When organizations evaluate moving from legacy proximity cards to modern encrypted credentials, most would think that the conversation often centers on technical capabilities: encryption strength, credential cloning risks, and mobile wallet integration. But in my experience working with customers at PDQ, the technical merits of a new system are rarely the deciding factor.
The real barrier to upgrading access control systems isn't technology—it's project management.
On paper, the case for upgrading seems straightforward. Modern credential technology offers dramatically better security than 125 kHz proximity cards. The technology exists, works reliably, and is proven in thousands of installations. So why do so many organizations continue using systems they know are vulnerable?
Because moving to something more secure introduces variables that go far beyond the technology itself. Each of those variables represents a decision point, a coordination challenge, a potential cost, and a risk that something won't work as planned.
Let's start with the human element. Modern access control systems require a different level of technical expertise to manage and maintain. These are increasingly software-defined products with configuration options, integration requirements, and management interfaces that demand real technical understanding.
This means organizations need to either:
For a small facility with straightforward access control needs, this might be manageable. But for large organizations with multiple buildings, hundreds of doors, and thousands of users, the personnel requirements alone can be significant.
The project management complexity scales exponentially with the size of the organization. Consider what's involved in a large-scale upgrade:
Hardware Deployment
Credential Migration
System Integration
Operational Continuity
Each of these categories represents dozens of decisions and hundreds of tasks. For a multi-building campus, we're talking about a project that could span months or years and touch nearly every department in the organization.
When organizations evaluate upgrade costs, they often focus on the obvious line items: new hardware, new credentials, and installation labor. But the true cost picture is more complex.
Direct Costs
Indirect Costs
Hidden Costs
The financial calculation becomes: "Is the security improvement worth not just the technology cost, but the total project cost, including all the complexity and risk?"
This explains why proximity cards have remained so prevalent despite their well-documented security vulnerabilities. Yes, they're terrible for security. But they offer something that's valuable in its own way: simplicity.
Prox is essentially interoperable across all hardware by virtue of being an old, widely-adopted standard. The technology is well-understood, troubleshooting is straightforward, and finding qualified installers is easy. Until there's an alternative that delivers better security while maintaining similar levels of simplicity, interoperability, and affordability, the inertia is enormous.
As I often tell customers: it's extremely hard to convince someone to tear out something that's "working fine today," even if we all know it's a security vulnerability waiting to be exploited.
This is why hardware manufacturers can't sell on technology alone. We need to address the complete picture:
Cost: Be transparent about total cost of ownership, not just equipment prices
Reliability: Demonstrate proven performance in real-world deployments
Standards Compliance: Show commitment to interoperability to avoid future lock-in
Features: Deliver tangible benefits beyond just "better security"
User Experience: Make the system intuitive for both administrators and end users
Support: Provide long-term commitment to the platform and clear upgrade paths
Project Support: Help customers plan and execute the transition successfully
Decision makers need to weigh all of these factors against the complexity and cost of the upgrade project. If we can't make a compelling case across all dimensions, the project won't move forward regardless of how good the technology is.
So how do we as an industry make these upgrades more achievable? A few approaches are helping:
Phased Migration Strategies: Rather than requiring complete system replacement, support universal readers and credentials that allow gradual migration while maintaining legacy support during transition.
Better Tools: Provide better project planning resources, deployment tools, and management interfaces that reduce the technical burden.
Standards-Based Approaches: By building to universal standards, we reduce integration complexity and give customers confidence they won't be locked into proprietary ecosystems.
Realistic Expectations: Be honest about what's involved in an upgrade and help customers plan appropriately rather than oversimplifying the process.
Integration Support: Work closely with systems integrators and end users during deployment rather than just delivering hardware and walking away.
Technology upgrades in the access control industry aren't just technical decisions—they're organizational change management projects. The technology is often the easiest part.
As a manufacturer, I've learned that success requires understanding the complete picture of what customers face when they consider upgrading. It's not enough to build better locks and readers. We need to think about how those products fit into larger systems, how they'll be deployed in the real world, and how we can reduce the project management burden rather than adding to it.
For facility managers and security directors considering upgrades, my advice is to plan for complexity. Budget not just for the technology, but for the project management expertise and time required to do it right. Demand support from your vendors—not just technical support for the products, but deployment support for the project.
The security benefits of modern access control systems are real and significant. But realizing those benefits requires successfully navigating the project management challenges that come with any major technology upgrade. By acknowledging that complexity and planning for it explicitly, organizations can make better decisions about when, how, and whether to upgrade their access control infrastructure.
Read the complete series:
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