As a form of risk management, access control is essential for protecting staff, information and assets and limiting the potential for unauthorized individuals to enter a business establishment.

1. Conduct a security review to establish the level of security the organization requires. It is also important to look into potential security requirements that could come up over the next five to ten years. The physical features of the building, locations of the entrances and exits, hours of business and potential vulnerabilities must all be considered and assessed.

2. Depending on the size of the establishment, an access control system can be installed by an alarm system company or even manually. Most experts recommend hiring professional access control system installers to do the job, this will also ensure that the systems are installed correctly and maintenance system testing and breach responses are taken care of.

3. The type of access control system you decide to go for depends on the purpose and scope of monitoring business activities:

• Stand-alone systems: these systems manage security for a single door, area or location. This can be used to secure a front door, back door, interior door or facilities door with the business. They do not require any type of infrastructure or connectivity, the Access Control terminal has the memory and capability to manage users. These systems are ideal for small shops, offices or warehouses with a maximum of 30 registered users.