'Safer, easier and cost-saving'

Specialist in hardware on the benefits of digital access control

More and more organizations are switching from traditional keys to digital access control. According to Jeff van der Vlugt, Project Leader Digital Access Solutions at Mauer Nederland, this makes sense: "Digital systems give you more control over who can enter where, are more secure and more user-friendly. With our system SMARTair, companies choose a smart and future-proof solution."

Many companies still use mechanical keys for their access control. That feels familiar, but also has limitations, Van der Vlugt knows. "What do you do if a key is lost? Then you often have to replace locks and have new keys made. Inefficient as well as costly." According to Van der Vlugt, it is therefore high time to make clients aware of the advantages of electronic access control. "At Mauer, part of ASSA ABLOY, we make sure that companies switch to digital access control with confidence. And in that, our SMARTair system plays a central role."

Future-proof

SMARTair is a flexible access control system that adapts to customer needs. "It is a modular, future-proof system that grows with the organization," explains Van der Vlugt. "You can start with one door and a few users, and later expand that to a fully wireless system with dozens of doors and hundreds of users. With SMARTair, credentials such as tags, cards, PINs or smartphones can be used to open doors. You can also combine this so that a door can be opened by both card and PIN. And everything is easy to manage yourself - on site or remotely - via user-friendly software or a web manager."

Smarter management

"The big advantage of SMARTair is in the management," says Van der Vlugt. "If someone loses their electronic tag, you block it with one click and easily issue a new one. No more intervention by a key specialist or waiting time." In addition, access rights can be linked to time schedules. "You determine exactly who, when and where can enter. This not only increases security, but also makes daily management much more manageable."

Safety

A telling example of a successful switch is construction and home improvement store Boer Staphorst. "They were working with an outdated stand-alone system in their old building that was barely manageable. When they rebuilt, they chose SMARTair, specifically the Wireless Online system," says Van der Vlugt.

Why that choice? "First of all because of scalability. Boer Staphorst has grown considerably and wanted to be prepared for further expansion. In addition, maintaining the patented mechanical cylinders for less critical doors, which remains a very good combination. Security also played an important role: being able to quickly revoke or modify access rights is essential in an organization with so many employees. And, of course, cost savings played a part. SMARTair's wireless components are battery-powered, so you don't have to do any major installations or lay network cabling everywhere."

The biggest challenge at Boer Staphorst was in transitioning from the old system to the new, without having employees standing in front of closed doors, continued Van der Vlugt. "By listening carefully to the customer's wishes, we were able to guarantee a smooth transition. The new system now offers Boer Staphorst real-time insight into who is entering where and when. At the push of a button, they can adjust access rights, even remotely. That's a world of difference from the old situation."

Scalability

What ultimately gave Boer Staphorst the deciding factor? "The combination of ease of use, scalability and support," states Van der Vlugt. "We don't just offer a system, but accompany the entire process - from advice to delivery. Short lines, fast switching and always thinking along: that gave them the confidence they needed to take that step."