How many hours get counted for an employee who was not where he should be? And how many people walk into your factory without anyone knowing who they are? These losses repeat daily in many companies, and the fix is simpler than you think. An access control system decides who enters and when, and records every employee's attendance accurately.
In this article we explain its types and how to choose the right one for your company or factory, in plain language and from 15 years of experience in the Egyptian market, and you need no technical background to follow what comes next, and after reading it you will know what to ask about when you request a quotation.
What is access control and what does it solve in your company?
It is a system that places a device between the door and the employee to decide who enters and when. The employee swipes an access card or stands in front of the camera, so the device reads his identity and opens for him if he is authorised, and records the time automatically, and with that the signature sheet that can be altered comes to an end, along with relying on a guard who opens for whoever he recognises.
And the access control system gives you a daily report of who attended, who was absent, and who entered an area outside his job, and in factories it blocks entry to stores and machine rooms except for those with permission, and it helps companies whose staff work in shifts, because the system records each shift separately.
Best types of access control systems for companies and factories
The types differ by how the person is identified, and each type has a place that suits it.
Access card
It suits places entered by a large number of people at the same time, such as factory entrances, and reading is fast and the cost is reasonable, but a card may be lost or lent to a colleague, so attendance is recorded under the name of someone who is absent, and the visitor entry problem is solved by issuing a temporary card for each visitor.
Face recognition
It cannot be lent and cannot be left at home, and this suits companies that want attendance records that cannot be manipulated, and among our devices in this category is DS-K1T342MX-E1.
Fingerprint
A well-known option and cheaper than face recognition, but its accuracy drops with people whose fingers are affected by manual work, and it suits offices and light work, and some companies start with it then move to face recognition as they expand.
Combining the two methods
In large factories the workers' entrance uses cards for speed, and face recognition is placed at the management entrance and the sensitive areas, and this way you combine speed with security without slowing the queue.
Why do factory owners prefer a face recognition attendance device?
Because it solves the attendance problems that cards do not solve:
- It recognises the employee in moments, so the queue does not build up at peak time.
- It needs no contact with the device, so it suits crowded and dusty workplaces.
- The company does not need to buy new cards every time the staff change.
On what basis do you choose the best fingerprint device?
There is no single device that suits everyone, and the best one is the one that suits your site, so review these points before choosing:
- The number of employees, because device capacity differs from one model to another.
- The conditions of the place in terms of dust, heat and lighting, as a factory needs a stronger device than an office.
- The number of doors and entrances you want to control.
- Its compatibility with the access control system you install, so that all devices are managed from one program.
- The type of door, as a glass door and an iron door need different locks.
You will find the available devices in the access control section of our store.
How do you link attendance to your HR system?
The device on its own records the fingerprints, but the full benefit appears when these records reach the payroll program automatically, and then the accounts department gets:
- The actual working hours of every employee.
- The minutes of lateness and early leaving.
- Absence days and leaves in one record.
- Overtime hours in detail.
And this saves a long time of reviewing at the end of every month, and before buying ask about linking the device to the human resources system your company uses, because some programs read the device data directly, and others need a file exported from them, and we review your current program with you before choosing the model so you do not discover the incompatibility after installation.
When does your company need entrance gates?
An ordinary door is enough for offices, while crowded entrances need gates that prevent two people from passing on one access card, and choose the type according to how many people enter per minute, because a slow gate creates a queue.
For people
Turnstiles and speed gates suit company buildings and factory entrances that hundreds of employees pass through, and they prevent tailgating behind a colleague, and record every passage under the cardholder's name.
For vehicles
Automatic barriers suit company parking areas and warehouse entrances, and open only for authorised vehicles.
You will find the available types in the gates section, and they can be linked to the same access control system.
What is the price of a fingerprint device? And what is the cheapest attendance device?
Devices range from an economy class for small offices, to a mid class for companies, to a professional class for factories and large facilities, and the price rises with reading speed, storage capacity and resistance to dust and heat, and the total cost grows as the access control system grows with more doors and gates.
As for the cheapest device on the market, it usually comes with no invoice and no warranty, and may break down in the first month, so you buy a second one. Always ask what the price includes in terms of installation, configuration and warranty, and if your budget is limited, start with one device at the main entrance, then add the rest later.
Why buy your access control system from the authorised distributor?
FastEgy is an authorised distributor for Hikvision and EZVIZ and not merely a reseller, and the difference shows after installation, because a reseller sells you the device and his role ends there, while the authorised distributor is the party responsible for the product before you; that is why at FastEgy you get a genuine device with an invoice and an official warranty, and a technical team that installs the system and configures it on the doors and the software.
And with any fault you deal with one party that knows you and knows your system, instead of searching for whoever sold to you, and if a problem appears in the wiring or the configuration we come back and fix it at no extra cost, and this is what protects you from repair costs you did not account for in your budget, and the warranty terms are written clearly, and you can review the warranty and exchange policy before buying.
How do you start choosing your access control system?
Tell us the number of employees, the number of doors and the type of activity, and we will recommend the most suitable option with a clear quotation for every item, and if you are not sure what you need, the consultation is free before buying.
Call the hotline 17586 from 9 AM to 10 PM, or message us on WhatsApp, or leave your request here, and you can visit one of our five branches to see the devices and talk to the sales team, and this is how an access control system starts in your company with a clear step, and you know its actual cost before implementation.
Frequently asked questions
Can the access control system be connected to the fire alarm to open the doors automatically in emergencies?
Yes, the system is linked to the fire alarm to open all doors immediately when the alarm goes off, to secure the employees' exit.
What are the different ways to power attendance fingerprint devices during a power cut?
They rely on internal backup batteries or external power sources of the UPS type to make sure the system does not stop and the data is not lost.
Do modern access control systems allow tracking visitor movement inside the facility in real time?
Yes, the software linked to the system allows recording and tracking the route and the time each visitor spends inside the different departments.
What is the maximum allowed distance between the fingerprint device and the main control panel in a door system?
The safe distance is usually between 100 and 120 metres using standard network cables without loss in signal quality.
Do high temperatures affect the reading accuracy of outdoor face recognition devices?
Poor devices are affected, while genuine weather-resistant devices are designed to work with high efficiency under direct sunlight.