Valuable lessons for choosing a lock & key system

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If you asked a retail or restaurant leader how they selected their current lock and key system, they will likely tell you the decision was based exclusively on price. Until recently, that reasoning might have made good business sense as locks and keys were merely commodities that solved a singular problem – to secure a door. However, in today’s environment, senior executives are emphasizing greater importance for tighter security, accountability, labor control, and total cost of ownership. Choosing the right lock and key system has become increasingly more complex. Selecting a keying system to match your business is critical.

Consider these valuable lessons learned before making your next lock & key investment:

Cost of ownership

Modern-day key cores come in two primary types. A standard keyed lock (also known as conventional) is cheaper to install, but costs more when hardware changes are needed. A locksmith is required to re-key after keys are lost or an authorized key carrier leaves the company. Interchangeable cores are typically more costly to implement upfront but offer greater control, convenience, and reduce the total cost of ownership. The cost difference between a standard keyed lock and an Interchangeable Core lock is often less than the cost to rekey the lock.

Just ask Amphion how to save even more time and money with re-keyable cylinders. Using re-keyable hardware, such as InstaKey, allows businesses to rekey the lock core up to 9 times without needing to replace the InstaKey core from the locking hardware. After a lock is changed, the old keys are no longer functional and new keys are issued from the supplied rekeying kit. This simple process allows your store manager to rekey without the need of a locksmith, eliminating locksmith charges, employee overtime, and hassle. The return on investment on these systems is achieved after the first re-key, avoiding the high costs of labor and hardware replacement.

Security

Security must be the top consideration when selecting a locking system. After all, that is the basic purpose of a locked door. Many people don’t realize that many of the industry leading lock and key systems out there may not be as secure as they think. The words stamped on standard keys usually read “DO NOT DUPLICATE”. Comforting words, but rarely true. Truth is, any key on a standard keyway can be duplicated, and you can count on it, that it will be. The only way to ensure that a key will not be duplicated is to adopt a “restricted” keyway. A restricted keyway has a unique profile in the lock core that prevents key blanks of any other profile from being inserted into and operating the lock, even if they are cut the same.  Additionally, the restricted key blanks must be serial numbered to create accountability throughout the supply chain, with records kept of which locksmith company that each serial numbered key was shipped. The bottom line is that security minded business leaders can have the peace of mind knowing that their sites are secured, that their key-holders can be held accountable for their locations’ lock security, that their past employees can’t have copies made of their keys, and they can stop paying locksmiths to rekey their sites when a key is lost or un-accounted for.

Key Management

Key system administration can quickly get out of control, especially for large organizations with a lot of keyholders. Even a business with restricted and serialized keys can become vulnerable without proper key controls, which is knowing exactly who has each key. Amphion’s customers administer their key control programs with a specialized software solution that simplifies the entire key management process. Check out https://www.securityrecords.com to learn more about how a key management system can streamline your key security and keep your business secure and your employees safe.

Service

Businesses need a partner that understands how losses happen—and more importantly—how to prevent them from happening. Amphion is just that partner because they deliver a comprehensive approach to loss prevention and security products and services laser-targeted to the unique needs of restaurant and retail clients across the country. Safeguard business assets with a nationally renowned technical support task force. Amphion provides a US-based, live 24-hour, technical support team and a comprehensive service management model. Our certified technicians can be onsite within four hours of the initial call—7-days a week, 365 days a year.

About Amphion

Amphion is a security integrator delivering unmatched service to national restaurant and retail guests across the country. Specializing in loss prevention and security products and services, they are the one-stop-shop to safeguard your business assets.

 

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