Thinking about access control for your Denver business? Here's what to know before committing to a system
Access control comes up a lot for Denver business owners, especially as teams grow and the "who should get a key" question starts getting complicated. Figured a practical breakdown was worth writing since there's a lot of vague information out there and the wrong system choice is an expensive mistake.
What access control actually solves
The core problem with physical keys is that you can't control what happens after you hand one out. Keys get copied. They don't come back when employees leave. You don't know who used which key or when. And rekeying every lock every time something changes isn't practical at scale.
Access control replaces that with a system where you decide who gets in, which doors they can use, what hours they're allowed access, and you can update all of that instantly without touching a piece of hardware.
The three main system types
DAC (Discretionary Access Control): You as the owner decide exactly who gets access to what. Works well for smaller operations where the owner can manage permissions directly. Gets unwieldy fast with larger teams.
MAC (Managed Access Control): An administrator controls access based on security clearance levels. This is what military facilities, government buildings, and high-security data centers use. If you're storing extremely sensitive data or high-value assets, this is worth considering. For most small to mid-size Denver businesses, it's more than you need.
RBAC (Role-Based Access Control): Access is determined by job role rather than the individual. All accountants get access to the finance floor. All maintenance staff get access to utility areas. Nobody gets access to the server room except IT. This scales cleanly because when someone's role changes, their access changes automatically. It's the most practical choice for most Denver commercial operations.
What the hardware actually looks like
Key card and key fob systems are the most common entry point. Each employee gets a card or fob that only opens the doors they're authorized for. Cards are deactivated instantly when someone leaves. No keys to collect, no cylinders to rekey.
Biometric systems use fingerprint readers, iris scanners, or voice recognition. These are more expensive and more secure. They're used in situations where a card being shared or stolen is a genuine concern.
Magnetic locks and electronic strikes are the door-side hardware that most systems use. They require power to operate, which means you need a contingency plan for power outages.
Denver-specific considerations
The Tech Center and downtown commercial corridors have seen significant growth in multi-tenant office buildings where multiple businesses share common access points. RBAC systems work particularly well in those environments because access can be tiered across tenants without separate systems for each company.
For businesses in older Capitol Hill or South Broadway buildings, door frames and hardware sometimes need assessment before installation because not every door is set up for electronic hardware without modification.
What to ask before committing
Before agreeing to any system, know the answers to these questions: How are permissions updated when someone leaves? Is there an audit log? What happens during a power outage? Can the system expand if we add doors or locations? What's the ongoing maintenance requirement?
A system that's hard to manage day-to-day gets abandoned, which defeats the purpose entirely.
More details on access control installation options for Denver properties here: redrockslocksmith.com/project/access-control-installation-in-colorado
Happy to answer questions about specific system types, hardware, or what makes sense for a particular business size or layout.
