The modern manufacturer

One of the prevalent trends we’re seeing within manufacturing is flexibility; companies are always adapting their processes to meet consumer demand. Adding to that is a greater incorporation of automated solutions, which has led manufacturers to evaluate how they’re leveraging human workers and the resources they need to provide those workers to be successful. Many manufacturers are therefore striking a balance of physical and digital technology to streamline production and keep their processes safe and operating at optimal levels. Often, this process starts at the most basic level.

Key concern

Because manufacturing facilities are complex environments, access control is critical. Managers must have comprehensive control of who has access to which area, and physical keys remain an important asset to ensuring operability. Too often, though, keys to departments or machines aren’t handled properly – they’re hung on an outdated pegboard or stored in someone’s desk without sufficient oversight. This leaves a facility susceptible to lost or stolen keys, which is not only a financial risk, but reputational and security risk as well if those keys end up in the wrong person’s hands. Most manufacturing machinery is expensive, and any unauthorized usage of it could be disastrous for a manufacturer’s bottom line, including costly repairs and downtime to fix.

Fortunately, modern solutions exist to help manufacturers better manage their physical keys. Intelligent key cabinets are an evolved and efficient solution that securely store a variety of keys, which can also be integrated into a facility’s general access control platform. Managers can assign varying levels of access, which ensures only employees with proper clearance can access highly sensitive keys. The cabinet keeps a real-time account of all removals and returns, which allows managers to see exactly who has which key. This instills a sense of accountability amongst employees, as they know they’re responsible if a key isn’t returned on time. Additionally, curfew alerts notify the manager when a key hasn’t been brought back by a designated time. This reduces downtime spent looking for that key, which further improves efficiency.