While many of us have grown used to working from home, office spaces are still extremely common in the UK. Large numbers of us work either full-time or part-time in the office, which can be great for retaining camaraderie with colleagues and getting out of the house a little more. However, if you head into the office for work, the very least you should expect is a warm and safe environment, right? That’s why anyone in charge of managing an office’s security should consider fitting a digital door lock.
When paired with a high-security physical door lock, digital locks offer much better overall security. They offer a high level of protection for anyone entering the office and make it much more challenging for someone to break in. Not only are they highly convenient, but they also reduce the risk of needing extra keys or having to re-key the door(s) if keys go missing.
To help you appreciate the value of a digital door lock in offices, we asked an ironmongery expert from Locks & Hardware for some insight. What are the main benefits of using a digital door lock in your office?
Why Offices Need To Modernise Entry Systems
Regardless of what purpose your office serves or what industry it targets, offices are expected to be modern. That means having the right standard of amenities, not least high-quality entry and access control. As soon as someone steps foot in your office, be they a staff member, a supplier, a guest, or any other visitor, they should feel safe. If your doors are easily broken into, that is more difficult.
Today, office management needs to create an entry system that is:
- The easier it is for staff to get in and out of the building, the more efficient and productive your workplace will be. Ensuring entry is simple is essential to staff satisfaction.
- At the same time, your office entrance should remain physically durable in the event that someone tries to break in. Keypad door locks can further secure your doors in this case.
- Also, entering the office should be something that can be done at any time. Most offices have more flexible working patterns, so entrances need to remain accessible for staff.
- While low-profile doors can look very stylish, they can lack physical robustness. That means that someone could easily break into the office if the entrance is not physically tough.
- Having just a basic entrance to your office is not enough; you also need an entry point that remains under surveillance, whether by a security team or 24/7 CCTV cameras.
Can you say with confidence that your standard lock-and-key system provides all of the above? It’s unlikely. That’s why your office can only benefit from modernising and moving into the digital age. By installing electronic door locks, you can provide all of the above, making everyone feel safer when they enter your building while at the same time deterring intruders and people looking to break in.
Why is making your locks digital such a wise idea, though? What kind of benefits does it provide?
Why Digital Locks Are Perfect For Office Entrances
There are myriad benefits to joining the digital door lock revolution. Some of the main benefits that you and your office staff will notice include:
Digital Keyless Entry
Staff are increasingly flexible in their working hours, meaning the old 9-to-5 schedule applies less and less. As such, having your staff all carry keys to get in and out of the office is increasingly inflexible. What if someone loses their key? You need to hire a locksmith to replace every lock and key set!
By using a digital door lock, though, you avoid this. Instead, staff use digital access credentials, such as a PIN code, a fob/keycard, and/or a biometric scan to get into the building. That means that even if someone loses their fob or forgets their PIN, it can be replaced – and the old code forgotten – in seconds. No more emergency locksmith callouts; your in-house security team can manage this.
Less Wear & Tear
With a digital entry system, it is easier to make sure that your doors aren’t going to wear out quite as quickly. Using keys puts wear and tear on the lock mechanism, meaning it will need to be replaced sooner.
Instead, electronic door locks allow doors to be locked/unlocked smoothly, without the need for keys. That means less wear and tear on the internal mechanisms of the door, meaning that your door lock should last longer. visit gimkit
Access Tracking
One of the main benefits of going digital is that your team can easily track who has entered the office and when. Previously, you had to tie timelines to camera footage, which was time-consuming and not always accurate.
With smart door locks, you will have timestamped entry and exit notes in your logs. Each log will also give you the code that was used to enter, meaning you can easily pair the code to the owner of that PIN code/fob/biometric scan.
As such, it becomes much easier to determine when a security breach occurred and who may be responsible. You can then verify matters using CCTV footage, making it much easier to track access to the building, whether permitted or not.
Future-Proof Your Office And Stay Safer With Digital Locks
The above should give you enough to understand the benefit of having a digital door lock on your office entrances. Electronic door locks can provide so many benefits whilst also negating risks.
A final word of advice, though: make sure you hire a commercial locksmith to manage installation. They can survey your office, provide you with insight into the best digital door lock types for your office type and budget, and manage the installation process. That gives you peace of mind that everything is in order and that your smart door locks are correctly installed, reducing the risk of problems.
