Here’s Why You Should Start Using a Contactless Entry System

Top 7 Advantages of Touchless Access Control Solutions

Your employees touch the same door handles dozens of times a day – and your traditional lock system can’t tell you who entered your building last Tuesday at 9 PM. Contactless entry systems solve both problems. 

By using technologies like RFID, mobile credentials, biometric recognition, and cloud-based platforms, these systems give businesses faster, safer, and more controllable access than traditional keys ever could.

1. Fewer Shared Surfaces, Better Hygiene

Door handles, keypads, and shared fobs are some of the most touched surfaces in any building. Contactless entry removes those touchpoints entirely. Employees and visitors enter using their phone, a proximity card, or a biometric scan; no shared contact is required.

This matters most in healthcare facilities, schools, and high-traffic offices where surface contamination spreads fast.

2. Faster Entry With Less Congestion

Traditional access methods slow people down. Keys get fumbled, PINs get forgotten, and badge readers jam during peak hours. Mobile credentials, facial recognition, and proximity cards let people walk through entry points without stopping cutting congestion at main entrances and security checkpoints.

3. Stronger Security With Instant Access Control

Lost a physical key? You’re rekeying the entire building. With contactless systems, you revoke a stolen credential in seconds from any device. Digital credentials are harder to duplicate than metal keys, and every access attempt is logged automatically giving you a full audit trail of who entered, where, and when.

4. Manage Access From Anywhere

Need to let a contractor into your building at 6 AM on a Saturday? With cloud-based access control, you can grant, change, or revoke access remotely in real time. No need to be on-site, hand off a key, or coordinate with security staff. This is a major advantage for businesses managing multiple locations or hybrid teams.

5. Connects With Your Existing Security Systems

Contactless entry doesn’t operate in a silo. Modern systems work with surveillance cameras, alarm systems, HR platforms, and visitor management tools creating a single dashboard where you can monitor and control building access alongside your other security systems.

6. Scales Without Major Hardware Costs

Opening a new office? Onboarding 50 new employees? Cloud-based access platforms let you add users, locations, and access points without installing new hardware at every door. You scale access control the same way you scale your team – digitally.

7. A Better Daily Experience for Everyone

No more fumbling for keys, forgetting badges, or waiting in line at a keypad. Contactless entry is faster and more intuitive for employees, visitors, and delivery personnel. It’s a small change that signals your facility is modern, well-managed, and built around the people who use it.

How Do Touchless Entry Solutions Work?

Contactless entry replaces physical keys and manual access points with digital credentials that communicate wirelessly with your door hardware. Here’s how the process works from setup to daily use:

1. Credential Assignment – Each employee or authorized user receives a digital credential through a mobile app or their phone’s digital wallet. Administrators assign access levels based on role – front door only, full building, specific floors, or restricted areas.
2. Proximity Detection – When a user approaches an entry point, the system picks up their device through Bluetooth, NFC, or a QR code scan. This happens automatically – no need to pull out a phone or tap anything.
3. Automatic Activation – Once the credential is verified, the lock releases and the door opens. The whole process takes about the same time as walking through an open doorway.
4. Contactless Check-In – In offices and healthcare facilities, the same system doubles as a check-in tool – tracking arrival times and confirming only authorized users enter specific areas.
5. Audit Trails and Security – Every entry is recorded automatically: who accessed which door and exactly when. Administrators can view activity from a cloud dashboard in real time or pull reports later for compliance reviews and incident investigations.

This same setup works whether you’re managing a single entrance or access points across multiple buildings and locations.

Contactless Entry Solutions for Businesses

The following touchless technology solutions can be added or retrofitted for your office or commercial building:

Motion Sensor-Activated Doors

This type of door doesn’t need a handle to be turned or even to be touched to open it. As someone approaches the door, it will open automatically. This works especially well for high-traffic areas, like main entrances.

Automatic doors can be combined with keyless entry readers too. To enter, someone simply needs to enter or scan the proper access credentials. Then, the electromagnetic lock will be released, and the doors will slide open when activated by the motion detector.

Revolving Doors

With revolving doors, people can easily enter and exit high-traffic buildings. These are a contactless solution because there is no need to pull a lever or twist a knob. Additionally, with continual rotation or motion-detected activation, people can use the door without even pushing on the leaves to initiate their pivot around the central axis.

When someone approaches the door from the inside or outside of the building, the door automatically starts rotating. Electronic sensors and motorized gear assemblies control the speed of rotation and rotate the leaves without the need for manual pushing.

Keyless Entry & Touchless Security Gates

It’s possible to add touchless capabilities and keyless entry to existing commercial door hardware. A keypad or card-swipe reader can be added just outside building entries to allow employees and visitors access, but for touch-free entry, these are the better choices:

• Proximity readers – Users are identified by access cards or fobs with unique credentials that are held near the reader.
• Biometric readers – Iris and facial recognition scanning requires not physical contact with the people entering the door or security checkpoint.
• Touchless access buttons – Required only a hand-wave in front of the infrared reader to capture and identify hand gestures or multiple fingerprints in an instant.
• Behavioral biometric authentication – For access control, these sophisticated readers identify people by their posture and gait as they walk through an entry point and check authentication against saved behavior profile data.
• 3D touchless readers – These access devices authenticate fingerprints and palmprints using biometric vein scanning technology.
• Mobile app authentication – Smartphone access control takes mobile phones, tablets, and wearable electronic devices and allows them to function as a user’s credentials to enter offices or other business facilities.

Traditional vs. Contactless Entry Solutions: What’s Best for Your Business?

Most businesses don’t need to rip out every deadbolt overnight. The right choice depends on your building size, traffic volume, number of locations, and security requirements. Here’s how the two approaches compare:

	Traditional Entry	Contactless Entry
How it works	Mechanical locks, physical keys, PIN keypads, basic keycards	Mobile credentials, proximity readers, biometrics, cloud-based platforms
Upfront cost	Lower	Higher
Ongoing maintenance	Rekeying costs add up with staff turnover	Digital credential changes are instant and free
Security risk	Lost or copied keys compromise the entire system	Stolen credentials are revoked remotely in seconds
Access tracking	Little to no audit trail	Every entry logged with who, where, and when
Remote management	Not possible – requires on-site changes	Full control from any device, anywhere
Multi-location management	Each site managed independently	Centralized control across all locations
Hygiene	Shared keys, handles, and keypads	No shared touchpoints
Scalability	Hardware changes at every door for growth	Add users and locations digitally
Power/internet dependency	Works without power or internet	Requires reliable connectivity and power backup
Staff learning curve	Minimal – everyone knows how keys work	Short onboarding period for mobile or biometric access

Traditional systems still make sense for small, single-location businesses with low staff turnover and simple security needs. But if you’re managing multiple access points, dealing with frequent personnel changes, or need an audit trail for compliance, contactless entry pays for itself fast.

You don’t have to choose one or the other, either. Many businesses start by upgrading their highest-traffic entrances and expanding from there.

Great Valley Lockshop helps businesses across Chester, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties – and the greater Philadelphia area – find the right balance. Whether that’s a full contactless installation or a phased upgrade that starts with your front door, we’ll build a plan around your building and budget.

Common Challenges With Contactless Entry and Appropriate Solutions

While contactless entry systems offer significant benefits, businesses may encounter a few challenges during implementation or everyday use. Fortunately, with the right planning and support, like the kind provided by Great Valley Lockshop, these issues can be resolved effectively.

1. Compatibility With Legacy Infrastructure

Challenge: Many buildings still rely on traditional locks, wiring, or older access control panels that may not support modern contactless systems.

Solution: Conduct a professional site audit to evaluate the current infrastructure. Great Valley Lockshop can recommend retrofit-friendly solutions or phased upgrades that integrate with existing systems while preparing for full modernization.

2. Connectivity and Power Dependence

Challenge: Cloud-based access control systems and mobile credentials rely on strong network connectivity and stable power sources, which can be vulnerable to outages.

Solution: Invest in battery backups and redundant connectivity options. Working with experienced installers ensures system reliability and that fail-safes are in place.

3. User Adoption and Training

Challenge: Employees or tenants may resist change or struggle to adopt mobile-based or biometric entry processes.

Solution: Provide user-friendly onboarding, clear signage, and optional support materials. Great Valley Lockshop can assist with system training to ensure a smooth transition for all users.

4. Mobile Credential Management

Challenge: Managing access via mobile devices requires IT oversight and secure credential distribution especially for large organizations or multiple locations.

Solution: Use centralized cloud-based platforms that allow administrators to easily grant access, revoke credentials, and monitor usage remotely. We help configure and maintain these systems for maximum efficiency.

5. Privacy and Data Security Concerns

Challenge: Biometric and mobile access data must be stored and processed securely to comply with privacy regulations.

Solution: Choose systems that encrypt data and comply with industry standards (e.g., GDPR, CCPA). Great Valley Lockshop partners with trusted manufacturers to ensure your solution meets both physical and digital security requirements.

6. Cost of Implementation

Challenge: Upgrading to a fully contactless system can be a significant investment, particularly for large or multi-site facilities.

Solution: Consider scalable, modular solutions that allow you to upgrade in phases. Our team helps you prioritize upgrades based on traffic patterns, budget, and security needs.

Upgrade Your Building’s Access Control With Great Valley Lockshop

Whether you’re replacing a single-keyed entrance or rolling out cloud-based access across multiple locations, Great Valley Lockshop builds a plan around your building, your team, and your budget.

Here’s how to get started

1. Take stock of what you have. Walk your facility and note every door, access point, and entry method currently in use. Which ones cause the most friction? Which ones have no audit trail?

2. Identify your highest-priority upgrades. Main entrances, restricted areas, and high-traffic doors are usually the best starting points – they deliver the biggest security and efficiency gains first.

3. Schedule a free access control assessment. Our team will evaluate your space, recommend the right contactless solutions for your setup, and map out a phased upgrade plan that fits your budget.

We serve businesses across Chester, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties and the greater Philadelphia area.