Gone are the days when co-working spaces were primarily occupied by freelancers and startup companies. The sharing economy is a global phenomenon and co-working spaces are rapidly popping up in every city, state and country. According to Small Business Labs, the number of these shared spaces is predicted to rise from 14,000 in 2017 to 30,000 in 2022; and co-working members are expected to increase at an even faster rate from 1.74 million to 5.1 million.
This brings us to the question: what’s with all the buzz around co-working spaces and offices?
Organizations are beginning to recognize the benefits provided by co-working spaces. Some of the most apparent ones include enhanced productivity by 74%, larger business network and social network by 86% and 93% respectively, greater flexibility in terms of environment and office expenditure; as well as increase in collaboration with like-minded professionals in different industries.
As more people subscribe to the communal workspace style, it may get increasingly complicated for managers to facilitate room bookings and ensure security is never breached. Getting the right access control solution is key to streamlining operational processes and offering members convenience and peace of mind.
It’s no surprise that a high level of security is one of the best selling points of a co-working space. With many people entering a myriad of rooms within the space, it is imperative that members are assured that no unauthorised personnel are allowed in.
The hassle of key handovers and management are also a pain when you constantly worry about losing, replacing and mishandling keys. The Lost & Found survey conducted by Pixie revealed that approximately 25% of Americans misplace their keys twice a week, which incurs replacement costs of $2.7 billion annually.
Providing customised access to different members lets you decide when and where they can enter. Smart locks that provide time-sensitive access codes are great in this situation as the traditional lock and key does not allow you to revoke rights once validity expires.
As a co-working space manager, you’ll also need to know who has been where and when. Smart access systems tend to provide a dashboard which allows you to easily monitor and retrieve such information.
Not only will this give members a peace of mind, it can also facilitate room bookings for a much smoother operational process.
Many smart access solutions offer a combination of access modes: PIN codes, RFID keytags, access cards, or even using smartphones via Bluetooth.
When unlocking using Bluetooth, members would ideally have an app that shows the relevant locks that they’ve been granted access to. In there, they can select the respective lock and unlock it through the app.
This mode of access is suited for co-working spaces or any small to medium-sized businesses. With a high turnover of people entering and exiting the space, you’re likely to receive multiple lost key messages if you’re using physical access tokens.
In some instances, smart locks will require a hub which can be easily deployed without having to route wires through the walls as well. The hub allows the devices to communicate wirelessly over certain connectivity protocols such as Bluetooth or WiFi.
When you use smart access solutions, there’s no need to run wires through your walls. Most hardware is battery-powered and totally wireless. Devices that work offline are great considerations too. There’s no worries about not being able to access your space if your WiFi infrastructure is down, nor will it be susceptible to WiFi hacking.
As a co-working space manager, you’ll also need to know who has been where and when. Smart access systems tend to provide a dashboard which allows you to easily monitor and retrieve such information.
Not only will this give members a peace of mind, it can also facilitate room bookings for a much smoother operational process.
On top of that, you’ll be able to perform data analytics to gather high-level insights to better streamline your processes. Whether a member only has a hot desk from 9 to 5, or an employee who has full access to the office, smart access solutions provide a smooth and intuitive way to organise them without having to manually sort it according to each member.
Designed to add value to property management, these smart access solutions often combine hardware and software to keep your co-working space safe. APIs and SDKs are also available for integrations if needed.
Having a mobile solution eliminates hassle for administrative staff. As a co-working space manager, it’s only natural that you will have to handle an enormous volume of people, visitors and employees that come in and out of your space. There’s no need for you to issue access tokens, or hound members who are at the end of their contract to retrieve them; nor will you need a log to track which token is assigned to whom.
Not only will it eliminate hassle for administrative staff, it also reduces security risks. People are less careless when it comes to being responsible for their mobile phones and tend to inform you immediately if they do so.
That way, you’re able to revoke access to the lost device and act in a timely manner to ensure that security is never breached.
If you’re looking for a customised access solution, speak with us today.
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