Traka

Why physical key management is important

While we live in a digital age, keys remain present for many applications in most businesses. A lock and key may be symbolic of security, but the sad truth is that many organizations fail to manage physical keys securely.

How effective are your existing key management controls?

Whether you manage a fleet of vehicles or valuable equipment, control dangerous substances, or are responsible for site security, your process for managing keys and equipment needs consideration. Ask yourself, the question, "How effective are your existing key management controls?"

Why bother about managing keys?

It’s more than simple security. The impact of losing even a single key can be immense.
  • Safety – keeping staff and visitors safe is essential. The ability to account for and restrict access to keys and equipment helps to maintain a safe environment. 
    e.g. for large public venues that might be a target for a terrorist attack, controlling and remaining accountable keys is vital.  

  • Liability – you could be found negligent for leaving a door unlocked or enabling access to equipment or data. What if a staff member uses keys to operate machinery, unaware that conditions are unsuitable and an accident occurs? What if someone has an accident in an unsafe company vehicle?

  • Compliance – Increasingly, organizations need to adhere to regulations. For example, in the Property Management sector in the United States, some states require that residential lettings companies must ensure employee and contractor background screenings are conducted before keys are issued to property maintenance staff in residential settings.  
  • Efficiency – time spent looking for keys is money wasted. In addition, not having access to equipment can be exceedingly frustrating for staff. 
  • Trust – If a customer gives you a key and you lose it you lose their trust. Similarly, hotel visitors trust that only authorized staff can access their rooms. Once a business loses the trust of its customers it can be very hard to win it back. ·       
    • Good procedures increase customer confidence and can be a business differentiator. If you and your family were renting a property wouldn't you prefer that that organization had proper key control processes?

  • Cost – Every day inefficiency in searching for keys will erode productivity over the long term, but losing a master key set can be a significant cost.
    • In 2019 the Chicago Sun-Times reported that a master key set at Chicago O’ Hare Airport cost a “five-figure” sum to replace and more recently in 2022 the Hawaii state legislature reported a cost of $250,000 to rekey all locks to the senate offices and the house of representatives. 

 

What is a key management solution?

In very simple terms a key management solution is comprised of four components:

  • Storage

    A secure container for storing keys

  • A lock or access control

    To secure the keys and stop people from simply taking them

  • Distribution method

    A way of sharing keys with the people who need them

  • Event logging

    A log and audit trail of all keys borrowed and returned

The problem with traditional lockable key boxes and cabinets

You could do this all simply with a lockable key box and a log book but that isn’t a satisfactory solution. Here’s why:

Simply restricting access to keys isn’t the answer.

When a business is small, this may be relatively easy to do by entrusting the keys to one person. In time this approach can become a bottleneck and worse, a security and safety vulnerability as the business scales. Moreover, one person has the responsibility (and inevitable headache) of having to account for keys if someone has borrowed them. It isn’t an efficient or scaleable process, adds complexity and a manual overhead.

Shared access to a key safe or cabinet isn't an answer.

With no record-keeping how do you know who last had the key? Without access to those keys and equipment is a vulnerability that at the very least can cause inefficiency but also has the potential to compromise site security. In addition, sharing the keys might require labeling, making it easy for someone unfamiliar with your business to identify what the key is for if it falls into the wrong hands.

Secure, control & audit keys electronically

Electronic key management provides timely and controlled access to tools and equipment. Modern workplace management relies on good processes. Process improvement focuses on how to remove blocks and barriers to productivity.  By choosing the right electronic solution you can secure and manage keys and automatically log and audit usage and support other workflows such as those needed for compliance or safety. 

Learn more about electronic key management