Access control buyer’s guide
Choose with confidence.
Badges, mobile credentials, keypads, and biometrics compared on turnover, schedules, audit trails, and cost over time.
Access control buyer’s guide
Electronic access control replaces keys with credentials you can issue, change, and cancel in seconds. The right choice depends on your building, your people, and how much control and record-keeping you need. Use this guide to compare your options and to ask providers better questions.
The main options at a glance
- Badges and key fobs. Familiar and simple. Good for staff who enter daily. A lost badge can be disabled right away. Cards can be shared or borrowed, so the badge shows who the card belongs to, not always who used it.
- Mobile credentials. Phone replaces the card. Nothing extra to carry, and credentials can be issued remotely. Depends on people having a compatible phone and a plan for those who do not.
- Keypad codes. Inexpensive and easy for small teams. Codes are shared easily and may not identify the person unless each user has their own.
- Biometrics. Fingerprint or face recognition ties entry to a person. Strong for sensitive rooms, with privacy and consent considerations to plan for.
- Combinations. Many buildings use badges for general doors and add a second factor, such as a PIN, for sensitive rooms.
Compare on what matters
- How quickly can you disable a lost or stolen credential, from anywhere?
- How fast and how reliably can you remove access when someone leaves?
- Can doors unlock on a schedule, and can different people have different hours?
- Is there a record of who entered where and when, and how long is it kept?
- Can you issue temporary credentials for visitors and contractors that expire on their own?
- What happens to each door during a power or network outage?
- Do emergency exits always work, as required by safety codes?
- Can it connect to cameras so you can see who was at a door?
- Can it grow to more doors and more locations?
Count the cost over time
Compare more than the purchase price. Ask about ongoing licensing, replacement credentials, software updates, support, and what it costs to add a door.
Plan the people side
Write down who needs access to what, by role. Start with the doors that matter most: main entrances, server rooms, records, and storage. Then decide who administers the system and how access is reviewed each quarter.
Questions for any provider
- Who owns the data and the hardware if we change providers?
- How is the system kept secure and updated?
- What training and support do you provide?
- How do you test the system after installation?
Want help putting this guide into practice?
Our team can walk through it with you and tailor the plan to your organization.