Top 5 Biggest Access Control Problems 2016

Brian Rhodes

•Published Oct 06, 2016 13:20 PM

New IPVM survey data reveals integrator's top 5 problems with electronic access control:

High Cost
Complex Doors and Hardware
Lowball Competition
Grudging Customers
Legacy Systems

Inside, we collect integrator comments that explain these issues, how it impacts them, and what they do to handle this.

Open Ended Responses

Our question asked integrators:

"What is the biggest problem you face with selling/servicing electronic access systems? Why?"

This allowed open-ended responses rather than limit them to multiple choice preset options. As a result, they shared a large volume of feedback with us, which we've condensed into commonly themed groups. Integrator comments provide color to the key findings we examine below.

Breakdown

See the chart below for the key findings shared by our members:

** *******, *** **** **** ** access ********* ** *** *** *******, mentioned ** **% ** *********. *** overall ******* ****** ** *****, **** hardware, *** *** **** ** ****** specialty ***** **** ********** ** ****** with **%.

******** *** *** *** **** **** 'Lowball ***********' **** ******** **** ** steeply ******** *** ************ (**%), '********', apathetic ********* ** *** **** ** spend ******** **** **** *** ******* and are ************* ** ******** ****** ****** (17%), *** **** ****** ******* *** difficult **** ** ********, **** ***** for, ** ** *** ************ **** support.

** *** ******** **** ******, ** share *** ***** ******** *** ******** they ******* *** ******* ****:

High ****

**** **% ** ***** *****, *** biggest ******** ***** ** *** ***** of *********** * ****.

**** ***** * **** ** ***-**** familiarity ** ****** *** ********** ****** control *** *** ***** ****** *** devices ******. ********** ***** *** **** commodity ******* ** ********** ***** *** keys **** *** ** **** ******* per *******, *** ************* **** **** of ******** ** ********* *** **** turns **** **** *****. ************* *** many ***********, ***** ***** *** ** the ********** ** ******* *** ***:

"******* - *** ***** ** ****** business ** ** ****."
"****** ******* ** ***** **** ********* and **** ***** ** ** * challenge ** **** **. **** ********* prospective, ****** *** **** **** * camera ***** **** *** * *** or *** *** ***** ***-******* **** affects ***** ******** ********** ** **** to ******* **** ******."
"*****. ***** *******. **** *** *** apples ** ******"
"******* ** *** ******* *******, ****** want ** **** **** ******* ****** control, *** *** * ******** ** the ***** ** ***** *********** ** pay *** ****."
"*****. **** ******* ** *** ********** the ********* ******** ** ** ****** Control ******."
"**** ** ******* *** ******* *********. Many ******* **** ** ***** **** find *** **** ** ********."
"***** - ********* **** ** **** it *** **** ********* ** *******."

Pronounced China *******

******* ************ ***** *** ********* ** Chinese ****** ******** ** ************ ********* to ******* *******. ** ***** ** our ******* **** ****** ******* ** ****, **** ** ***** ******** **** high-end ******** ** ************ **** ********** commercial ******** ****** ****, *** *** 'bottom ****' ******, *** ********** ****** does *** ******:

"*** ****-******* ******* (***-**-*** *******, ******* locks, ***)"
"*** ******* ******* ** "***********" **** China **** ***** ******** *** ******** software."
"*** **** ********* **** *****."
"***** ******** ******** ** **** ** sell ******* **** ********* ***'* **** differences."

Complex ***** *** *****

*** **** ****** *******, **** **% of ***** ********* *** ********** **** adapting ** ********* ***** *** ***** for ********** ******. ******* ***** *** complexity ** ********** *** **** **** their *** *******, ***** ****** ***** the ******* *** **** ******** ** subbing **** **** *** ** ********* vendors **** **********:

"******* **** **** ********, ********** ** the ************ ******. **** ***** *** will ****** *** ***** ***** *** correct ******** **** ** ** **** quality *** ********* *********, **** *** competition **** **** ** **** ******** strike ** ** **** ** ***. When *** ********** **** ******* ******** and **** ** **** *** * customer, *** **** ***** ******** *** of *** **** *** ** *********** not ***** **** ** ****."
"********* ** ******** **** ********. **** older ***** **** *** ***** **** devices **** ** ***** **** ** mullions *** ******** **** ******* ****** because ********* ********* ** *** **** to ******* ***** ********..******** **** *** not ********* *** ********* ** *** want ********."
"**** ******** **** *****. ** *** handle **% **-*****, *** ************ **'** have ** ***** ** * *********, who ***** **** ** *** ** our ***********. **** ******** *** ** a ***** ****."
"*** **** ***** *****. ***** ********* can ** * ********* *** *******."
"*** ******* ***** ** ********* ******* a ********** ***** ** ******* ********* work."
"********* ******** *** ** ********* ** more"
"********* *****. ***** *** **** ***** ***** out *****. ** ******* **** ** pull * ********* ** ** ********* doors."

** ******* **** ***** *** ********** hardware ** * **** ***** *** you, ***** ***** **** ****** *** Resources *** ****:

********** **** *****
**** *** ***** ********* ******
********** **** ********
***** ***** *** ****** *******
********* *** ***** **** ** ******** Lock
************* *** **+ **** *********

***-****** ***********

******* ** *** ******* * ****** ******* ******** ******, *** ** **********'* ******* ******** is ********* ******* ***** ******* ** ** the **** **** *******, ***** **** a **** ** ********* *** *** not **** *** ******** ******, *** have ***** ******** ** ** *******, cable ** ***** *********, ** ***** building ******** *********:

"**** *** *** ******* ** *** area ******* ** ***** ** *****."
"**** ********** ******* ****** *** ****** control **** ** **** **** ** Software ***** *** ******* ** ********** with *** *** **** ******, ******, and ********** **** ** *** ***** in *** ****."
"*******, ***** ***** ******* *** ***** offered ** ******* *********."
"**** ** ************* ********* ** ****** openings, **** ************ *** ****** ********* on ***** ******* **** **** ******."
"*** **** ***********, **** ******. **** client *******, ***** ****** - *** cards & ******* *** * ********* item ** **** *****."
"***** ******* ******** ***** ******"
"*** ***** ** *** *** ***-*** quality ******** **** *** ********* *** the ***-***** *** ***** ******* *** the ***** ** * ******."

Grudging *********

******* *** ***** **** ***** ** responses, *** **'* *** *** **** to ***. ******* *********** ***** **** customers ***** **** ******* ****** ******* access *******, ** **** *** *********** or ******** ** *** ****** ****** simple *******/*********. ***** ******** *********** *** *** always ********, ******** ** ******** *** methods, ********, ** ******** ******** ** a ****** *** **** ******* *****. When ********* **** ** ******** ** premium ********, *********** *** ***** ****** prices *** *******, *** ******** *** simply ******* ***** ** *** *****:

"******* ******* ** * **** ** interest / ********* ** *** **** of *** ******** **** ** ***** to **** ********, ********** ** * retrofit *********. ** ***** ******** ************* in **** ** ***, *** *** customers ***'* ***** **** ***** ** sexy ****** ** *** ****** *********."
"******* **** ***** ************* ** ******** ******* and ****-**** *********** *****, **** ** not ********** *** ** ****** *** the ******** ****** ********* ** ****** complexes."
"********* ** *** **** *** **** to ***** *** ******** ** *** intimidated ** *** ********."
"** **** *** **** *****, **** it *****. [********* ****] ** ******** In **** **********."
"********* ******* * ****-**** ******** ** response ** ** ******** ** * perceived ******, *** *** ********** **** regards ** ************, **** *** ****, and **** *** ***** ****** ************** of ******** ****** *******."
"** *** ****** (****** ****), *** biggest ******* ** ******** *** ********* to *********** *** *** ********* ******."
"****** ***'* **** ** ***** $*** dollars *** * ** ** *** smaller ****** ****. ********* **** *** the ******** ***** *** *** **** it ** *** *** ***** ***** features **** ***'* *** **% ** the ****."

Legacy/Old ****** *******

******** *** *** *** * ******** is *** ********* *** ***** ********* support ** ******* **** *** ********** ******* *** *** ******** ** ******** **** *******, EOL'd ********, ** ****** ********* ** original *************. ******* *** ******* ***** is ********* *** **** ******* **** sourcing ** ***********, *** **** ******* routine ******* **** ******** '******* ***********' unfamiliar ************ ******* ** ****** *******.

"****** ******* *** * *********. ****** into ******* ****'* **** ** ****** a ********."
"**** *******. *********** ********. ********** ** new ** ** *** **** ************."
"*** ******* **** ****** *** **** ancient ******** **** *****'* *** ** modern ********, ******** ****** *****, ***."
"****** **** ********** ********* *******."

Comments (5)

Undisclosed #1

•Oct 06, 2016

Interesting article. As an integrator that does substantially more access control work than anything else, this is all actually music to my ears. :)

Reactions:

(3)

(1)

Undisclosed Integrator #2

•Oct 07, 2016

Internal costs are also an issue. Like many integrators, we do both cameras and access control.

Use a $10k small business project on an existing building as a base line example. That would approximate to an NVR and 8-10 cameras or a 4-5 door access control project. A 2 man crew could knock out the camera project in 1 day where the access control project might take 2-3 days. (getting wires down to the door always seems to take longer than you anticipated going in)

And the material costs would vary greatly. the camera project might cost the integrator $1500 (8-10 $100 cameras, $400 NVR, Cable) but the access project would cost double that.

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(3)

Undisclosed #3

•Oct 07, 2016

IPVMU Certified

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #2

So the 10k access control job has double the labor costs and double the materials of the camera job?

I thought margins for AC were higher than video.

Reactions:

Arne Furre

•Sep 10, 2021

IPVMU Certified

Hope this is the right forum. I like to share one emergency solution I used in a military establishment where one electronic keypad had a total failure.No spare avaiable. Leaving the site unsecure was not an option. Remote site no shops nearby so used the homemade simple code lock that I carried in my van. It consisted of 4X3 Pushbuttons, tamperswith, mounted on a standard size mounting plate in metal. Wired tamperswith into the existing security system. Each pushbutton had one N/O and one N/C contact. The supply cable to the electrical lock is in series with ALL switches. The code is set by wire in the N/O contact of the code numbers in the series, loop. So if 27477 was the code they have all to be pushed at the same time to close the loop. Pushing any of the N/C contacts open the loop. It made me smile when on site engineers tried to beat the code....

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(1)

Wanchai Siriwalothakul

•Sep 10, 2021

Smart Entry Systems • IPVMU Certified

Wouldn't it be nice, if a newcomer created an inexpensive, easy to install, IP based, optionally supports WiFi for communication so there is no need to run wires to each door, used non-proprietary hardware such as Android tablets and Raspberry Pi so it will never get EOL'd, written using modern software technologies, continuously improved via OTA updates, having a proven track record of positive end-user feedbacks, with an USA based support, and finally, made by a 100% USA company, who is actually capable of beating the Chinese competition, and allowing you to finally escape those poorly supported ancient legacy systems?

Oh wait, we did.

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(2)