The report on building system integration claims further that access control systems are often viewed as the starting point for a building to shift from operating in siloes, towards a more functional, connected and “integrated” building management system.

“Integration and digitalisation enable businesses to retool their building management for the challenges ahead. Firstly, integrated security management quickly streamlines day-to-day employee tasks. When facilities staff work from a unified interface rather than parallel systems, for example, they save time and reduce manual input errors,” comments Thomas Schulz, Product Marketing Director EMEIA at Assa Abloy Opening Solution.

Integration and automation define a smart building

An organisation’s readiness to benefit from IoT, AI and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) also depends on a future-proofed, connectable access and building system.

“Almost by definition, the smart building is integrated and automated. Connectable technologies – including access control – ensure that investments made today may continue to be built upon seamlessly in the future,” states Thomas Schulz.

Energy efficiency

According to the International Energy Agency, buildings consume around 30% of global energy**. The new generation of intelligent buildings needs to be smarter with both consumption and waste. Again, the choice of access technologies can be significant.

Applying energy harvesting technology to access control offers one route forward. Power use during the operation of a digital lock may be eliminated in those powered by this technology. Such self-powered locks do not require batteries or any other external electricity source.

Technology for sustainability

Key-based wireless electronic Assa Abloy Pulse door locks and padlocks, for example, harvest energy from the key thrust to power digital communication between credential and device. Pulse is also easy to integrate with the Incedo access management ecosystem, where multiple wired and wireless digital access control device types combine within one integrated and scalable cloud-enabled access management solution. Block by block, the building becomes smarter.

Real-time data contributes to ROI

An access system may also be a goldmine of information to inform business decision-making, providing an immediate, tangible ROI. Another example: space utilisation analytics can feed off data which access control systems generate every day***. If employees only attend the office for part of the week, a business could reduce its rental space and energy use.

“Monitoring and filtering who can go where – and at what times – ensures staff and visitors move safely into and around a building. Intelligent digital access management creates this flexibility, simultaneously enabling smarter staff workflows within the building,” says Thomas Schulz.

Smart mobile management

Mobile access technology can also play a role in making building management more efficient and intelligent. When users gain access with mobile keys which are issued or amended over the air – including for visitors and temporary contractors – buildings no longer need dedicated card readers or require anyone to check-in.

When a security administrator cancels a mobile key, it vanishes immediately from the user’s phone. Access authorisations at the end of a tenancy, visit or employment contract are handled automatically and securely.

Smarter workflows

Such technologies can help building managers respond effectively to the decline of the fixed “working day.” People increasingly come and go at different times, with changing schedules, irregular patterns and a mix of workplaces. This presents a challenge which only digital access management systems were built to meet.

Flexible connectivity of access and building software will help organizations to align functions and services in ever more creative ways – some still unimagined.

“Smart, connectable digital solutions prepare an organisation for what’s to come,” concludes Thomas Schulz.

Footnote:
To read more about the latest industry trends in digital access management, download a free copy of the Wireless Access Control Report 2023.

References:
* https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/hubfs/IFSEC_Global_eBook_Integrated_Access_Control_2022.pdf
** https://www.iea.org/reports/buildings
*** https://www.verdantix.com/blog/a-new-era-of-space-utilization-monitoring-emerges-in-the-smart-office-market