Door entry systems

Written by: Eric Fleming

Owning a business is about more than just selling your wares and making a profit. You have to hire staff, create work schedules, and advertise. But an important facet of owning a business that should never be ignored is keeping your property safe. One way of doing this is via a secure door entry system. A door entry system not only keeps thieves away from your valuable property, it also manages exactly who gets into which areas of your store.

There are hundreds of door entry systems available on the market today. In this article, you'll learn a little bit about those different types, and which might be appropriate for you.

When researching and purchasing a door entry system, remember to be cautious and do your research: don't just buy the first system you find on some random web site. Door entry systems can cost a lot of money, so take the time to make a good buying decision – make sure it has the features you want, not the features the vendor wants you to have. Don't be afraid to ask to see a demo of the system in use.

Controlled or free egress door entry systems

Depending on what type of system you choose, you will have many options as to how your employees gain access to a room, but the system will fall into one of two broad categories: those that control both the entry and exit from a controlled room, and those that only control the entry. The first is called a controlled egress system. It is ideal for a stock room full of expensive merchandise, or simply a hallway when passage on both sides must be monitored. The second type of door entry system is called free egress. This type of system is commonly used in public buildings, such as restaurants or shopping malls, where people are not allowed entry after closing time though anyone can freely leave whenever they want.

Keypads, swipe cards or biometric access

Once you've decided on what general type of access you want to grant, you'll need to determine what type of system you want to install. There are four commonly used varieties of door entry systems. Each grants access in a similar overall manner yet uses four distinctly different ways of checking access.

The two most common door entry systems use either keypads or swipe cards. Both should be familiar to most users, and both are relatively secure. The advantage to a standard keypad entry system is that the parts are common, interchangeable and quite inexpensive. They are also, unfortunately, so common that simple ways of defeating them are readily available. Swipe cards, on the other hand, are much more secure than keypad entry systems, while also being relatively inexpensive.

The third type of door entry system is non-contact proximity access. These cards or fobs only need to be near the sensor in order to trigger it, and are great for garages or high-traffic areas.

Finally, there is biometric access. This can be in the form of a fingerprint access system or optical scanner. These types of systems are very secure: the fingerprint or iris scanned must match the fingerprint on file; if it doesn't, access is not granted. Of course, this is by far the most expensive door entry system. Aside from secure installations and some medical or security facilities, it is likely a bit of overkill.

Which system fits your needs?

When determining which door entry system fits your needs and the needs of the business, there are a few things to consider. You'll want to take into account the cost of the system (compared to the value of what you're protecting), as well as the strain it could put on your employees. There is no real reason to have a door entry system on every door in your business, for instance. You don't want to have your employees spending time (and wasting money) as they pass through four or five secured doors on their way to the stock room. The stock room door should be secured, as should all entry and exit points, but anything more can often be too much.

Securing your business is one of the most important things you can do to help make sure it succeeds. Protecting your assets not only protects you against theft, it makes it easy to cordon off areas of your business to which you want to provide limited access, both to your employees and the public. In the end, there is a door entry system that's right for you. While the initial setup may be expensive, with proper research you'll find one that protects your business. It is an expense well worth the price.

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