Hold On To Your Keys with Key Management Software and Key Tracking Boxes

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By Ryan Kaullen, Field Services Manager at Kenton Brothers

A major part of key control and building security is keeping track of your keys. That can happen in many ways including Key Management Software, Electronic Tracking Keys boxes, and risk contingency plans. All of these can work independently from each other, but also work well together. In this article, we will explore each option and how they can help you manage your keys.

Key Management Software

Key Management SoftwareKey Management Software, especially for larger companies, schools, and companies with multiple locations is a powerful way to keep track of all the keys floating around. The Key Management Software solution that we install and configure for our clients has the following capabilities:

  • Track Key issued by User.
  • Date Issued.
  • Date Expected to be returned. (Perhaps you issue a key to a vendor and that vendor will have it for a week, so you set when it should be returned, and if it is not an alert will be triggered.)
  • What Doors the key works with.
  • Department / Floor/ Bldg / etc. the key is tied to.
  • Users can add in building maps to view floor plans of doors.
  • No more tracking keys issued on paper and clipboards.
  • And More!

Understanding from the start who keys are issued to is critical in securing a facility. If that person leaves for any reason, and you don’t know what keys that individual has, and the keys are not returned, it can cause a major security problem and expose you to financial risk. This is why Key Management Software is a good solution.

Electronic Key Tracking Boxes

Key Management SoftwareOver the past decade, companies within the physical security industry have come out with electronic key tracking boxes. The idea is to secure physical keys, manage who issued keys, and make sure keys that are taken are also returned. The electronic key management boxes we install include the following features:

  • Manages who can access the box.
  • Manages what specific keys that user can have access to.
  • Integrates into a lot of access control platforms via licenses.
  • Alerts can be set up if a key is not returned.
  • Allows the ability to only issue keys as an add needed basis versus individuals always carrying keys.
  • Helps control who is allowed in certain areas.
  • And More!

Electronic Key Tracking Boxes can really help cut down on the number of issued keys, who has access and to where, who can get keys, and they also work hand-in-hand with Key Management Software for a facility.

Risk Contingency Plan

So, what happens when a key is lost? Stolen? This is going to happen at some point, and having a plan is crucial to mitigating risk, liability, and minimizing financial implications. Setting up a master key plan to help minimize risks is very important. Having a trusted locksmith partner who can come in and rekey the locks affected and using Key Management Software is a winning combination.

To learn more about these key management solutions and how we can help you take control of how you are issuing and tracking keys, please give us a call!

Why are door closers so important and how do they affect the security of my building?

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Why are door closers so Important & how do they affect the security of my building?By Ryan Kaullen, Field Services Manager at Kenton Brothers

It is important to understand that door closers play a pivotal role in the security of your buildings and helping keep spaces secured. What are some of the features door closers offer? Are there different types of grades on door closers?

The simple task of a door closer is to help make sure that when a door opens, it closes and helps with door latching when it returns.  Door closers serve other safety and security capacities such as helping maintain the fire-rating of fire rated openings, preventing damage and wear to other door hardware, and helping doors to close quietly and not slam shut. Door closers are vital to the integrity and safety of an opening. Do not overlook them!

What are some of the features door closers offer?

Door closers offer security and safety as mentioned above, but can also offer building environment benefits as well. You may ask, “What do you mean by building environment?” Just like at your house, when a door isn’t closed your home becomes susceptible to the elements, bugs, unwanted visitors, etc. The same is true for the doors at your workplace. By adding a door closer to applicable doors, you are helping with all of these scenarios.

Preventing damage is another great feature door closers offer. Door closers slow the closing of a door and help them securely latch by pulling the door shut. Damage can come in several forms, including damage to the opening itself or even injury to a person as they are using the opening. By preventing slamming, door closers lengthen the life of the door, the frame, and other door hardware on the opening.

Door closers also offer different options in regards to functionality of a door such as wider degree openings, hold open options, longer arms, heavier duty arms, and more. When evaluating the door and type of closer needed, it’s important to evaluate what the opening is typically used for to help select the right grade, which I will get into later, and any specialty features needed. It is also important to remember that the features we’ve talked about so far are just some of the major benefits door closers offer.

Grades of door closers

Why are door closers so Important & how do they affect the security of my building? Just like other door hardware, door closers also come in different grades and standards for the type of opening they are being installed into. For instance, an exterior opening that sees a lot of foot traffic during the day should have a Grade 1 closer whereas a closet internal to the building that may be used rarely may not need a Grade 1 closer. A Grade 2 closer would be sufficient in this instance.

Grade 1 vs. Grade 2 also comes down to industry standards for cycle count efficiency (how many times that door can be opened before the closer fails.) Grade 1 closers offer double the cycle efficiency of a Grade 2 closer. This is another reason it’s so important to understand the usage/foot traffic the door is going to see in a day. Grade 1 closers cost more than Grade 2 closers, but you need to look at the situation to determine the investment. If one of your doors has a ton of foot traffic every day, and you opt to go with a lower grade closer, you will be replacing it sooner (and more often) than a Grade 1 closer. Often, Grade 1 closers are the better long term financial decision.

When it comes down to selecting a door closer, it’s important to pick the right closer for the given application. Safety and security play a huge role in this decision. Kenton Brothers installs hundreds (if not thousands) of door closers every year. Our Security Consultants can provide insight and industry best practice suggestions for your openings to help you pick the right door closers. Give us a call to discuss!

Commercial vs. Residential: Not All Door Hardware is Made the Same

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By Ryan Kaullen, Field Services Manager at Kenton Brothers

One of the biggest requirements that our clients have is their employee and customer safety. This goes hand in hand with the door hardware that is being used. I am going to compare two things in this article; Commercial Grade Hardware vs Residential Grade Hardware and Grade 1 Hardware vs Grade 2 Hardware. All have their proper applications and it’s important to understand when and where they should be used.

Commercial Grade Hardware vs. Residential Grade Hardware

Commercial vs. Residential: Not All Door Hardware is Made the SameCommercial grade hardware is built to withstand areas with higher amounts of traffic than residential buildings require. Essentially what you put on your home isn’t the same as what goes on the front door of a highly used commercial space. Along with commercial hardware being heavier duty,  most commercial buildings have specific requirements when it comes to meeting certain specifications such as UL Listings, ADA compliance, or other life safety conditions.

Residential hardware is made for homes where they won’t get as much wear and tear. Some businesses have used residential hardware in their spaces, but this causes several issues.

1) Warranties by the manufacturer of the residential hardware can be voided because it’s installed in a commercial space.
2) They won’t hold up and will need to be replaced frequently.
3) They don’t meet the life safety requirements of many commercial buildings.

Installing the correct hardware on commercial buildings is incredibly important. The hardware lasts longer, helps with safety and security, and keeps you in compliance.

Grade 1 Lock Grade 2 Lock

Grade 1 Hardware vs. Grade 2 Hardware

When you dig deeper into commercial grade hardware, there are two levels you really want to look at: Grade 1 and Grade 2.

Grade 1 hardware not only meets building requirements for commercial spaces, but it also provides a higher level of security, withstands heavy usage and helps guard against vandalism. Grade 1 hardware can be used anywhere but on exterior openings. They can also be used in doors that protect rooms containing items of high value like IT closets.

Grade 2 door hardware meets light commercial requirements and is a level above residential door hardware. These locks are great for offices, closets and other applications that don’t require heavy usage. Grade 2 hardware is more economical compared to Grade 1, but will last longer than residential hardware.

When selecting the grade of hardware for your facility, your choices may vary from door to door. The type of usage and other factors play into these decisions. It is extremely important to understand where the different grades make good choices. If you have any questions, please reach out to Kenton Brothers so we can help with your facility needs!

Which ADA Operator is right for my business?

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Which ADA Operator is right for my business?By Ryan Kaullen, Field Services Manager at Kenton Brothers

An ADA Operator is a device that you install on a door to make it suitable for people who need help opening and holding open a door. ADA Operators come in many styles, offerings, and sizes to help meet the needs of a facilities openings. Operators can be integrated to work with a company’s access control platform and can be set to work on specific schedules.

The question becomes which ADA Operator is right for my business?

First let’s discuss some of the common type of ADA Operators.

Low-Energy Operators, Power-Assist Operators, and Full Power Operators are some of the most common types. Each of these Operators are made for a specific purpose:

Low-Energy Operator

A Low-Energy operator allows users of all types of mobility to select either manual operation or automatic operation of the door.

Power-Assist Operator

A Power-Assist Operator uses a motor driven mechanism inside the device to open and close the door, it senses the presence of a person trying to open the door and assists them in doing so.

Full-Power Operator

Full-Power (Or Energy) Operators use more energy to quickly open the doors with a higher amount of force. They use sensors, guide rails, have variable closing speeds, and other internal tools to help at the opening.

Which ADA Operator is right for my business? Which ADA Operator is right for my business?

Access Control Integration and ADA Buttons

Which ADA Operator is right for my business?Next let’s discuss the integration of the operators.

Kenton Brothers installs hundreds of Operators each and every year, and a large portion of these are integrated with our customer’s access control platform. The benefits are simple: They can be controlled via schedules, they work in tandem with physical door hardware to keep your facility secure, they allow employees and or patrons with mobility issues to gain entry at correct times, and the operators become an integral part of the building design.

I also wanted to mention ADA buttons.

ADA buttons can be hardwired, wireless, and wave actuated. Button selection is determined by many things including wire paths available; do you want people touching the buttons or not, location of buttons, and aesthetics. Buttons also come in different sizes depending on the available space in the location where they will be installed.

If you have any questions regarding ADA Operators and how they can fit into your facility’s safety and security methods, please contact one of our security consultants to learn more.

Organizations Facing Large Rekey Projects

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By Ryan Kaullen, Field Services Manager at Kenton Brothers

Large Rekey ProjectsIn a company or organization, it’s up to the organizational leaders to make sure that their people, property and possessions are kept safe and secure. Part of the strategy relies on the keying method used in the building(s). Kenton Brothers has been helping companies with large rekey projects since 1897.

So where does a company start when it comes to large rekey projects? What details are needed? How can they secure buildings and maintain control when handing out keys? Are there different levels of restricted cylinders to help secure the facility? All of these questions and more will be answered as we dive into large rekey projects.

The Rekey Plan

Everything starts with a plan, and it should be a plan that has the end goal in mind. Part of a rekey plan is an evaluation of many things including who should have access, what type of keys should be issued to employees and which keys should not, how should the key system be structured, how do you mitigate liability if a key is lost, how can keys be organized and how do we track who we issued keys to? What level of restriction should you have on the keys and cylinders? Will existing door hardware work or does it need to be switched out?

Large Rekey ProjectsSetting up a master key system for one large facility, a campus environment with multiple buildings, or even a scenario where there are different buildings across the country can all be handled by setting up a master key system that allows for growth/expansion and the flexibility within that system to do so.

A site survey(s) should be done by the company hired for the large rekey project. (Hopefully, that would be our team at Kenton Brothers!) From there, several meetings should occur to discuss the set up of the master key system, discuss the level of security you want with the keys/cylinders and set expectations for the rekey itself.

Organization of the physical keys, cores and additional information can come in many forms, but the three most common we see are:

1) The customer purchases a key management software system. (We have a great recommendation if you are looking…) and manages it themselves
2) Kenton Brothers manages the key system through our software and we handle any change requests
3) The keying system is a factory-maintained system (which comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.)

Once the planning stages have been completed, you will move on to the next step of the process… waiting for parts.

The Waiting Game

Large Rekey ProjectsSo now that a master key system has been agreed upon, pricing approved, and materials are on order, what are the next steps? At this point, you will have chosen the path of how you will manage your key system; either internally or through a company such as Kenton Brothers. 80% of the effectiveness of the new keying system is in maintaining control of the keys!

One of the big things to prepare for is communication to the employees and staff who will be issued new keys. You will want to communicate that this is coming, when it’s happening, set up strict instructions on checking out keys, reporting lost keys and what to do if you find a key laying around.

From the start, it’s important that clear expectations are set because keys are such an integral part of your security plan. You will also be in weekly or bi-weekly contact with a Project Manager dedicated to your project for  planning, when the product will arrive, any last-minute questions, and any pre-install meetings before the installation begins.

The Install

The install itself will begin with a Project Manager (PM) introducing you to the technicians who will be working on the project. The PM makes sure that once on site, the techs have clear expectations of their daily goals, know the location of material being stored onsite (if applicable), and any other project related questions they might have. Then the work begins!

The PM is the point of contact for the project. They need to keep everyone up to date, share milestones that have been completed and work through punch list items as the project progresses. Once the project is complete, there will be a final walk through. When the project is deemed complete as compared to the scope of work, a warranty form should be completed and signed.

Once the project is finished, there will be several documents that need to be delivered by the PM for records. Those documents include the following: A fully completed warranty activation form, any maps/plans used during the project fully marked up to show how things were keyed or installed, keying records if requested, and any other documents deemed necessary for the project.

Recap

Large Rekey Projects can be stressful, take time and require a lot of planning. That said, the end result is worth it.

You now have complete key control over the building(s) that you oversee. You have taken a major step to protect the property, possessions, and people who work/live within the buildings, and you have a plan moving forward that is sustainable and mitigates liability.

If your organization is considering a rekey project and you don’t have a company you trust helping you, please give us a call. We’ve helped thousands of companies over the years with large rekey projects, allowing them to take back control of their security. Get back your peace of mind!