Lee Copland, Managing Director, Maxxess EMEA

With budgets being tightened against a backdrop of rising inflation and supply chain disruption, organisations of all sizes are looking for ways to enhance efficiency. If they can streamline and modernise operations without it having a big impact on the bottom line, that’s a win.

Security is one area where this can certainly be done, and there are particular gains to be made around access control. When businesses assess the viability of upgrading legacy access control systems, they are often put off by the costs. For example, replacing wiring and door controllers throughout a property is usually very expensive and causes major disruption to day-to-day operations. Or engineers need to work out-of-hours pushing up labour costs.

So, it’s hardly surprising that many organisations are reluctant to upgrade access control. The cost, inconvenience and complexity of complete rip-and-replace projects is just not appealing.

But of course, that means organisations are stuck using clunky and inflexible technology. Yes, they can often cope – the people managing these systems will find ways to work around their shortcomings – but that does nothing to improve security or efficiency. And the longer these compromise technologies are kept going, the greater the hidden costs of inefficiency turn out to be.

So, it’s good news that there is a viable alternative to rip-and-replace. It’s an approach that’s now letting businesses benefit from all value that a modern access control system can deliver: retrofitting.

This clever but simple approach involves overlaying the most up to date, access control software on top of the existing infrastructure, and is regularly referred to as a ‘software takeover’.  Using a proven database conversion process, managers can choose to retain their existing controllers, readers, enclosures and wiring or take the opportunity to replace strategic readers to deliver frictionless access, where it’s needed most.

Rapidly deployed often remotely, it delivers the latest functionality and efficiency gains, without the costs and pitfalls of a complete system replacement, it’s an approach that is proving extremely popular with multi-use and residential building owners, for example, giving them cost-effective ways to improve facilities and retain tenants.

Installing a brand new access control system from scratch can often be a surprisingly complex process, especially in old buildings which can throw up all sorts of unexpected snags.

This is why we are seeing an increasing number of building owners taking advantage of retrofitting as they look to adapt their operations.

Not only does updated technology offer better protection against intruders, but it also gives residents and tenants more flexibility in managing their units. And its new technology-enabled features, including QR codes on smartphones along with simple to use visitor management tools that provide an elevated user experience, and among the amenities that millennials and Gen Z customers look out for when choosing a place to live or work.

It’s very simple approach in modern facilities with stable Wi-Fi. For older buildings, some essential steps apply to retrofitting. The first is establishing a robust, building-wide Wi-Fi connection, which is also likely long overdue. For larger older properties, the best approach may be to install multiple Wi-Fi points or extenders throughout, which should take days rather than weeks or months required for complete access control upgrades. A strong internet connection will ensure that your access control system is also a reliable part of your IoT network, meeting modern technology standards, communicating with other devices on the internet, and giving building users access to faster and more reliable connectivity. This is especially important for enabling smartphone-based access control and allowing users to reap the benefits of that increasingly popular touchless and frictionless experience and convenience.

Once installed, these new solutions offer much improved usability and features. For example, they allow access to be granted immediately to authorised personnel via a phone app or fob; they give administrators access to real-time door monitoring, and make it easy to quickly issue, modify, or delete credentials without having to physically re-key or change locks. Access rights can be controlled by person, place, and specific times. And centralised monitoring platforms provide control over every entry and exit point, allowing properties to be locked down remotely at the touch of a button, instantly creating a secure environment for occupants in an emergency situation.

And the latest access control software now comes with additional functionality as standard, such as mustering and time and attendance, and well as offering easy integration with video, intrusion, visitor management and other building and life safety systems.

The most welcome result of the retrofit upgrade is invariably reduced costs – both to maintain and operate the system. Retrofitted access control is more sustainable and protects existing investments, and can rapidly pay for itself within a year, as well as delivering greater security, flexibility, and user benefits, and helping organisations stay competitive.

And retrofitting is also good news for systems integrators too, providing ongoing work as larger customers plan phased retrofits across their estate meaning long-term installation and maintenance services as well as opportunities for remote monitoring.

So why not go retro and see how far you can get by leveraging what you already invested in the wardrobe, rather than throwing it out. You might be pleasantly surprised.