Keeping separate keys for each door will prove inefficient as the business grows. It becomes necessary to provide different people such as owners, managers, maintenance workers, supervisors, cleaners, and even tenants with various degrees of access in the same building.

For an organization, a master key system will help to create a clear hierarchy of key system and permission since there are keys which can unlock various locks while others can only unlock specified doors.

New York Commercial Locksmith designs, installs, rekeys, and extends master key systems for offices, apartment buildings, warehouses, schools, hotels, medical institutions, retail, and commercial buildings.

Master Key Access Understanding

Typically in a usual key system there is one key for each individual lock, but in the case of master key system, cylinders that are compatible to each other are provided to open for different authorized keys.

The simple hierarchy could look like this:

• Master key which unlocks almost all approved areas

• Key for the department which opens several rooms

• Supervisor key which opens multiple departments

• Key for an employee which opens one office

Even larger building may use additional key hierarchies such as sub-master and grand-master keys.

Better Key Control With Less Keys

Master key system will help you to have less keys that must be kept by owners and managers. Most importantly, it will provide employees with access to only those places that are required for them to do their work, for example an employee will be able to go to the main office and break room but not to accountancy, inventory, management, server, and utility departments.

The authorized people will be able to access important rooms quickly in case of a leak, some equipment problem, medical or security emergency, etc.

Designing the Correct Hierarchy

Your master key system must be planned before the change of cylinders takes place. Badly thought out plan can bring you unnecessary access, complicated key distribution, and costly changes in the future.

When designing the hierarchy we will take into consideration:

• Number of doors

• Location of the doors and their function

• Responsibilities of workers

• Hierarchy of management

• Restricted departments

• Boundaries of tenants

• Access outside normal working hours

• Access for vendors

• Future growth

Issuing of master keys must be made carefully since one lost master key can affect many areas of your property.

Restricted Keys for Enhanced Control

Regular metal keys can be duplicated without the knowledge of the management if it has a widely used key blank, a restricted key system makes unauthorized duplication much harder.

According to the system used, duplicates of the key may be created only by the authorized provider and will require identification, authorization card or written permission.

Rekeying of Existing Commercial Hardware

Most working commercial locks can be included in a master key system without replacement of the whole lock set. Cylinder will be rekeyed to work in accordance with the new access hierarchy.

Rekeying is recommended in cases of change of ownership, loss of keys, change of employee and tenant, reorganization of departments, or change in property management.

With New York Commercial Locksmith you will get an organized master key system which will simplify your access control and provide you with necessary restrictions.