It's fair to say that Covid-19 has changed the world as we know it. As the world slowly emerges from the grips of the global pandemic and restrictions ease, businesses are facing the unprecedented challenge of resuming operations safely. It is abundantly clear that improved standards of hygiene and of general health, safety are at the forefront of everyone's minds.
As the world reopens its doors, most industries are in the same boat when it comes to adapting their operations and physical domains to cater to these changes.
Many industries were already transforming their operations in response to general technological advancements before the pandemic struck, but some of these changes have now become critical to their recovery and safe re-opening. Such technologies were previously considered to be non-essential luxuries, but the pandemic has ushered in an era of urgency when it comes to adopting innovative solutions that improve staff and consumer safety through cutting-edge technology. Now, these solutions are pivotal to safely reopening business doors as the pandemic restrictions ease.
Here are some of the ways in which access control technology is helping to reopen doors post-pandemic.
Automated Self Check-in
Self-service check-ins were already quite common, but many hospitality industry businesses have now implemented mobile solutions to allow for remote check-ins. This technology could also be used for a wider array of industry applications to further assist with safe reopenings. The introduction of mobile, self-service, contactless check-in options offered by modern Visitor management systems is a sure sign that a business is committed to protecting the health and well-being of its customers, visitors, and/or staff.
Contactless, credential-based access
When it comes to added security, a step up from mobile contactless check-ins is the adoption of contactless digital key systems that contain verifiable access authentication and can be used via a mobile device. Using a smartphone, an authorized visitor can request access prior to arrival.
Contactless technology not only reduces the amount of human interaction required to enable access, but eliminates the requirement for touching keys or key cards, too. The right access control technology enables individuals to manage their own visitor experience from their mobile or other smart device. These mobile, individually assigned keys can be pre-programmed to automatically open elevator doors without the need to touch buttons, and allow access to main entrances and exit doors, as well as meeting rooms, gyms, toilet facilities, and more.
Digital Contact Tracing
Access control technology also goes hand-in-hand with digital contact tracing as a powerful tool combination to track the movement of staff and visitors throughout a facility or venue. Contact tracing has been used to assist in controlling the spread of SARS and Ebola in the past, and we are certainly well-accustomed to it now in the age of Covid-19.
A facility or venue's entry and exit points are arguably the most valuable data collection points it has. Using high-tech access control solutions, businesses have access to real-time data as it is collected from every user that moves through the space. Such a wealth of data can make auditing and analyzing any potential virus exposure sites much easier.
To give staff, visitors, and consumers the greatest confidence, businesses will need to demonstrate that they can use access control technology to pinpoint the time and location of potential exposure risks.
Antimicrobial surfaces
The pandemic has highlighted how easily the spread of microbes can occur when surfaces are repeatedly touched by multiple individuals. We now know that it's essential to either eliminate or at least reduce the number of necessary touchpoints in public spaces, leisure facilities, health facilities, retail outlets, and places of business.
In the cases where access control systems still require some physical contact, antimicrobial surfaces can still assist with minimizing the spread of disease. During the manufacturing process, antimicrobial additives containing silver ions can be added to virtually any material to minimize the spread of disease and viruses.
Physical access control systems, especially in high-traffic areas, increase the risk of microbes being transferred from person to person. By incorporating this silver ion additive to the materials used to make access control hardware, both the growth and spread of disease is minimized by the antimicrobial properties that are introduced.
To create a cleaner, safer environment for staff and customers, businesses should consider installing antimicrobial surfaces to any areas that break the contactless chain when it comes to access.
Final thoughts
Businesses must demonstrate their willingness and commitment to optimizing the safety of their staff and customers as their doors reopen post-pandemic. The adoption of access control technologies that improve the safety and security of everyone is one of the most powerful ways to achieve this. It not only gives staff and visitors peace of mind but can fill them with confidence when it comes to the integrity of the business in question.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of techtimes.com
