A health organization makes real estate decisions based on occupancy data with Kisi

Doctors of British Columbia (Doctors of BC) is a health organization that represents 16,000 physicians and medical professionals. Their goal is to promote a social, economic, and political climate in which members can provide British Columbians with the highest standard of health care while achieving maximum professional satisfaction and fair economic reward.

Their Vancouver headquarters occupies part of a larger building they own. Doctors of BC lease parts of the building space that remained empty due to their decision to remain remote even after the pandemic.

Having many people coming in for different purposes and leasing more and more space to tenants, Brandon Babcock, Building and Infrastructure Manager at Doctors of BC started researching cloud-based access control solutions to replace his previous on-premise Lenel system.

The drawbacks of a legacy access control system

Doctors of BC needed to replace the previously installed on-premise access system due to the many downsides hindering the operation of the building and strategic planning. The main drawbacks were:

• Cumbersome interface: The hard-to-learn interface meant a frustrating experience for both admins and users. Essential functions like programming a card, unlocking and locking a door, and setting door schedules were way too complicated. The complexity of the platform, where performing the simplest operations took significant time, required Brandon to spend extra time training new staff members, distracting him from focusing on his core strategic goals.
• Outdated software: The legacy access control system Doctors of BC used operated on Windows 2012, resulting in cumbersome processes and low performance. Updating the outdated system was not an option since on-premise solutions don’t offer any over-the-air updates like cloud-based solutions do.
• Hard to remotely manage: On-premise access systems require someone to VPN to a local machine or be on-site to manage access. Brandon, as the building manager, needed to access the system frequently outside of regular working hours to ensure staff and physicians had access when needed. He wanted to remotely utilize basic access functionalities, like checking and changing access rights and enabling users or visitors to access specific doors.
• Little flexibility: Managing the different user groups and meeting space with the on-premise access solution was more complex. The expanding meeting space for community and board meetings needed flexible access. Getting relevant data to further optimize space utilization was challenging.

The advantages of migrating access to Kisi

Once the decision was made, migrating to Kisi was a smooth and swift process. The vendors were very quick and responsive. The tailored Kisi deployment options allowed the Lenel system to operate in the background for some specific, not security-related functionality like printing. Some Doctors of BC users, for instance, use Lenel ID cards as an authorization to release their print jobs.

Migrating to Kisi, the Doctors of BC enjoy:

• Simple user interface and an access mobile app that is easy and engaging for users and quick to learn for new administrators.
• Remote management for administrators.
• Integrations with other software Doctors of BC already use, like cameras and identity providers.
• Data insights on space utilization.

Let’s dive into the specifics.

User-friendly interface

“Kisi stood out when it came to the user experience," says Brandon. Both users and admins find it easy and engaging. People like to open the app, and when it comes to security, the simpler, the better.

The intuitive admin dashboard makes managing different user groups like vendors, visitors, and tenants and assigning specific access rights a simple process. Admins can easily set suitable access privileges to all Kisi-secured spaces, like meeting rooms, garages, and elevators.

Remote management

“As a person managing the property and the building, being able to access doors and use them anywhere is phenomenal.” The possibility to remotely provision access to the CEO within seconds while traveling has been a game changer. With the legacy system, Brandon needed to take out his laptop, load the software, enter various complex passwords, and wait at least five minutes for the VPN to connect correctly - all while an executive was waiting in front of the door.

Simply checking individual access settings from the phone is awesome and comes in very handy. Brandon can simply open the Kisi mobile app and change access for a specific user. By sending access links from the Kisi app, he allows visitors to unlock the parking garage or front entry and some meeting rooms without signing up for a Kisi account or downloading the mobile apps.

Integrations

The migration to Kisi was even easier, thanks to the SCIM integration. Brandon didn’t have to spend hours adding users to the new system but could automatically provision access to all Doctors of BC employees. Onboarding and offboarding users is a smoother and more secure process when connecting Kisi with SCIM.

Kisi also integrates with Doctors of BC’s camera system, streamlining operations and enhancing the security of their spaces.

Data insights and space utilization analytics

The potential for true, accurate reporting of occupancy data with Kisi is critical to Brandon to make data-based decisions on potential space monetization opportunities. Even though Doctors of BC have a desk booking system in place, they couldn’t completely enforce its use, meaning tracking the used space was challenging.

Now, users have no choice but to use Kisi to gain access to the building and unlock specific doors. Kisi’s data is the most accurate source a building manager could have. With Kisi, admins get reports on the exact number of visitors and can further break that down by group. This data helps Brandon understand which floor or amenity is being used most to make data-supported real estate decisions moving forward.

Limitless future possibilities with Kisi

Given the various ways Kisi streamlines operations for Doctors of BC, scaling is the natural next step. Here are some of the considerations:

• Integrating meeting room and desk booking system with Zoom.
• Implementing a visitor system where visitors can self-service getting a visitor badge when they arrive on site. This badge would give them access to the sites they need access to for the day.
• Printer integration with Papercut.
• Upgrading the elevator access so separate floors need different access privileges. This will come in handy for leasing out specific floors.