As the holiday season rolls around, retail stores are not just bursting with shoppers but also with a heightened need for security. Amidst the festive cheer, ensuring the safety of employees and the store's treasures becomes paramount. Selecting a...
Whether your job is to track a few or a few thousand employees and an equal number of keys it can be an overwhelming task. If you’re using excel spreadsheets or a log book to keep track of who has what keys, you know it takes a significant amount of...
Security of fuel dispensers is becoming more and more critical to protect. Credit card skimming is on the rise all over the country because criminals realize how easy it is to install credit card skimming devices, leaving your station and your...
In the retail industry, even with wage increases, high rates of employee quitting persist. To address this concerning trend, employers must prioritize the things workers value most. By implementing strategic programs and initiatives, retail stores...
We are living in an era where the economic landscape is fraught with challenges. Inflation is hitting peak levels, causing the expenses associated with running a business to spiral upward. This reality hits especially hard in the grocery sector, an...
As a retail organization, your employees and customers are your most important asset. In the fast-paced world of retail, ensuring the safety and security of employees is paramount. With numerous customers, high-value merchandise, and various...
In the digital age, data centers are the beating hearts of global commerce and information exchange. These networked computer servers are the nerve centers where businesses or organizations store, process, and distribute massive volumes of data....
Employee turnover in the retail industry is a prevalent challenge that comes with significant costs. The retail industry faces considerable turnover rates, as highlighted in McKinsey's report on attracting and retaining frontline talent amid the...
One of the top concerns of any organization is security. Protecting your people, financial assets, inventory, and proprietary information, as well as regulating who has access, is a number one priority.
Having a robust key management system is part...
In November of 2022, a pair of thieves stole $20,000 worth of diesel from a Hendersonville, Tennessee gas station. And they did it in a matter of hours in broad daylight. Could your fuel station afford to lose $20,000 in a single day from fuel theft?
If you work in a corporate or retail setting, you may have heard of master key systems. But do you know how they work and how to use them effectively? In this article, we’ll explore the basics of how a master key works and best practices for...
One of the essential tasks every facilities manager or loss prevention manager needs to consider is key control policy development. A proper key control policy helps to safeguard your organization, building, and employees by ensuring only authorized...
Physical security for a store’s loss prevention can take many forms. Whether you want to secure your inventory, guard your company's proprietary information, or keep your employees safe, you're most likely using a physical lock and key. Traditional...
When it comes to evaluating your lock and key program, security, and efficiency are your number one priority. One crucial aspect of security is key control, ensuring that keys are properly tracked and accounted for at all times. However, manually...
Every organization wants to maintain the security of their employees, goods, and facilities. Despite advancements in digital technology, there’s no more effective way to keep your company physically secure than with locks and keys. It can also be...
Every facility utilizes some level of key control to keep employees, assets, and facilities secure. Choosing a key control solution for your environment is only the first step. What happens after that determines how effective and costly your program...
There's no denying that mass shootings in businesses and public buildings have been on the rise in recent years, with some experts saying stores and malls are among the most at-risk locations. Many organizations are looking to build safe rooms in...
When a key goes missing at your multi-site organization, locks shouldbe changed as soon as possible. Your personnel and asset security could beat risk, and every second counts. Depending on your locks, you may need torekey or perform an...
The lock and key may seem like a simple mechanism. But recent technological advances have brought physical keyed security far ahead of its historical origins. In this article, we will take a look back at the early beginnings of the lock and key, and...
In the past, we’ve discussed the differences between traditional locks and interchangeable (IC) core locks in terms of security. But with consumers gravitating toward sustainability more and more these days, we can’t ignore the environmental impact...
There are many benefits to key control systems that include master keys. Particularly for multi-site organizations, master key systems are an important security tool that give your facilities managers necessary access to all areas of their location....
For as long as people have wanted to keep valuables safe, there have been locks and keys. While the shape, size, and security of locks have changed over time, their basic function is still the same: Needing a key to open a lock.
Or at least, that's...
The only thing standing between your organization's assets and a security breach is the strength of your lock and key program and the accuracy of your security system records. Cloud-based key control makes it easier to keep your security records...
Even the best lock and key program needs to be evaluated periodically. You may think your facility is secure, but how do you know for sure? You may think it’s the most cost-effective program you can get, but your total operating expenses might be...
After you've established your physical security and your master key system, you need a way to track your master keys, locks, and user keys. It's the last step in maintaining key control. Poor key tracking will cost you in the long run. In this...
![Key Control: The Role of a Master Key [+Best Practice Tips]](https://info.instakey.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Key%20Control-%20The%20Role%20of%20a%20Master%20Key.jpeg?width=100&height=100&name=Key%20Control-%20The%20Role%20of%20a%20Master%20Key.jpeg)
It used to be that building managers and security personnel had to carry around multiple sets of keys to open individual rooms. Those keys could easily get lost, stolen, or duplicated. And if the security of one section became compromised, that...
Here's an alarming statistic:A burglary takes place every 18 seconds in the United States. Which means that your organization needs to make security a priority to ensure the safety of your employees, facilities, and products.
One of the biggest differences between a lock with a standard interchangeable core and one with an InstaKey rekeyable core is how they are rekeyed. Standard interchangeable cores need to be completely replaced with new cores for a rekey. That can...
There’s an area of keyed security that hasn’t been talked about much in the industry. That area is the protection of your organization’s most important asset. Locks aren't just for protecting inventory and equipment. They're for protecting people....
The closest a multi-site key control program can get to being perfect is on the first day it’s implemented. Over time, things can slip through the cracks and lead to a potential security compromise. Somebody may forget to keep key tracking data up...
When a facility key falls into the wrong hands, it puts the business, and everyone employed there at risk. The days of assigning keys to staff and hoping they don't make unauthorized duplicates are a thing of the past - at least they should be. If...
When looking at your total operating costs, it can be tempting to see your key control program as a line item you can cut back on. After all, your facility has locks, employees have keys, and you can trust your staff to be responsible. But mistakes...
You need a comprehensive key management system to control and monitor your organization's secure keyed access. The more keys and access points you have, the more complicated your key management becomes. While a simple spreadsheet might work just...
There are many ways digital key tracking software helps you keep track of keys, keyholders, doors, and locations easily and efficiently. Rather than wasting time with updating spreadsheets and calling a locksmith any time a key is lost or stolen,...
Changing the locks is an unavoidable part of running a business. Regardless of the size of your building, it’s always a nuisance, but it becomes more of a problem for multi-site organizations. Security breaches, staff turnover, and misplaced keys...
Loss prevention is an important part of maintaining physical security for retailers and other companies with a number of products, locations, and people to keep secure. Fortunately, improving physical security and loss prevention go hand in hand. By...
Recoring after a lost or stolen key is an expected part of most organizations' key control. It's a simple process that can save your business time and money. Interchangeable (IC) cores are commonly used in commercial and multi-site facilities...
Your site security is only as strong as your key control system. Business owners often have a false sense of security after installing an IC (Interchangeable Core) lock system throughout their organization. It's good to remember, an important part...
Key tracking is one of the foundational components of your larger key control system. Establishing good tracking practices can improve the day-to-day management of your mechanical keys, locks, and key holders, which contributes significantly to the...
For commercial organizations, there are countless components that make up a successful business and contribute to your bottom line. One of those components that can occasionally go unnoticed is physical security. In our modern age, many...
There are many aspects of our daily lives that we don’t often think about. Your locks and keys can be one of those. Locks are in use everywhere you go to reliably keep people, goods, and property safe. There is an entire industry that caters to...
As every large organization knows, the more facilities or stores you have to keep track of, the more complicated your facility management can become. This is particularly true for your security and loss prevention teams. Your bottom line can be...
For commercial organizations, the choices made to keep your products, people, and facilities safe can have a big impact on your bottom line. This is why physical security and key control, is so important for organizations of any size.
For retail organizations, maintaining the physical security of each retail location is vital to your loss prevention. But physical security can often be a balancing act between improving site security and maintaining cost efficiency. Determining...
Maintaining the physical security of your organization is a big job. Particularly if your company has many facilities, retail locations, or warehouses. Providing secure access and keeping track of who has what access gets more complicated the more...
Interchangeable cores, also known as IC cores, can simplify the security and key management processes of your business sites. The types of locks you use on doors in and out of your organization can play a big role in securing your employees,...
There are many components of creating key control for your organization that is streamlined and cost-effective. Your keyed security can have a big impact on the safety of your employees, facilities, and products. And not having a strong physical...
The success of your key management directly affects the security of your organization. While locks and keys are the first line of defense to protect your facilities, products, and employees, how well you manage your locks and keys can either...
Maintaining keyed security, particularly as a large, multi-site organization, involves keeping track of a lot of moving pieces. With many facilities, employees, products, and stakeholders, security is a complicated endeavor. While technology...
As every member of your loss prevention/asset protection team knows, maintaining your physical security can feel like an arcade game with pixelated threats popping up from behind every door. Unexpected events within your organization, industry, or...
Key tracking software is useful in keeping track of, managing, and improving key control practices. Without organized key tracking, you may be spending more on key control that you need to and you may be unable to address or even notice key security...
Master keys are magic, like having one ring to rule them all. That might be a hyperbolic claim, but a master key is pretty cool. Having a master key system can allow master key holders to carry fewer keys and gain access to multiple areas,...
Small Format Interchangeable Cores, known in the commercial industry as SFIC or more broadly as IC Cores (which can also include large format interchangeable cores or LFIC), are an integral part of most multi-site mechanical key management systems...
Finding a key provider for your organization — whether you are dealing with an outdated, expensive key system or starting fresh with new construction — can be overwhelming. You have to decide who to trust with your organization’s security and who...
In the last couple of decades, the Retail LP/AP industry has evolved from being focused on only catching shoplifters, with limited impact, to being critical to business profitability with as much innovation and sophistication as any other business...
Loss prevention is an important part of every retail business’s bottom line. Your success in preventing loss affects your company, employees, products, and customers. Creating a comprehensive security plan for your organization can feel like a big...
A lock rekey kit is exactly what you might imagine. It is a kit that can be used to change the locks in an organization, without having to call a locksmith. There are no tools required, no hardware removal, and you do not have to have the expertise...
Changing the locks is an unavoidable part of running a business, no matter the size of your building, and becomes more of a problem for multi-site organizations. Which means that having effective key control can save you and your business time and...
As a business owner or manager in charge of security, having complete access to all entry points is expected. A master key system provides tiered access to locks across your organization. While a master key system provides you and other authorized...
Every retailer keeps security in mind in order to protect their merchandise, employees, and store locations. Having strong key control policies for your public stores is an important part of loss prevention, but strong security practices are also...
An important part of any good key tracking system is auditing capabilities. Audits are a critical element of keeping track of keys and who’s custody they are in. In order to ensure and maintain key holder compliance after a key has been issued,...
For retailers of any size, shoplifting and organized retail crime (ORC) are big concerns. Keeping your products, employees, and stores secure is imperative to maintaining a safe, successful business. There are a variety of ways to discourage and...
Loss Prevention and Asset Protection are important components in profitability for every retailer, grocer, and other multi-site organizations. With multiple locations, access points, and people with access, maintaining control over physical keys to...
Managing access and security across multiple facilities is a challenge. Implementing key control for your business can be a financial commitment that can affect your key management into the future. Keeping track of keys and access is a frustration...
InstaKey has plenty of long-standing partnerships with clients. Some began as far back as 20 years ago. On any given day at our headquarters, you’ll hear InstaKey employees tossing reminiscent client stories back and forth through office walls and...
Key cores are an integral part of most mechanical key systems. Key cores are used in primarily commercial settings and offer strong and reliable security. To understand how commercial key cores have grown to dominate key control in physical...
Maintaining security is a top concern for businesses of all sizes. Creating effective security measures are not only about protecting your property and the assets inside, but regulating who has access, how that access is granted, and limiting...
When a key is lost or stolen, there can be seemingly no limit to the number of affected locks that require changing or rekeying.
As the one responsible for multiple, or hundreds, of locations, you are well aware of how overwhelming it is to keep track of all the keys for the locations that all of your employees have access to. You are also aware of how often one of those...
There’s no such thing as a 0% employee turnover rate.
For certain, large-scale organizations with multiple locations — such as grocery store chains, restaurant chains and retail chains — the highest turnover rates are just a fact of life.
If you’re...
When a lock is compromised in your personal life, it’s an easy enough process to replace it or rekey it, whether via a locksmith or by yourself. It’s a relatively cheap one-off expense, a minor inconvenience that arises so rarely, you hardly give it...
It’s no doubt that coronavirus lockdowns have been a threat to life (and business) as we know it. The news is riddled with report after report of the impact this crisis has had on the world’s economy, hitting non-essential retail and restaurants...
If your organization has multiple locations, keeping track of multiple sets of mechanical keys can be a nightmare. What if an important key disappears, or a forgetful employee loses track of one? Worse yet, what if the key falls into the wrong...
If your organization has ever lost a key or had to fire a disgruntled employee, you have probably changed the locks. Calling a locksmith, changing out the hardware, installing new locks, and getting new keys cut -- the costs can quickly add up....
Whether you operate a large business, hospital, school, or multiple retail locations, chances are you have multiple buildings to consider when it comes to ensuring safety and security through key control. The bigger the property, the more risk you...
For facilities and security teams, ensuring the safety and security of an organization’s assets is a primary concern. In the case of city municipalities or regulated infrastructure organizations, which can have a large number of buildings and...
Some governing bodies of the most heavily regulated industries, like legal cannabis, fail to include proactive key management as part of the comprehensive facility security requirements, leaving it up to business owners themselves to make key...
With our growing dependence on automation, service bots, and artificial intelligence, it can be rare to find a vendor that delivers innovative solutions through partnership. Thingamajigs, widgets, and bots can bring us all efficiency, but there is...
We’re partial to mechanical door locks. They’re the most simple, practical and cost-effective way to control access. But, depending on your business and types of access points, you might want to consider going keyless and/or implementing a system...
We are so excited that RILA has chosen to host the Retail Asset Protection Conference 2019 at the Gaylord Rockies in Denver! Why? Denver is an amazing city and it’s also the place InstaKey calls home!
In 2015, a specialty retailer’s loss prevention leadership team was tasked to implement better cost controls and management around their locks and key program. With over 300 stores nationwide, high employment turnover, and limited resources, they...
Keys go missing all the time. Millions of keys are lost every year in the United States. It’s human nature to lose things, especially when those things are small, like keys. Unfortunately, when keys are lost, it forces businesses to spend time and...
Key Control refers to various methods for making sure that mechanical keys for non-residential key systems are only used by authorized key holders. Any person in Loss Prevention, Asset Protection or Security can agree that this is important because...
As a security manager of a large enterprise organization, you’re probably used to dealing with an electronic access control system. Cards, readers and controllers all determine in a fraction of a second who can, and can’t, open a locked door.
In...
It’s almost Halloween! You know what that means? The holiday shopping season is upon us — those few weeks retailers look forward to all year. Stores will be packed with shoppers looking for the perfect presents for a long list of family and friends.
First, what are restricted keys?
Restricted key blanks are tightly controlled by the manufacturer. They are not available on the open market, making it impossible to take a key to an establishment that makes copies of keys because those...
Retail facilities have a relatively high turnover rate among hourly employees. That’s especially true when unemployment rates are low, as they are now and employees find it easier to jump from job to job.
A survey by the trade publication, ...
It happens to all of us. We put down our keys and then we can’t find them. We search through our home or office looking for the elusive set of keys. It’s such a common problem that some inventive entrepreneurs have even come up with ways to tag our...
Let’s look at the stories of two building managers. Both oversee large commercial buildings of about the same size with roughly 200 employees. High security is a must for both businesses. Exterior doors are kept locked at all times. Interior doors...
Security at its most basic starts with locks and keys. Locking doors is one of the oldest, yet most proven ways to protect your business, people and assets. It’s pretty simple. Only authorized employees get a key and only people with a key can open...
Every business deserves to be secure. But some – by the nature of what they make, sell or store – require an extra level of security. Large quantities of high-value items on the premises brand a business as a target for both opportunistic and...
Severe weather and natural disasters are becoming more prevalent throughout the year. Weather reports on tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, and the like, can lead to anxiety with your safety and security. Evacuations and resulting disasters...
Sometimes the most effective security protocols are the simplest and most straightforward. And while many of them might seem like common sense in hindsight, they can often be overlooked or forgotten in the midst of a busy, demanding workplace that...