Accepting a Real-World Access Control Challenge
Here’s a look at how taking on an electronic access control solution with a daunting prospect of change can benefit installing security contractors and their customers.
Stop and think hard about the technology you are potentially installing. In the case of one particular access control conversion, biometrics seemed to be the way to go but further questioning showed why the initial recommendation could be inappropriate.
Here’s how this installation tale began. An acquaintance is a controller for a chapter of a large, well-known fraternal organization that has thousands of chapters worldwide. And he is not just any controller … he was recognized nationally in 2012 as the best in the country, a guy who knows a thing or two about business and return on investment. He knew I worked in the security field so we started talking about the mechanics and costs of membership-based organizations that restrict/permit access based on bylaws and being current with their dues. Now add some size to this challenge. This particular chapter has approximately 800 male and female members, each with separate requirements.
So how were they managing access privileges? Every year the chapter needed to order new magstripe cards for all its members. This is an old credentials technology, so you can understand some of the cost factors. These credentials had to be replaced every year when membership dues were due. To this cost add the management time for physically handing over a new credential once dues were paid. This process has obviously worked for 30+ years, but what would the future look like for 30-year-old+ magstripe readers and 24VAC electric strikes? How long would they last? Could they even be repaired? How long could they disrupt operations if they did fail? Perhaps it is time to consider a change in electronic access control technology and upgrade the system.
Analyze Your Recommended Technology Applications to Ensure They Are Appropriate
I initially recommended a biometric solution since it would entirely eliminate the cost and management of card credentials. I like cool technology that is affordable and reliable (and I just wrote about this technology a few months ago, noting that it is an obvious solution to recommend).
But not so fast – remember, blindly recommending the application of technology can be dangerous, as well as narrow-minded and myopic. Does this sound like anyone you know or work with perhaps? We all are guilty of sticking with a “true blue” product or supplier because it is the path of least resistance. Guilty as charged.
How can you avoid the automatic product choices in your comfort zone? Ask the right questions. While biometric fingerprint technology is affordable and reliable, it isn’t a panacea. There is a large percentage of chapter membership groups that evolved in the late 1950s, and using new technology can be intimidating and less effective with their older members. Consider the lifetime use of older members’ hands and the gradual deterioration of their skin.
Biometric fingerprint technology has come a long way in the past five years but still has its limitations. What about facial recognition biometrics? Yes, the technology does work better in this application, but consider the perception of the older members and their comfort level of using card credentials for the past 30+ years vs. presenting their face to a reader or camera … it might feel a bit Orwellian, no?
Applying new technology and, more importantly, the right technology means asking your prospect/customer the right questions then considering the impact of change your solution delivers.
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About the Author
Paul Boucherle, SSI Contributor
Paul C. Boucherle, Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and Certified Sherpa Coach (CSC), is Security Sales & Integration’s “Business Fitness” columnist. A principal of Matterhorn Consulting, he has more than 30 years of diverse security and safety industry experience including UL central station operations, risk-vulnerability assessments, strategic security program design and management of industry convergence challenges. Boucherle has successfully guided top-tier companies in achieving enhanced ROI resulting from improved sales and operational management techniques. He is a charismatic speaker and educator on a wide range of critical topics relating to the security industry of today and an accomplished corporate strategist and marketer whose vision and expertise in business performance have driven notable enterprise growth in the security industry sector.
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