When access control and AI systems are deployed in the physical world, the security entrance becomes the ultimate test of design and coordination. The most advanced analytics, credentials or sensors can only go so far if the physical entryway still allows unauthorized people to slip through. For systems integrators, understanding how entrance design influences performance — and working with architects and facility planners early in the process — can prevent costly rework and deliver better outcomes for users.
Deterring Tailgating With Access Control
Access control has improved significantly in the last decade. Credentials have become mobile, biometrics are increasingly frictionless and artificial intelligence (AI) is enhancing precision in identity verification and anomaly detection. Yet, despite these advances, many breaches still happen the old-fashioned way when someone follows another person through a door.
Whether intentional or accidental, tailgating remains one of the most common vulnerabilities in commercial buildings. Even well-meaning employees may hold a door open for a colleague who forgot their badge, creating a gap in physical and digital security. Cameras or sensors can detect such events, but typically only after the fact, triggering an alarm or alert that requires human response. In the seconds it takes to dispatch security, an unauthorized individual can already be inside a facility.
Design Determines Security Outcomes
That’s why entrance design matters. The physical structure of a doorway, like the type of door, how it locks and how it senses movement, determines how well an access control system can actually enforce rules. Many access control systems were originally built around swinging doors, which only tell you whether a door was opened, held or forced. Unfortunately, this doesn’t actually reveal who walked through the door or whether they were alone. By better understanding these limitations, we can design more evolved security measures that truly know who is coming and going.
When facilities rely solely on swinging doors, they often end up compensating with extra labor or more complex alarm procedures. For systems integrators, this translates to additional service calls, false alarms and frustrated end users. Integrating more advanced entrances, such as optical turnstiles, security revolving doors or mantrap portals, can help automatically enforce policy, reduce reliance on personnel and eliminate ambiguity in access logs.
#ask-sdm-ec a {
display: inline-flex;
align-items: center;
gap: 10px;
padding: 10px 20px;
font-size: 16px;
font-weight: 600;
color: #348089;
background-color: #fff;
text-decoration: none;
border-radius: 4px;
border: 2px solid #348089;
box-shadow: none;
transition: all 0.25s ease-in-out;
}
#ask-sdm-ec a:hover {
background-color: #348089 !important;
color: #fff !important;
}
#ask-sdm-ec a svg {
width: 18px;
height: 18px;
stroke: currentColor;
stroke-width: 1.8;
fill: none;
stroke-linecap: round;
stroke-linejoin: round;
flex-shrink: 0;
transition: inherit;
}
Looking for quick answers on security topics?
Try Ask SDM, our new smart AI search tool.
Ask SDM →
Why Collaboration Should Start Early
Systems integrators are often brought into projects after architectural decisions are made, limiting the options for seamless integration. Early collaboration can change that dynamic. By working alongside architects and facility planners from the start, integrators can advise on how physical layout affects credential readers, sensor placement, throughput and tailgating detection.
Take, for example, entrances that require multi-factor authentication. When designing entrances that use a badge and facial recognition, ensure clear sightlines and proper lighting. If a lobby is created solely for looks without these considerations, it could require costly adjustments later. The design should also account for camera angles and door movement to enable AI-based video analytics to work more effectively. This facilitates spaces that are aesthetically appealing, secure and functional.
Balancing Touchless Access With Security
Modern facilities and users want security that blends seamlessly with user behavior and the aesthetic. Touchless entry, mobile credentials and facial recognition have made that possible, but they can also create a false sense of safety. AI-powered systems can detect patterns and differentiate between authorized and unauthorized users, yet they cannot physically stop a second person from entering with a single credential.
That’s where secure entrance design complements the technology. Revolving doors and mantrap portals, for example, physically enforce single-person passage while still integrating with modern access control systems. Mantrap portals can even combine multi-factor authentication, such as badge plus biometric verification, to ensure that only verified individuals gain entry.
These solutions don’t replace AI or analytics; instead, they enhance them. By combining behavioral detection with physical prevention, facilities can close the gap between identification, verification and entry.
Making AI Work in the Physical World
AI has introduced new possibilities for access control. AI can now distinguish between people and objects, minimizing false alarms caused by backpacks, carts or bulky clothing. Video analytics can also flag irregular access patterns, like someone entering at unusual hours or moving against normal traffic flow.
This intelligence is valuable, but it only reaches its full potential when paired with a well-designed entrance. AI can learn to recognize and even predict anomalies, but it can’t stop someone from entering a poorly designed doorway.
Designing Access for Layers
Well-designed security entrances use a layered approach to access. High-traffic lobbies might leverage optical turnstiles with integrated sensors, while data centers or sensitive areas might rely on security portals or mantrap portals.
By recommending a layered solution, integrators can help end users balance cost, convenience and risk. Each layer contributes to overall security without overburdening users with redundant credentials or unnecessary friction.
Data: The Missing Link
Modern access control systems can generate rich data when properly integrated with secure entrances. Instead of simply logging “door opened,” they can track more detailed event types such as tailgating rejections, biometric timeouts and passage completions. For system integrators, configuring systems to capture this data adds long-term value for clients, offering insights into user behavior, traffic patterns and potential vulnerabilities.
That data, in turn, can inform business decisions. For example, tracking peak throughput can help optimize staffing or redesign lobby layouts. Understanding where tailgating attempts occur can guide training or policy adjustments.
Fewer Callbacks, Better Outcomes
Good entrance design reduces troubleshooting. Misaligned sensors, poorly placed readers or architectural obstructions can lead to false alarms and repeated service calls. When the entrance, the access control system and the analytics platform are designed in concert, performance becomes predictable.
Integrators who prioritize design collaboration often find their systems easier to maintain and their clients more satisfied. More than simply installing readers and controllers, it’s about ensuring the entire physical environment supports the system’s intended purpose.
A Holistic Future for Access Control
The future of access control is both digital and physical. As AI-driven verification becomes standard, integrators, specifiers and facility managers will play an increasingly vital role in bridging those worlds.
By engaging in early design discussions, advocating for layered approaches and leveraging data to refine performance, system integrators can elevate their role from installer to strategic partner. In doing so, they’ll help shape a new era of access control, one where design, data and deterrence work together to create safer, more intelligent buildings.