3 Security Improvements Every Property Manager Should Make
Property managers have a crucial role in protecting their occupants and employees. But in a world of ever increasing threats, building security is getting more difficult. Safety threats range from thieves, trespassers, malicious insiders, and even terrorists. Any of these – and many other threats – can damage building reputation and lead to severe losses and liabilities. It is in the best interest of property managers to plan on being proactive as opposed to reactive. Key areas for improvement that property managers can focus on include access control, visitor management, and delivery management.
- Access Control Systems
Key card systems have dominated the access control scene for decades. However, in the face of evolving threats, these systems are increasingly unreliable. Key cards are easily lost, stolen, or even cloned.
Touchless access control provides a new frontier for building managers to deploy seamless, robust security at their sites. This technology uses contactless credentials such as mobile phones or facial unlock to verify users from a configurable distance. Users no longer need to bring a physical access token whenever they are headed to your building. Touchless access control provides sheer convenience and ensures higher security. Mobile phones have secondary security mechanisms and biometric credentials are hard to clone. In addition to keeping away intruders, touchless access control ensures a hygienic building. Common touch surfaces could be a silent launchpad for the spread of infectious diseases. In the post-covid era, health safety is becoming an integral aspect of holistic building security.
- Visitor Management Systems
Modern buildings need to process visitors on a continual basis. Guest books, doormen, and paper based management systems are simply impractical in high-traffic areas. These traditional methods are time-consuming, expensive to maintain, and not foolproof. Furthermore, outdated visitor management approaches find it almost impossible to comply with GDPR requirements.
Modern visitor management technology easily fixes these issues. Property managers can pre-register people who already have a planned meeting in the building. This includes guests, business associates, maintenance personnel, and cleaning crews. QR codes, badges, mobile access, and facial unlock are often used as credentials for authentication at the access point. Screening every new face that shows up at the door helps improve building security and employee safety. An office intercom system offers real time visibility so you can take accountability for anyone in your building at any one time. There’s a bonus benefit; visitors will positively perceive a building that ensures a quick and seamless check-in experience.
- Proactive Delivery Management
As many of us know, the traditional pizza delivery process involved multiple phone calls. In this modern age of regular food deliveries and online shopping, property managers need an efficient way to let verified delivery people into the building.
Delivery management technology works more or less like a visitor management system. One-time-pins can be provided to allow controlled and secure access to the property if content with the occupant isn’t entirely necessary, such as a package delivery. Delivery workers may also be visually verified at your front door via remote video intercom if contact with the occupant is required for the delivery.
Facilitating a prompt, secure and customized delivery experience ensures convenience for everyone involved.
Conclusion
Technology is your best ally for simplifying property management tasks, increasing security, and reducing costs. Access control technology presents an actual physical barrier to allow the right people into the building and keep intruders away. These systems maintain a real time audit track, providing property managers with a fool-proof reference point for investigations (if there is an anomaly). Visitor management technology is increasing efficiency by facilitating secure and convenient access by visitors, delivery people, and maintenance personnel.
