Security Access Control

Security access control helps businesses manage who can enter buildings, rooms, gates and other restricted areas. For a business with staff, contractors, multiple work areas or valuable equipment on site, knowing who can access each part of the premises is an important part of protecting people, property and assets.

Putting an access control system in place is one part of the process. You also need to manage the people using it.

That is where user code management comes in.

User code update management helps make sure the right people have the right access at the right time. By keeping track of individual fobs and codes, access permissions can be matched to the areas each person actually needs to use.

It also means access can be changed when someone’s responsibilities change. A team member may move into a different role, require access to another part of the premises or leave the business altogether. Their access should reflect the current situation rather than permissions that were set up months or years ago and have simply stayed in place.

For businesses using security access control, regularly managing users helps keep the system useful long after the initial installation.

What is user code management?

User code management is the process of managing the codes, fobs and permissions used by people who have authorised access to your business.

Rather than relying on a shared code that several people know, individual access credentials can provide a clearer record of who has been given access and what areas they are authorised to enter.

This also gives you more useful information when reviewing activity. Depending on the access control setup, reporting can identify who accessed a particular area and when that access occurred.

That information can be useful during normal day to day management as well as when something needs investigating.

If somebody is accessing an area they no longer need for their role, their permissions can be reviewed. If a team member leaves, their access can be removed. If responsibilities change, access can change with them.

The aim is simple. Your security access control should reflect the way your business operates now.

User Code Update Management

PGC Security’s User Code Update Management service helps businesses keep track of who has access and how that access is being used.

Customised reports can identify who accessed a particular area and when, giving you information that can be reviewed if something looks unusual or an access issue needs to be investigated.

Reporting can be tailored to your business and provided weekly, fortnightly or monthly, depending on how closely you need to monitor access.

The service also makes ongoing changes easier to manage.

Staff access rarely stays exactly the same forever. People join the business, responsibilities change, employees leave and access requirements change along with them.

When you advise PGC Security of changes to team member access, the relevant fobs, codes and reporting can be updated to reflect those requirements.

This helps prevent old access permissions from remaining active simply because nobody remembered they were there. It also reduces the amount of access administration your business needs to manage internally.

If you already use access control and are unsure when your user permissions were last reviewed, talk to PGC Security about reviewing how your codes, fobs and reporting are currently being managed.

Access Policy Acknowledgement

User Code Update Management can also help connect the technology with the policies your business has put in place around access.

When the service is implemented, PGC Security can provide proof of acknowledgement of your Access Policy and details of the responsibilities given to relevant team members.

This gives the business a record of who has been given access responsibilities and what they have acknowledged as part of that process.

That matters because access control relies on people using the system properly. Sharing a code or fob, failing to report changes or continuing to use access that is no longer required can undermine the controls the business has put in place.

Having documented access responsibilities also gives managers something practical to refer back to if an issue occurs or permissions need to be reviewed.

Benefits of User Code Update Management

The benefits of user code management come from having better control over access and better information about how that access is being used.

It helps turn your access control system into something that continues to reflect your people, premises and operating requirements as they change.

Better control over authorised access

Assigning individual codes, fobs and access permissions gives your business more control over who can enter particular areas.

Different people can be given access according to their role and responsibilities. Someone who only needs access to a front office, for example, does not necessarily require access to storage areas, equipment rooms or other restricted parts of the premises.

This can help reduce unnecessary access while making it easier to identify which credentials belong to which person.

It also supports one of the main purposes of security access control, which is making sure access is authorised rather than simply available to anyone who happens to have a key or shared code.

Faster updates when access requirements change

A useful access control system needs to change when your business changes.

When an employee leaves or their access level needs to be adjusted, user code management provides a structured way to update those permissions.

This is particularly important when access has been allocated across several parts of a site or when a business has a larger number of users to manage.

Rather than relying on somebody remembering which doors, areas or permissions need changing, user code management keeps the access information together and allows the relevant updates to be managed through the system.

PGC Security can also update the associated reporting when you advise them of changes to team member access requirements.

Greater visibility over access activity

One of the practical benefits of user code management is having a record that can help you understand how access is being used.

Reporting can show who accessed particular areas and when. If there is an incident, an unexpected entry or a question about who was in a restricted area at a particular time, those records can provide useful information for your review.

This should not be treated as a replacement for other security measures. Access control can sit alongside CCTV, alarm systems, monitoring and other security services where those services suit the business.

Used together, these systems can provide different types of information about what is happening on your premises and help you manage your overall business security more effectively.

Easier ongoing access management

As businesses change, old access permissions can easily become irrelevant.

A team member who previously needed access to a particular area may have changed roles. A contractor may have finished working on site. Someone who has left the organisation may still be listed within an old access setup.

Regular user code management gives the business an opportunity to keep permissions aligned with current requirements.

This becomes particularly useful for organisations with larger teams, restricted areas or multiple locations, where keeping track of access manually can become increasingly difficult.

Additional benefits

User code update management can also help your business with:

• better protection of property, equipment and restricted areas
• clearer records showing who accessed an area and when
• easier management of changes to staff access permissions
• less reliance on shared access codes
• more structured management of fobs and codes
• easier review of access across larger teams or multiple business locations
• records that can assist when reviewing an access incident
• documentation of Access Policy acknowledgement and relevant access responsibilities

The value comes from keeping access information current and making it easier to manage as your business changes.

Is your business keeping its access permissions up to date?

Installing access control is the starting point. Keeping the people, codes, fobs, permissions and reporting up to date is what helps the system continue to suit your business.

If you already have access control and your user permissions have not been reviewed recently, PGC Security can talk with you about User Code Update Management and the reporting options available.

If you are reviewing security access control for a new site, expanding your current system or looking at how access control can work with other security services, PGC Security can also help you work out a setup that suits your premises and operating requirements.

PGC Security works with businesses across Albury Wodonga, Wagga Wagga and surrounding regions, providing access control and other tailored business security solutions.

Contact PGC Security or request a quote to discuss your access control requirements.

At PGC Security, we’ve got you covered.

---

Frequently asked questions about security access control

What is user code management in access control?

User code management is the process of assigning, reviewing and updating the codes, fobs and permissions used by authorised people within an access control system. It helps businesses keep track of who has access to particular areas and when that access is being used.

How often should a business review access codes and fob permissions?

Access should be reviewed whenever someone joins the business, changes responsibilities, leaves or no longer requires access to a particular area. PGC Security can also provide customised access reports weekly, fortnightly or monthly, depending on the needs of the business.

Can PGC Security manage user codes for an existing access control system?

PGC Security provides User Code Update Management to help businesses manage access codes, fobs, permissions and reporting. If you already have an access control system, contact PGC Security to discuss your existing setup and whether User Code Update Management can be incorporated into it.