MASTER KEY SYSTEM
WHAT IS A MASTER KEY SYSTEM?
Master key systems are highly beneficial to commercial buildings, as they provide a comprehensive design that allows certain keys to open selected doors. For example, you have 2 staff members that should both have access to the conference room, but only 1 of them should have access to the main office. In a master key system the keys for both staff members, although different, will work for the conference room door lock, but only 1 of those keys will work for the main office door lock. This security design allows a lock to accept multiple keys that are shaped differently, enabling you to define which set of doors a particular key can unlock and which ones it does not have access to.
ADVANTAGES OF A MASTER KEY SYSTEM
Commerical buildings are often tasked with managing a great number of locks and keyholders. Having a master key system will provide a clear design and structure for access based on users and give you flexibility for adding or removing access to certain locks. This type of system can greatly reduce the number of keys in circulation and save you money on replacing or rekeying locks whenever there are changes in personnel.
DISADVANTAGES OF A MASTER KEY SYSTEM
Since master key systems allow a lock to accept many differnt shapes of keys, they tend to be more susceptible to security breaches. In particular, master key systems are more vulnerable to decoding by exploratory keys and lock picking. There are some security measures that can be taken to mitigate these risks, but the inherent nature of master key systems will cause them to be less secure when compared to a conventional or high security lock.
WHAT WILL I NEED FOR A MASTER KEY SYSTEM?
You will first need to determine the size of the master key system. Knowing how many users, who those users are and what level of access they will be granted are important details. It is also imperative to consider personnel turnover, increased staffing and building expansions in the future when designing this system so that it can be scaled and adjusted as needed.