ACCESS CONTROL EXTRA
Bolstering Security With Data-
driven Facilities Management
Trevor Ball, business development manager UK & Ireland at Allegion
UK, explains how facilities can improve security with big data.
» EVER SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE
internet, data has been used to improve
processes across the globe. Since the
turn of the millennium in particular, the
storage and use of data has expanded
considerably.
A 2018 report by IBM found that 90%
of the data in the world (at the time of the
report) was created in the previous two
years alone. As technologies develop and
new devices become available to new
users – the collection and analysis of data
is unlikely to slow down anytime soon.
This is no different for facility
management. As the IoT continues to
change the landscape, new tech-driven
solutions that adopt a data-driven
approach offer new ways to manage
buildings. From healthcare facilities to
commercial and residential properties,
these intelligent devices can offer added
security and a host of other benefits. So,
in future years to come, as access control
becomes more IT-led, how do we use data
to improve security?
Data-driven decisions
Despite new technologies becoming
available to market, the future of the
construction industry and its adaptation to
digital tech is a topic that is hotly debated.
Intelligent access control, such as cloud-
based systems, can track a host of useful
metrics, all with the potential to improve
both security and processes in general.
Once integrated, these systems track
both users and access points, collecting
and storing what is known as big data, on
information including approved access,
declined access and lockdown instances.
Collecting and using this information can
present facilities with a myriad of security
improvements. At a basic level, knowing
which (and more importantly when)
access points of a building are being used
helps determine whether those areas are
being used correctly.
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Take the healthcare sector as an
example. Most healthcare environments
are designed to house open-plan areas,
but all contain ‘off-limit’ areas that house
confidential medical records, equipment
and pharmacuticals. Some of these
areas, such as medicine cabinets, require
stringent security. By collecting data on
medicine cabinets access, a facility can
detect any instances of declined access
or wrongful access (think unusual after-
hours activity). This information can then
be used as the rationale for changing or
revoking access rights, adding an extra
layer of security when it is most needed.
A facility’s physical environment can
also be optimised with this approach,
from process efficiencies to budgeting.
Collecting and analyising data on
footfall for example, allows a facility
to understand more about the flow of
movement within the building and then
necessary adjustments can be made based
on data trends. Optimising these areas can
not only impact processes but also provide
a knock-on effect for both patient and staff
satisfaction and outcomes. This isn’t to
mention the potential of driving positive
financial results.
Lacking information on data
Understandably, we must then question
why more facilities aren’t using data as a
key component in their security efforts.
If data-driven facilities management can
enhance security and processes, why aren’t
we seeing widespread use of it?
Well, it’s fair to say that the integration
of big data analytics comes with its
challenges. Until recently, the UK has been
slow to move on the use of data in facilities
management, meaning information has
sometimes been limited, even for those
interested in adopting the practice. The
lack of information has left a hovering
ambiguity over the topic, leaving both
installers and end users unclear as to how
data-driven management could be helping
their facilities. Accountability is also a
potential issue for those who do implement
it into their systems, with IT teams and
facility managers needing to agree on a
system that works for everyone.
With this in mind, it becomes
transparent as to why many are reluctant
to adapt to these moving technologies.
Without a clear understanding of intelligent
systems and how to use data, decision
makers are reluctant to leave their comfort
NOV/DEC 2019
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