Commercial Access Control Project Planning Checklist 

A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Access Control Project Ready 

Planning an access control project involves a lot more than choosing readers and deciding which doors need badges. 

Before anyone starts recommending products, there are questions about the building, users, existing infrastructure, internal responsibilities, budget, timeline, and what your organization may need a few years from now. 

You don't need every technical answer before talking with a technology partner. 

But getting the basics organized first makes those conversations much more productive. 

Use this checklist to get your internal team aligned before requesting proposals or comparing systems. 

Step 1: Define Why the Project Is Happening 

Start with the problem, not the product. 

Why are you looking at access control now? 

Maybe you're replacing physical keys. Maybe an aging system is becoming difficult to support. Perhaps you're opening another facility, improving employee safety, standardizing multiple locations, or trying to make onboarding and offboarding easier. 

Ask: 

• What isn't working well today? 

• What problem are we trying to solve? 

• Who is being affected by the current process? 

• What would we consider a successful outcome? 

Write those answers down. 

They should become the filter you use when evaluating every proposed solution later. 

Step 2: Identify the People Who Need to Be Involved 

Access control rarely belongs to one department. 

Depending on the organization, the project may involve: 

• IT 

• Facilities 

• Security 

• Operations 

• Human Resources 

• Executive leadership 

• Local facility managers 

You probably don't need everyone involved in every meeting. 

You do want the right people involved early enough to identify requirements before decisions have already been made. 

For example, HR may care about onboarding and offboarding. IT may care about network requirements and system administration. Facilities may know which doors create the most problems today. 

Each perspective can affect the final design. 

Step 3: Walk the Property and Document the Openings 

A floor plan is helpful. 

Actually walking the building is better. 

Identify the doors, gates, and other openings you believe need controlled access and document what is there today. 

Look at: 

• Main entrances 

• Employee entrances 

• Interior restricted areas 

• Server and network rooms 

• Storage areas 

• Executive spaces 

• Loading areas 

• Gates 

• Parking entrances 

• Elevators, when applicable 

Take photos and note anything unusual. 

Two doors that look identical on a floor plan may have completely different hardware or installation requirements once you're standing in front of them. 

Step 4: Document What Infrastructure Already Exists 

Don't assume the new project starts from zero. 

Make note of existing: 

• Access control equipment 

• Door hardware 

• Electric strikes or magnetic locks 

• Cabling 

• Network availability 

• Power 

• Controllers 

• Cameras or other security systems 

Some existing components may be worth evaluating for reuse. Others may need to be replaced. 

You don't need to make that determination yourself. 

The goal is simply to give the person designing the system an accurate picture of what already exists. 

Step 5: Identify Who Needs Access 

Now think about the people using the property. 

That may include: 

• Employees 

• Executives 

• Contractors 

• Vendors 

• Cleaning crews 

• Temporary workers 

• Visitors 

• Delivery personnel 

Then start grouping them based on what they actually need. 

Does everyone need the same access? 

Probably not. 

One employee may only need the main office. Another may need an IT room. A contractor may need one entrance for a limited period. 

Thinking through these groups early will help shape how permissions are eventually managed. 

Step 6: Decide How You Want Credentials to Work 

How should people actually enter the building? 

Depending on the solution, that could involve: 

• Mobile credentials 

• Access cards 

• Key fobs 

• PINs 

• Other approved authentication methods 

• A combination of credential types 

Think about your users. 

Would mobile credentials work for everyone? 

Do some employees still need badges? 

How will temporary workers or contractors be handled? 

The best credential strategy is the one that makes sense for the people using the system, not simply the newest option available. 

Step 7: Look at the Bigger Security Environment 

Access control may be one part of a larger security strategy. 

Before choosing a platform, think about whether the organization also has plans involving: 

• Video surveillance 

• Visitor management 

• Video intercoms 

• Parking or gate access 

• Other security technologies 

You don't necessarily need to implement everything at once. 

You should understand whether systems may need to work together later. 

This is also a good time to document what is already working well. A new project shouldn't automatically require replacing technology that still serves the organization effectively. 

Step 8: Think About What Could Change 

Don't try to predict every future scenario. 

Do look a few years ahead. 

Ask: 

• Are additional locations planned? 

• Could employee count increase significantly? 

• Will more doors likely need controlled access? 

• Are renovations coming? 

• Could another building be added? 

• Will other departments eventually use the system? 

The objective isn't to oversize today's project. 

It's to make sure today's decisions don't unnecessarily limit tomorrow's options. 

Step 9: Establish a Working Budget and Timeline 

You don't need a final budget before speaking with a technology partner. 

A realistic range is still useful. 

Consider more than hardware. 

Your project may include: 

• Hardware 

• Software 

• Licensing or subscriptions 

• Cabling 

• Installation 

• Programming 

• Testing 

• Training 

• Ongoing support 

Also identify the date the system actually needs to be operational. 

Is this tied to a move? 

Construction? 

A lease? 

A security initiative? 

An internal deadline? 

That information can influence design, procurement, scheduling, and implementation decisions. 

Step 10: Know What You Want From the Proposal 

When proposals start arriving, make sure you're comparing solutions to the same requirements. 

You should understand: 

• What equipment is being proposed 

• What installation is included 

• What existing infrastructure will remain 

• What licensing or subscriptions are required 

• How the system will be administered 

• What training is included 

• What support looks like after installation 

• How future expansion would work 

• What the expected implementation process is 

Don't judge the proposal only by how many features it lists. 

Go back to Step 1. 

Does this solution actually address the reason the project started? 

Commercial Access Control Planning Worksheet 

Business 

• Primary reason for the project 

• Problems we want to eliminate 

• Desired outcome 

• Working budget range 

• Target completion date 

Facilities 

• Number of locations 

• Number of buildings 

• Doors or openings requiring controlled access 

• Gates or parking access 

• Special or restricted areas 

• Current floor plans or building documentation 

• Photos of important openings 

Existing Infrastructure 

• Current access control system 

• Existing door hardware 

• Existing cabling 

• Available network infrastructure 

• Power considerations 

• Existing cameras or other security systems 

• Equipment we would like evaluated for possible reuse 

Users 

• Approximate employee count 

• Contractor requirements 

• Vendor requirements 

• Visitor requirements 

• Temporary worker requirements 

• User groups or different access levels 

Credentials 

• Mobile credential requirements 

• Physical card or badge requirements 

• Key fob requirements 

• Temporary access requirements 

• Credential strategy still needs to be determined 

Technology and Operations 

• Video surveillance considerations 

• Visitor management considerations 

• Intercom or entry requirements 

• Multi-location management requirements 

• Future expansion plans 

• Team responsible for day-to-day administration 

Vendor and Proposal Review 

• Proposed system addresses our original goals 

• Installation scope is clear 

• Licensing and recurring costs are clear 

• Training responsibilities are clear 

• Support model is clear 

• Warranty information is clear 

• Implementation timeline is clear 

• Expansion approach is understood 

Final Thoughts 

A good access control project doesn't start with a product catalog. 

It starts with understanding the building, the people using it, what already exists, what isn't working today, and where the organization needs to go next. 

You don't have to solve every technical question internally. 

That's part of what a good technology partner should help you do. 

But if you arrive at that conversation with your goals, facilities, users, infrastructure, budget, and timeline organized, you're in a much better position to evaluate the recommendations that follow. 

Ready to move from planning to design? 

If you're securing a smaller environment, our Commercial Access Control Starter Kits can provide a more straightforward path for common deployments. 

For multi-building environments, specialized requirements, or projects where the right architecture still needs to be determined, a Custom Security Design & Budgetary Quote can help turn this planning information into an actual project scope.