Assessing long-term value is crucial when considering investing in entrance control, which is why - at IDL - we always advise clients to keep the total cost of ownership (TCO) in mind when choosing the most suitable solution for their building.

What is the TCO, and why is it important?

It’s easy to look only at the initial outlay when purchasing entrance control, but this can end up being a false economy. The total cost of ownership enables you to determine how much entrance control turnstiles cost for the duration of their lifecycle - it can be measured by weighing up the initial purchase price with the total cost of operation. By calculating anticipated electricity usage, maintenance costs, the cost of unexpected breakdowns and call-outs, and warranty, you will get a more accurate representation of the value of your entrance control system.

Working this out for clients is something we enjoy doing. Maybe because Fastlane turnstiles tend to fare very well.

Take this Class A high-rise on Wacker Drive in Downtown Chicago, Illinois, as a prime example.

Famed for being the longest multilevel street in downtown Chicago, Wacker Drive’s upper-level riverfront boulevard is home to some of the most iconic high-rise buildings in downtown Chicago.

It’s here where a 31-story high-rise was looking to streamline their security operations. With over 2,500 tenants and 200+ daily visitors, selecting the right entrance control strategy that would allow for a high speed of entry was critical. Originally, to meet these entrance control demands, the building maintained a security staff of at least seven people during peak hours. Security officers were stationed at elevator bays to monitor tenants by scanning badges, while desk staff handled visitors. This method of security proved ineffective at times, allowing a significant risk of unauthorised entry leaving the building exposed to vandalism and theft, and was a considerable expense in the facilities budget.

With these concerns in mind, the building managers identified three key security goals; the first was improving their security, the second was improving user experience and the third was saving costs. It was a priority to select entrance control that enabled a high speed of entry for authorised users, whilst ensuring security measures were still upheld.

Partnering with Smarter Security, our exclusive Fastlane distributer in North America, the decision was taken to install the Fastlane Glassgate 200 for its ability to fulfil these requirements. This decision resulted not only in a faster throughput, but by calculating the savings from security officers alone, there has been a 262% return on their investment after only 5 years.

By installing three lanes of the Fastlane Glassgate 200 turnstiles at both elevator bays, the number of security guards was able to be reduced. Now only three security officers are stationed at the security desk to automate the entire entry process.

The Glassgate 200 was designed for environments where floorspace is limited, but security is still a priority. Featuring a bi-directional, normally closed single swinging glass barrier, the Glassgate 200 provides a slim glass pedestal that can be customised to fit the aesthetics of its surroundings and include an array of integrations according to a facility’s unique specifications. In this instance the turnstiles were integrated with barcode proximity readers to authenticate tenants and visitors, providing a faster, more accurate flow of people into the building.

Higher security at a lower cost

Fastlane turnstiles greatly improved security for this high-rise and the building’s tenants loved the upgrade. The benefits outlined came from a strategic investment that was paid back in only 20 months, delivering a significant return on investment of 262% after five years.