After recently tackling spring cleaning door maintenance, we’re now ready to move on to the next big spring cleaning issue — key system management.
It takes a lot of time and effort to develop the perfect key system for your facility, so you definitely want to keep everything in good condition. The best way to do that is to start with the key system records. These are the life force behind your key system, so here are a few tips on how to best keep those maintained.
Key System Management
Digital Key System Records
Brace yourself, folks. I am about to blow your mind.
In 2016 there are still companies out there that use paper records.
(I KNOW.)
Just when we think the entire world has gone digital, I hear from a company that needs help because they’ve misplaced their key system records, because they’re stored in some dusty old file cabinet that is now nowhere to be found.
Digital records allow for better organization, are easily transferred, have much better security and, best of all, allow for permanent storage.
Needless to say, digital key system records are an absolute must in 2016.
Archived Key System Records
That being said, when it comes to key system management, digital records won’t do you any good if you don’t ever take the time to back them up. So many of us have had the unfortunate experience of working on a project only to get halfway through when the computer crashes. And guess who hadn’t hit that pesky old save button in the past hour?
The same philosophy applies to backing up your records. You need to do it regularly, and you need to make sure the hard drive is dependable. It’s important you keep a copy of the records; if your key system vendor’s server crashes, you’re still safe.
Key System Records Ownership
Speaking of your key system vendor, you need to make sure you own your records. I know that might sound a little weird (and maybe you just assume you do own your records, but that isn’t always the case). I can’t tell you how many times we’ve started new relationships with customers who weren’t able to transfer ownership or get copies of their records.
Unfortunately, this means starting from scratch with us. While we’re happy to help, it requires a lot more work, and also costs a great deal more. Without current records for each location, a simple service call to replace a broken lock may turn into a full store rekey.
If your vendor doesn’t allow you to own your key system records, I suggest you find yourself someone new.
Key systems are a huge task to tackle, which is why we have so much information on them here. If you have more questions, please feel free to call us at anytime. We have experts standing by and ready to help!