This is part 2 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 part 3 on security coming tomorrow.
Yesterday I discussed the hefty cost considerations when weighing your options for completely replacing or simply retrofitting an outdated access control system. Price is always a prominent factor for everyone, but there’s something even more precious that needs to be factored in: time.
Even if the cost was no issue and you had an unlimited budget for access control systems, there’s no amount of money that can buy back wasted time. So when you’re shopping around for access control options, don’t forget to factor in just how long it’s going to take to replace your existing system with a new one.
Hurrying to Wait
It can take up to an hour per door to install a new access control system, estimates Umbrella Technologies. A manageable delay, perhaps, if you’re just upgrading a single main entryway. But one that quickly scales out of control if you’re looking at replacing readers at dozens or hundreds of portals across a single building like you might find at many commercial or residential structures, and certainly across a portfolio of any considerable size.
And the installation time itself is only one part of the delay once you’ve made the decision to update.
You’re faced with scheduling onsite visits of the vendors beforehand to scope out the project, waiting for various hardware to get shipped, and blocking off time to tear out and get rid of your existing systems. A rip-and-replace will cost more, meaning lengthier budget approvals and procurement processes. Depending on the scale and location of the project, you’ll be subject to local permitting requirements and bureaucracy.
Suddenly your vision for a new access control experience is getting pushed off until next quarter or even next year.
Retrofit Your Access Control System to Exist in the Future
When it’s time to modernize your access control experience, don’t you want all the capabilities and perks of tomorrow’s cutting-edge systems…tomorrow?
Choosing to retrofit your access control infrastructure, instead of replacing it, cuts down the time-to-transition dramatically.
When you’re simply building on top of an existing foundation rather than tearing it out and starting from scratch, you can move a lot faster. Less hardware is needed, meaning shipping is simplified and faster. You don’t need a complex evaluation by an installer to determine what is needed where; all that work has already been done.
Want to see how much time you could save by going with a retrofit access control system instead of a rip-and-replace? I’d love to discuss your needs and give your portfolio a free evaluation!
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