Traditional keys may work for a small office with only a few employees. But as a business grows, keeping track of who has keys, which doors they can open and whether old keys are still in circulation can become difficult.
That’s where a commercial access control system comes in.
Access control allows a business to manage who can enter a building or restricted area, which doors they can use and when they’re allowed access. Instead of relying entirely on traditional keys, employees and authorized visitors can use credentials such as key cards, fobs, PIN codes or mobile devices.
For Louisville-area businesses, access control can make managing doors more secure, flexible and easier to administer.
What Is an Access Control System?
A physical access control system is an electronic security system used to manage entry into buildings, rooms or other restricted areas.
Instead of giving every employee a physical key, a business can assign each person an individual credential.
Depending on the system, that credential might be:
- A key card
- A key fob
- A PIN code
- A mobile credential
- Another compatible electronic credential
When someone presents an authorized credential at a door, the system checks whether that person has permission to enter.
If access is permitted, the electronic locking hardware releases the door. If the credential is not authorized for that door or time period, access can be denied.
Modern cloud-based systems can also allow authorized administrators to manage users, doors and permissions remotely. Alarm.com, for example, supports user management, mobile credentials, remote door control, schedules and access history through its business platform.
What Are the Main Parts of an Access Control System?
An access control system involves more than the reader mounted beside the door.
Several components work together to determine whether someone should be allowed inside.
Access Credential
The credential identifies the person requesting access.
This could be a card, key fob, PIN or compatible mobile credential.
Instead of every employee sharing the same key, individual credentials allow the system to manage access on a person-by-person basis.
Door Reader
The reader is installed near the controlled entrance.
When someone presents a card, fob, mobile credential or other approved method, the reader sends that information to the access control system for authorization.
Access Controller
The controller acts as part of the decision-making system behind the door.
It receives information from the reader and determines whether the credential is authorized based on the access rules that have been configured.
Electronic Locking Hardware
The physical door still needs hardware that can respond electronically.
Depending on the door and application, this can include equipment such as:
- Electric strikes
- Magnetic locks
- Electrified locking hardware
- Other compatible door hardware
Laswell currently installs commercial systems using technologies including door readers, electric strikes and magnetic locks.
Access Control Software
The management platform allows authorized administrators to control the system.
Depending on the platform, administrators may be able to:
- Add or remove users
- Assign credentials
- Determine which doors each person can access
- Create schedules
- View access history
- Manage temporary access
- Lock or unlock doors remotely
Cloud-based systems can make many of these functions available through a browser or mobile app.
How Does an Access Control System Work?
The basic process happens very quickly.
1. A Person Presents a Credential
An employee approaches a controlled door and presents their card, fob, PIN or compatible mobile credential.
2. The System Identifies the User
The access control system recognizes which credential is being used.
3. Permissions Are Checked
The system determines whether that user is allowed to enter that particular door at that particular time.
For example, an employee may be authorized to enter the main office Monday through Friday during business hours but may not have access to an inventory room or server room.
4. Access Is Granted or Denied
If the credential meets the configured rules, the door is released.
If not, the door remains secured.
5. The Event Is Recorded
Modern access control systems can maintain an activity history showing information such as which credential was used, which door was involved and when the event occurred.
That creates something traditional keys cannot provide: an electronic record of access activity.
What Types of Credentials Can Businesses Use?
Businesses are no longer limited to traditional plastic key cards.
Key Cards
Employees present a card to a compatible reader.
Cards are familiar and relatively simple to issue and manage.
Key Fobs
Fobs work similarly to cards but are smaller and can be attached to a keychain.
PIN Codes
Keypad systems allow approved users to enter a numerical code to gain access.
Mobile Credentials
Compatible systems can allow a smartphone to function as the employee’s credential.
Alarm.com, for example, supports mobile credentials that allow compatible smartphones to be used at supported access readers.
The best option depends on your business, number of employees, doors, security requirements and how you want access to be managed.
Access Control vs. Traditional Keys
Traditional keys still have their place, but electronic access control gives businesses capabilities that mechanical keys simply cannot provide.
| Feature | Traditional Keys | Access Control |
|---|---|---|
| Individual User Access | Difficult to track | Individual credentials |
| Remove Employee Access | Collect key or rekey | Credential can be revoked |
| Limit Access by Door | Requires different keys | Permissions can be assigned |
| Limit Access by Time | No | Available with compatible systems |
| Temporary Visitor Access | Requires sharing a key | Temporary credentials available |
| Entry History | No | Access events can be recorded |
| Remote Door Management | No | Available with compatible systems |
| Multi-Location Management | Difficult | Available with compatible platforms |
This is one of the biggest reasons businesses move to electronic access control: you gain control over the credential rather than losing control of a physical key once it has been handed out.
What Are Access Permissions?
Not every employee needs access to every area of a business.
Access permissions allow administrators to decide which people can enter specific parts of the facility.
For example:
General employees might have access to the main entrance and normal work areas.
Managers might also have access to offices, inventory or closing areas.
IT personnel may need access to server or network rooms.
Cleaning crews might receive access only during scheduled evening hours.
Vendors or contractors may need temporary access to one door for a limited period.
Modern access systems can assign users to specific doors and schedules. Some platforms can also automatically expire temporary access plans when the approved time period ends.
Can Access Be Limited by Time or Schedule?
Yes.
One of the most useful features of electronic access control is the ability to determine when credentials are valid.
For example, an employee could have access:
- Monday through Friday
- From 7 AM to 6 PM
- To specific doors only
- With different rules on holidays
A credential used outside those approved conditions can be denied.
This gives businesses more control than simply issuing a key that works 24 hours a day.
Compatible systems can also use different schedules for different users, doors and business hours.
What Happens When an Employee Leaves?
This is one of the clearest advantages of access control.
With traditional keys, a business may have to:
- Ask for the key back
- Hope no copy was made
- Determine which doors that key opens
- Potentially rekey locks
With electronic access control, an administrator can generally revoke that user’s credential from the system.
The physical card or fob may still exist, but once its access has been removed, it can no longer be used to enter the doors for which authorization was revoked.
Cloud-based platforms can allow businesses to add and remove authorized users through a web interface or mobile application.
What Are Access Logs?
Access logs provide a history of activity involving controlled doors.
Depending on your system, records can help answer questions such as:
- Who entered a particular door?
- What time was the credential used?
- Which entrance did an employee use?
- Was access attempted outside an approved schedule?
- When did a vendor enter the building?
Your current Laswell Access Control service specifically includes audit logs and entry reports as part of the systems you install.
These records can be particularly useful for employee-only areas, inventory rooms, server rooms and other locations where knowing who entered can matter.
Can Access Control Work with Security Cameras?
Yes, depending on the systems being installed.
Access control and commercial video surveillance can complement each other.
An access log may tell you that a credential was used at a particular door. A camera can provide visual context around that same entrance or event.
Some integrated platforms can connect access events directly with corresponding video. Alarm.com, for example, allows supported systems to move from an access-history event to related video and can combine access control with video and intrusion security.
For businesses that already use commercial security cameras, combining the technologies can provide a more complete picture of activity around important entrances.
Can Access Control Work for More Than One Door?
Absolutely.
Access control can be used for anything from a single controlled entrance to multiple doors, buildings or business locations.
A system might control:
- Main entrances
- Employee entrances
- Interior offices
- Inventory rooms
- Server or IT rooms
- Warehouses
- Loading areas
- Restricted departments
- Multiple buildings
Laswell currently designs systems ranging from a single door to multi-door and multi-building installations, with the ability to scale as a business grows.
Does Access Control Replace Every Key?
Not necessarily.
The goal of access control isn’t always to eliminate every mechanical key on a property.
Certain doors or applications may still require traditional hardware or backup access.
Instead, access control is typically used where a business wants greater control over who gets access, when they get access and whether that activity can be managed or recorded.
A professional assessment can help determine which doors make sense to control electronically.
Which Businesses Can Benefit from Access Control?
Access control can make sense anywhere a business needs to manage access beyond simply locking the front door.
Common examples include:
Offices
Control employee entrances and sensitive areas such as management offices or IT rooms.
Warehouses
Restrict access to inventory, equipment and loading areas.
Retail Businesses
Control employee-only entrances, stockrooms and administrative areas.
Healthcare and Professional Facilities
Manage staff-only areas and other restricted spaces.
Schools and Institutional Buildings
Manage access across multiple entrances and areas with different authorization needs.
Multi-Tenant and Multi-Building Properties
Centralize access management across several controlled doors or locations.
The best system depends much more on how the property operates than on the type of business alone.
What Should You Consider Before Installing Access Control?
Before choosing equipment, businesses should think about the bigger picture.
Which Doors Need to Be Controlled?
Not every entrance necessarily requires electronic access.
Identify the exterior and interior doors where controlling access would provide the most value.
Who Needs Access?
Consider employees, managers, contractors, vendors and visitors.
Different groups may need different permissions.
Do You Need Scheduled Access?
Some businesses need simple 24/7 employee access. Others need detailed schedules based on shifts, days of the week or business hours.
How Will Credentials Be Managed?
Think about whether cards, fobs, PIN codes, mobile credentials or a combination makes the most sense.
Do You Need Activity Reports?
If knowing who entered certain spaces matters to your operations, access history should be part of your system requirements.
Will the System Need to Expand?
If you’re likely to add doors, employees, buildings or locations later, the system should be designed with growth in mind.
Should It Integrate with Other Security Technology?
Businesses may want access control to work alongside cameras, intrusion detection or other components of a broader commercial security system.
These considerations are easier to address before installation than after the system has already been built.
Why Professional Access Control Installation Matters
Access control involves both technology and physical door hardware.
A reliable installation requires consideration of:
- Door construction
- Locking hardware
- Reader placement
- Wiring paths
- Power requirements
- Network connectivity
- Door operation
- Credential management
- Future expansion
That’s why access control is different from simply mounting a keypad beside a door.
The system needs to be designed so the hardware, wiring, software and access rules work together properly.
Laswell handles the hardware, software, wiring and customer training for the commercial access control systems it installs in the Louisville area.
Commercial Access Control Systems in Louisville, KY
A business with one employee entrance may need a very different access-control design from a warehouse with multiple exterior doors, restricted inventory areas and dozens of employees.
Laswell designs and installs commercial access control systems in Louisville, KY and throughout surrounding Kentucky communities and Southern Indiana.
Our solutions can include:
- Card and key-fob readers
- PIN entry
- Mobile credentials
- Electronic locking hardware
- Employee access schedules
- User permissions
- Temporary access
- Audit logs and entry reports
- Cloud-based management
- Multi-door access control
The goal is to design the system around how your facility actually operates — not force your business into a one-size-fits-all package.
Frequently Asked Questions About Access Control Systems
What is the main purpose of an access control system?
The main purpose is to manage who is permitted to enter specific doors or areas and, with compatible systems, when that access is allowed.
What happens if an employee loses an access card?
The credential can typically be disabled or removed from the system and replaced with a new one. That is a major advantage over a lost traditional key.
Can employees use their phones instead of key cards?
Yes, with compatible access-control systems and readers. Mobile credentials allow supported smartphones to function as access credentials.
Can access be limited to certain hours?
Yes. Compatible systems can assign access schedules that determine which users can enter specific doors during approved days and times.
Can I give a contractor temporary access?
Yes, with compatible systems. Temporary access plans can be created with defined start and expiration dates so access ends automatically when it is no longer required.
Does access control keep a record of who entered?
Modern systems can maintain access-history records showing credential and door activity. Available reporting depends on the particular system.
Can access control manage several business locations?
Yes. Scalable cloud-based platforms can support multiple doors and multiple business locations from centralized management tools.
Can access control integrate with security cameras?
Yes, depending on system compatibility. Integrated systems can combine door events with video surveillance for additional context around access activity.
Schedule a Free Commercial Security Audit
Still relying on physical keys to manage employee access?
Laswell can evaluate your doors, existing hardware, access requirements and future plans to help determine whether electronic access control makes sense for your business.
We design and install commercial access control systems for businesses throughout Louisville and the surrounding Kentuckiana area, including single-door, multi-door and multi-building solutions.
Looking for Better Security for Your Business?
From security cameras and monitored alarm systems to access control and connected security solutions, Laswell helps businesses throughout Louisville and Southern Indiana protect their properties, people, and operations with dependable security tailored to their needs.
