Master Key Systems for Philadelphia Businesses

How a master key system is set up

A master key system is a hierarchy of keys:

1. Change keys open one door or one area, such as a single office, apartment or classroom.
2. Sub-master keys open a group of doors, such as one floor, one wing or one department.
3. A master key opens every lock in the system.
4. A grand master sits above several master systems, for owners with more than one building or a very large one.

Most small businesses need only two or three of those levels. The point is to fit the system to the building, not the other way around.

Who uses master key systems

• Offices, where staff need their own office and common areas, managers need their department, and the owner needs everything.
• Apartment buildings, where each tenant's key opens their unit and the shared entrance, and the landlord or super has a key for every unit.
• Schools, where teachers open their own rooms and custodial staff and administrators open more.
• Churches, where volunteers, staff and clergy each need different rooms on different days.
• Stores and restaurants, where the stockroom, office and front door don't all need the same people.

Planning a system

A system tailored to your specific needs starts from how the building is used. A planning conversation usually covers:

• Every door and lock, including closets, gates and back doors
• Who needs to get where, and at what times
• Which doors should open with as few keys as possible
• How many keys go out at each level
• Who keeps the key record, and how keys come back when people leave

The result is a key schedule: a written plan of which key opens which lock. Keeping that record current matters as much as the locks. A system nobody tracks drifts back into "nobody knows who has what."

File cabinets and the small locks

Missing or broken keys for your work compliance file cabinets? Offices that keep records in locked cabinets often lose track of those keys first, because they're small, they look alike, and nobody labels them. Mike handles missing and broken file cabinet keys so drawers don't get forced and cabinets don't get thrown out.

When a key goes missing

If a key goes missing, Mike can rekey the locks it opens.

When an employee leaves with a key and you don't have a system yet, that's often the moment to set one up. Mike also handles the rest of the door: panic bars and door closers, locks and lever sets. And since he's a safe specialist, he can change the combination on the office safe at the same time.