Keying Systems Part 3: Peace of Mind with Keying Systems

By Ryan Kaullen, Field Services Manager at Kenton Brothers

Keying Systems Series
Part 1: Importance of Master Key Systems and Restricted Keyways
Part 2: Restricted vs. Standard Keyways
Part 3: Peace of Mind with Keying Systems (this story)

As a building owner, business owner or manager, you may wonder how the keys for your business are maintained. Are they being properly taken care of? How many copies are floating around? Has anyone lost one? Which of the employees have them? The list of questions goes on. The good news? The answers don’t have to be as complex as you think.

There are several checks and balances you can implement to have peace of mind with your access control systems.

The first step would be to implement a restricted keying system at your location(s).

A restricted keying system comes with many benefits. These include, but aren’t limited to, the following:

• Keys can’t be duplicated at local hardware stores.
• There’s a list of authorized users at your locksmith of choice who can get more keys made.
• If a key is lost or stolen, you’ll know immediately. Why? Because the key holder will have to report it as they can no longer access the doors/areas they need to open.
• Restricted cylinders are harder to pick/bypass than standard keyways.

Kenton Brothers has run into the first example many times. We’ve had customers come in to request keys. We ask their name, and they weren’t on the authorized user list. So we turned them away. It was later found out that the person in question had been let go earlier in the week.

The next benefit is the checks and balances portion of a restricted key system.

As mentioned above, there is an authorized user list associated with all restricted key systems.

What this does is stop employees or individuals from getting keys made, new cylinders created, etc. This is extremely beneficial for employees who’ve lost a key or have bad intentions at the facility.

Understanding how a key system can work to your benefit is also important.

A properly planned master key system can be set up that allows employees specific access to certain areas. This is an important component of securing your facility.

Kenton Brothers has many customers who implement a master key system.

A great example of how this works is for one of our customers that owns a 10 floor building. Each floor has a different tenant, and each tenant should only have access to their floor. We created an overall master key system, created floor masters, and keyed the cylinders to flow traffic properly.

The result? Tenants knew they had secure spaces.

Kenton Brothers has been designing key systems since 1897.
Let us help you find peace of mind with your keying and security needs.