Addressing special needs

Jun 1, 2000 12:00 PM, ACCESS CONTROL & SECURITY SYSTEMS INTEGRATION STAFF

Here is a real-life example to illustrate the value of documenting special needs in detail.

A customer was trying to replace an outdated custom-made system that had an "escort light" feature. When the user presented a valid security card, a set of indicator lights mounted near the guard post would indicate whether or not the user

* required an escort,

* was allowed to drive a vehicle onto the property,

* could escort others, or

* was allowed to carry a weapon. The customer tried in vain to find a system that offered an "escort light" feature.

However, when it was explained to one of the vendors exactly how the feature worked, the vendor determined that his system's elevator control feature could be used to control the escort lights (instead of activating elevator floor buttons). It turned out that using the elevator control feature meant that the escort light functionality could be expanded easily to match the customer's wish list for that feature, which was an unexpected benefit.

Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2012 Penton Media Inc.

This month in Access Control

• Targeting The Customer
• Electronic Pedigrees
• One Hero Among Many
• Who? What? When? Where? Why?
• More from September's issue