Maintaining security in the retail industry is a large component to your loss prevention program. Without strong physical security practices, your products and people may be at risk for security breaches and leave you open to organized retail crime. Enhancing and maintaining your keyed security includes how well your retail operations are utilizing a master key system.
What is a Master Key System?
A master key system includes all the various master keys used within your organization. A master key is a high-access-level key cut that can open all or some of the locks installed at a location or across many locations. Master keys are typically distributed to facility managers, general managers, or other employees who need higher-level access to many doors throughout the location they manage. Master keys are not meant for wide distribution, as the more people who have high access the more opportunities there are for a serious security breach if a master key is lost or stolen.
How Can a Master Key System Be Used in Retail Operations
Master keys can be an easy and effective way to maintain security and grant specific levels of access to management employees while limiting access for lower-level employees. This is particularly relevant for large retail operations with a number of locations or locations with many keyed different doors. Master keys allow specific managers to have complete access to all the doors in their retail location while not having any access to the one across town or to all their locations in a specific area. Master keys come in a variety of levels, which means that your area or corporate managers can have wider access than a location-specific manager who has more access than an employee without any master key access.
Master Key Levels
Master key systems have different levels of master key access in order to provide the most functionality to your organizational needs. Here are some of the levels of key usage included in a master key system:
- Great Grand Master Key: This is the highest level of access in your master key system. This level of master key is designed for a very small number of people within your retail organization who need complete access across locations. A great grand master key can have access to every facility and location, so it’s extremely important to limit these key holders only to the people who need and use such high-level access.
- Grand Master Key: A grand master key is one step below the great grand master. While still granting very high access to an organization, this is an ideal level for Asset Protection, loss prevention, or Facility Managers who need access to multiple locations within an area, but don’t need access to facilities outside of their designated territory or role.
- Master Key: A master key has less access than a grand master key and can provide total access to a single location with keyed different doors, a group of doors, or all locations in a geographic area. This is ideal for a general manager of a single retail location with many doors. With a master key, your manager has access to all areas of your retail store that they need to manage day-to-day operations, but they don’t have unnecessary access to other locations.
- User Key: A user key is not a master key, although these keys are an important part of your overall key control. User keys are the copies that get distributed to employees to open single access points like a backdoor, front gate, staff room, etc. These keys offer the most limited access and are therefore ideal for employees below the managerial level who need only limited access to do their jobs.
Master Key System Implementation
When implementing master keys within your retail organization, consider who needs high-level access. One of the best ways to maintain your key security is by keeping keys out of the hands of employees who don’t need them. You should ask yourself how often is that manager accessing locations after hours when the store is not open. If your answer is rarely, do they really need that key? For every key distributed throughout your organization, and particularly for master keys, take the time to onboard each key holder around the security expectations included in your key policies. In order to keep track of all the keys in your organization, you’ll need to get organized. Key tracking not only keeps track of who has what keys in your company, but also allows you to run reports and audits to determine the efficiency of your overall key control.
Tracking Master Keys
Key tracking is a necessary part of maintaining your master key system and physical security. Every key that you distribute to any employee throughout your retail operation should be tracked, including all master keys. Key tracking software that is designed to support the organization of locks, keys, users, and locations is the best option for efficiently managing your key control.
Master keys can be created using restricted, serialized key blanks. Which means that your master keys can be easily tracked with a unique serial code and they cannot be duplicated without your authorization. This enables a closed master key system, ensuring that only the keys that you have authorized and distributed are active within your organization at the master and user key level. You can also use restricted keys for locations with no master system so that you’re maintaining a closed key security program for all your locations and key holders, not just your master key systems.
Key Control and Your Master Key System
Your master keys are a part of your larger organizational key control. Key control includes all the management, distribution, and tracking of every lock, key, and user in your retail organization. Implementing key control best practices throughout your retail locations is the most effective way to maintain physical security and prevent loss. The locks and keys being used throughout your retail organization can either contribute to your loss prevention by limiting access to only those who need it or they can hinder your loss prevention efforts with inefficiencies that lead to frequent security breaches and affect your bottom line.
Here at InstaKey, we specialize in every aspect of a robust key control program. We’ve worked with retailers to implement effective and secure master key systems as part of a comprehensive key control program. Learn more about key control and the aspects that improve your physical security by clicking the button below.
