a number of benefits to business decision makers. This may include reports containing data on:
• Who’s in the building at any one time
• How often the building is being used/accessed (and at what times)
• Which spaces of your building are being used more than others.
• How often the building is being used/accessed (and at what times)
• Which spaces of your building are being used more than others.
‘People counting’
So called ‘people counting’ is a valuable aspect of access control for a number of reasons.
1.Who’s in the building?
Firstly, in the event of an emergency, readily available access control reports can give information on the number of people in a building at any given time. This can be invaluable during building evacuations to ensure everyone is accounted for.
If your access control system is operated using individual key fobs vs codes, for example, this can also give you more detailed information on the specific people in the buildings, such as full names. That way, you’ll know exactly who’s accounted for and who’s missing.
2.How often are people on site?
With the rise of hybrid working in a post-pandemic era, very few office-based workers are now taking the opportunity to work remotely for parts of the working week. This is affecting the amount of time people are spending in office environments.
Your access control systems can give a number of important insights here, which might include:
• How many people are using the office space
• Are there any patterns in preferences for access – eg times of day or days of the week
• Are there any employees no longer attending the office (ie full-time home/remote working?)
• Are there any patterns in preferences for access – eg times of day or days of the week
• Are there any employees no longer attending the office (ie full-time home/remote working?)
These insights can give your business leaders and HR teams valuable data about the working patterns of teams, for decisions and activities such as:
• Encouraging more office presence where necessary to prompt shared learning
• Setting up team building activities on popular office days for maximum engagement
• Downsizing office spaces where the average number of people using the space at any given time is far less than its capacity.
• Setting up team building activities on popular office days for maximum engagement
• Downsizing office spaces where the average number of people using the space at any given time is far less than its capacity.
3.Are some areas accessed more than others?
Access control systems can also give area access reporting, so you know who and how many people are accessing the different areas of your building.
This enables you to monitor when different facilities were last in use, informing you of any underused or disused spaces, which could potentially be repurposed for alternative uses to maximise the value you’re getting from the space.
Could your access control be giving you greater insight into your commercial building’s use?
Get in touch – we’d love to talk you through the different options.
