Assa Abloy’s Smartair solution is helping to secure coworking spaces with modern access control. The simplicity of having their access credentials on their smartphone or a simple key-card makes a coworking space attractive to tenants and visitors, managers benefit from the added security and flexibility the system provides.

A recent forecast suggests flexible workspaces in the EMEA region will number around 17,000 by 2022. Coworking provision is a dynamic market, with increasingly fierce competition for a user base that knows what it wants. The right access solution can help a space stand out from competitors and can deliver real benefits for users and the way they work. Many creative and tech-oriented coworkers demand round-the-clock access. Indeed, according to the Harvard Business Review, the sense of control this flexibility gives is one reason people thrive in coworking spaces. With an access system that can be managed remotely from a PC or smartphone, staff need not be on-site to manage people coming and going 24/7. An intelligent access system can also feedback critical business data in real time.

Open, collaborative coworking involves lots of expensive tech and personal items lying around. In the words of one report by commercial property experts JLL: “While coworking spaces are perhaps safer environments to leave equipment unattended than your typical coffee shop, companies still risk a loss of equipment.” Managers can maximise security and minimise space users’ risk with effective access control. An access control system also helps to sort out any security incidents quickly and efficiently. Because everyone carries personalised credentials — and managers can order instant audit trails using access system software — they can quickly find out who went where and when.

Cutting out keys
In any sizeable workspace, standard physical keys are difficult to track without a dedicated key management system. Some types of physical key are relatively straightforward to cut without permission. When a key is lost or stolen or a standard mechanical lock is broken, replacing it is time-consuming and expensive. With an access control system, one click cancels any key-card or smartphone credential. Managers can program and reprogram their door devices as many times as they like.

Around two-thirds of coworking providers expect to expand their workspace in the future. To go along with this, Assa Abloy’s Smartair solution is almost infinitely flexible. Locks can be easily moved around and new sites can be added as an office space grows.

If a coworking space wants to find another revenue stream by hosting weekend or evening events, managers can easily issue time-limited access credentials on smartphones for temporary staff or one-time attendees. When the event is over, their “keys” no longer unlock the doors.

The smartair wireless locks are already deployed at various offices and coworking spaces around Europe.