Cody Horchak 3 min read

Retrofitting Access Control Part 9: Risky Business

This is part 9 of a daily series on challenging conventions in the access control world and retrofitting our perspective on what’s best for people, businesses, buildings, and the world. Click here to start the series from the beginning. Stay tuned for the final part tomorrow on workforce augmentation coming tomorrow. 

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve explored what you stand to gain by successfully updating your access control systems. Today I’m taking a different approach and covering what’s at stake if you get it wrong. 

When You Can’t Afford to Fail 

Access control and security systems are critically important. They keep people and assets safe and allow us to get where we need to be. 

Imagine if someone can’t get to their home or work, or if something gets in our way amidst an emergency situation. What happens if a security risk gets into your physical or digital environment? 

Access control infrastructure is also time-consuming and expensive. A botched install or unexpected system incompatibility can delay a project completion from weeks to months and impact not only your budget but the safety and security of your building.  

There are many things that have to go right all at once, and one hiccup along the way can initiate an avalanche of downstream effects. 

The Risk of Inertia 

Unfortunately, doing nothing isn’t an option, either. Your existing access control infrastructure isn’t getting any younger and at some point, you will have to upgrade. 

As they age, old access control systems suffer from a variety of vulnerabilities. They’re subject to various hacks and exploits such as tailgating or pass backs. Magnetic keys and fobs are easily lost, stolen, or duplicated.

They lack a lot of the essential modern functionality of a newer system: mobile access via smart device, easy integration with your other systems, real-time data reporting, and so on. 

If moving forward with access control is risky, but doing nothing is also risky, what are you supposed to do to protect your firm?

Mitigating Risk Exposure In Access Control

Fortunately, there’s a third path that offers all the advantages and features of a brand-new access control system without exposing yourself and your organization to the myriad things that can go wrong with a typical rip and replace option.  

A straightforward renovation and retrofit of your existing access control framework can be done for a fraction of the cost, stress, and resources required. Think of it as a minimally invasive surgery that disrupts as little as possible and lets you retain all the stable processes and infrastructure you have already established. 

When the stakes are high, you can’t afford a misstep. Don’t let a haphazard access control replacement trip you up!

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