Every serious business needs a system for controlling access to its buildings. In the past, that meant standalone access control systems, sometimes coupled with video monitoring by security personnel. Now, access control security systems are available that integrate everything from ACSs to video monitoring solutions and even automatic license plate recognition into one software solution.
Most companies are still piecing together separate software solutions from multiple vendors. While this may seem like a cost-effective approach at the moment, there are better long-term solutions that can save companies money. Read on to find out how switching to an integrated ACS security system can help.
Reduced Maintenance Needs
Keeping multiple systems up-to-date requires a good deal of ongoing maintenance, which both takes up valuable time and leaves integral parts of a company’s security systems offline while upgrades and updates are performed. To make matters worse, the various software platforms required to keep modern access control, video monitoring, license plate recognition, and other security systems running have to be replaced periodically to keep up with a changing threat landscape. When all of these systems are maintained separately, that means incurring a host of costs each time serious maintenance is required.
Replacing old standalone systems with a unified platform makes it easier to stay on top of maintenance tasks. As a result, both cybersecurity and physical security personnel have more time to spend on core functions. Standardizing system management tasks and cutting back on both ongoing maintenance and software upgrade requirements also reduce risk to the company.
Lower Training Costs
When security teams hire new personnel, they have to train the new team members not just in how to understand and follow the company’s policies and procedures but also in how to use its software programs. If each of the core security tasks new hires are expected to complete requires the use of a separate software system, this aspect of training can require a serious time commitment.
When switching to a unified access control and physical security platform, there will only be one new system to learn. No matter how many applications a company requires, the basic tasks performed by security personnel will all be completed from the same user interface. Even security personnel without extensive technical experience will be able to familiarize themselves with the team’s workflows quickly and be able to navigate the system autonomously with no supervision quickly.
Improved Long-Term ROI
Modern access control and physical security systems collect a good deal of data, much of which could be leveraged to improve not just security but also other business operations. If all of the data is stored and analyzed separately, it won’t provide a big-picture view to data analysts and company leaders making important operational decisions.
Switching to a unified system change all of that. It allows all of the company’s security data to be stored and analyzed together, which can allow key decision-makers to better see big-picture trends. As business intelligence solutions continue to advance, the long-term ROI of integrated security systems will only rise.
The Next Steps
Ready to start saving money and improving ROI by making the switch to a unified security and access control platform? The next step is to look into comprehensive software solutions from industry-leading vendors. Look for a security partner that has a history of professionalism and providing advanced solutions to others in similar industries, then reach out for a quote to get the process started.