Door Industry Journal - Spring 2017

116 THE door industry journal spring 2017 building hardware feature Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk Access control, meet the self-service revolution Before 1916, if you wanted goods from a grocery store, you would hand a list of items to a clerk, who would then go through the store, gathering the goods on your behalf. And then, one fine day in Memphis, Tennessee, Piggly Wiggly opened its doors to the world. Under the guidance of Clarence Saunders, this unassuming grocery store on 79 Jefferson Avenue introduced the novel concept of marking individual prices on items, gave customers shopping carts and allowed them to choose the goods themselves. The store marked the birth of what we now call ‘self-service’ and revolutionised the industry. And the revolution is still underway. Just a few short years ago, the only way to get an airline ticket was to visit a travel agent, book a trip and wait for your tickets to arrive in the post. You’d then need to visit the check-in desk, speak to a member of staff, who would verify the information on your ticket matched the details in your passport. The airline staff would then check your bags in, before you could finally make your way through security. These days, the process is a lot more streamlined. Flights can be bought online, with no need for a physical ticket to be sent out. Instead, travellers can show up with just their mobile phone which can be scanned by an unmanned machine. Even the boarding process has become automated on some airlines. The concept of self-service is sweeping through virtually every industry. Web self-service is now the most widely used communication method for customer service, surpassing the telephone as the number one channel. From checkouts, petrol stations and restaurants to retail, banking and customer support, self-service is becoming a key feature of the business landscape. And now smart locks using NetCode from Codelocks brings this self-service revolution to businesses through access control. What is NetCode? NetCode is a platform from Codelocks that allows you to generate time-sensitive access codes via an app or a web portal for a range of compatible locks. You can create access codes for a specific date, time and duration and send them automatically to the end-user via email or SMS. This innovative technology enables a range of locks that are not only more secure, but open a world of possibilities for businesses looking to exploit the benefits of self-service. Completing the self-service chain To date, many of the sectors that have embraced self-service technologies, have done so for two primary reasons – to reduce overheads through automation; and to simplify or improve the customer experience. Self-service access control carries additional benefits for both the company and the customer. It’s important to consider that there are always going to be multiple links in a self-service chain; the more of these that are automated, the more effective the chain becomes. Take the earlier example of boarding an aircraft. First, there is the booking process, then the check-in process, the baggage drop, security and finally the departure gate. The airline industry has successfully introduced automation into each of these phases, with the exception of security – which happens to be the most burdensome leg of any journey. In the same vein, many businesses are already well on their way to embracing a self-service model; only to find themselves tied down by one specific component of the experience. Access control is one such component. Consider self-catering holiday lets as a prime example. Sites such as Airbnb have shaken up the hospitality industry, allowing property owners to let directly to the public with no need for a costly middleman. This forms the first part of the self-service chain, allowing the customer to fully manage the process. But access control remains a major stumbling block in the chain. Property owners often have to meet the customer on site to hand keys over. Some choose to place keys in a wall-mounted safe at the property. Not only does this present security concerns when the property is vacant, but there is also the possibility of keys being duplicated without the owner’s consent. There are, of course, a variety of consumer-grade smart locks available that utilise technologies such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. While these fulfil the basic requirements of self-service access control, they are reliant on the customer having a compatible device or a stable Wi-Fi connection. Once a customer has been granted access, there is also the possibility that they might reuse the credentials without permission. The same can be said for standard keypad locks. NetCode from Codelocks provides the ideal solution for such a scenario, allowing property owners to remotely generate codes for a specific date, time and duration. Codes can be sent via email or SMS, and will only grant access during the designated timeslot. This approach is more convenient for the person letting the property and, as it hands control over to the end-user, improves the customer experience by completing the ‘self-service journey’.