A shared building can have several occupiers, different working hours and a mixture of permanent staff, contractors and visitors. An access-control project should describe that operating model before users and access groups are configured.
Separate common and tenant areas
Identify shared entrances, occupier-controlled areas and any restricted plant or service spaces. Agree which organisation owns each access decision and which administrators can change the configuration.
Build groups around roles
Create understandable permissions for the people who use the building. Review the places and times each role requires, then consider temporary and exceptional access separately.
Plan starters, leavers and lost credentials
Agree how a request reaches the administrator, who authorises it and how quickly a change is required. Include the removal of permissions and replacement of lost credentials in the everyday process.
Coordinate the physical entrance
Door hardware, power, visitor arrangements and required life-safety interfaces form part of the entrance design. Involve the responsible specialists when the access-control work affects those systems.
Make administration supportable
Handover should include the permission model, administrator roles and the route for support. Review groups when occupancy or use changes so that the configuration continues to describe the building.
Your planning checklist.
- Shared and tenant-controlled areas
- Authority for each access decision
- User groups and operating times
- Starters, leavers and lost credentials
- Door and system interfaces
- Administrator handover and review
