Key Management Systems — A Crucial Component to Building Design and Management

Apartment demand continues to drive upward this year compared with previous periods and it does not look like it will be backing off any time soon, meaning property managers in the hotter markets can expect less vacancies and a steady inflow of new tenants. This is all well and good but, have you ever thought about the number of locked doors there are in a building of any significant size? What happens if rapid evacuation is ever required or if keys have gone missing and no one knows the proper chain of custody, or who should might have had temporary access at some point? Think of all the keys each resident, architect, landlord, custodian, etc. have. It’s a massive responsibility that can be solved by installing key management systems.

How Important Are They Then?

The short answer is — in this age of heightened security demands by residents, combined with pressure to run more efficient and accountable operations key management systems are basically a necessity in any multi-family residential, commercial, and industrial building complex!

The Benefits

Extra Security

As we all know a high volume of people live in any apartment building, meaning there is a lot of coming and going. Therefore a key management system is an effective way of providing building managers and landlords with greater control over all their properties' keys. Not only this, but they also improve security, as only authorized personnel can be granted access to them.

The majority of these systems, like the Traka21, require the user's individual correct pin to be inputted into the automated cabinet for it to open — this way, only specific keys become available. This added security level means that the landlord or manager has absolute control over who goes where within their property.

Can Be Customized

Every building will have different features which need to be kept safe and secure like individual apartments, gyms, swimming pools etc. Luckily, key management systems are flexible and can be custom made to provide the perfect solution for your property — regardless of the size or nature of your requirements.

No More Losing Keys

By implementing a key management system to house and protect all of the keys, there is no possible way for any crucial keys to be lost in the midst of a busy day or stuck in a custodian’s pocket.

Knowing Who is Where

You will be able to see what areas of your establishment have been accessed and the exact time they were entered throughout the day, due to the fact that the system will keep records as and when keys are removed from their compartments. Unsure whether a certain mechanical room got its scheduled checkup and maintenance today? Now you’ll know if the room was even accessed or not.

Detailed Reporting and Auditing

The technological aspects of key management systems are some of the best features. You will be able to gather large amounts of useful data based on information such as when keys were taken out, when they were returned, and therefore, what areas of your property were accessed.

Should keys ever go missing, this detailed reporting capabilities will provide you with the information you need to figure out exactly what happened. You will be able to track down a lost key a whole lot faster this way, thanks to your ingeniously designed key management system!

Saves You Money in the Long Term

An apartment complex has numerous areas requiring multiple keys to access each one for both inside and outside zones (if your building has outside areas). If any of these keys get lost, stolen or damaged in some way, they have to be replaced — the costs can add up over time.

However, once you have installed your key management system, you can rest easy in the knowledge that you will likely only need to cut each key once, as they are all guaranteed to stay safe with this kind of system in place.

Easy Access During an Emergency

If an unforeseen emergency happens within your establishment, your technologically enhanced key management system has a manual override and door release function, should you need rapid access to the keys. This saves precious time during high-pressure situations as you will not have to fumble through a huge, bulky old-fashioned key ring to shakily find the right key to open each door.

Overall, key management systems should be considered a construction requirement for all new apartment buildings and should be retroactively installed in older ones. Not only do they provide an added layer of security, but they can also reduce costs in the long run and provide a higher level of oversight to your building operations.