Locks and Security News: your weekly locks and security industry newsletter
3rd June 2026 Issue no. 804
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Retrofitting - the solution to modern-day access management
Joni Lampinen, CRO of ILOQ, talks about the opportunities of retrofitted access modernisation to save on costs by minimising structural work and operational impact.
For years, building modernisation was closely associated with new construction projects, where smart systems and digital infrastructure could be installed from the ground up. With the slow-down for newbuilds in many markets over the past few years, that focus has largely shifted to renovating the existing building stock.
Because of this shift, facility managers today are increasingly focused on improving the performance of existing buildings. Across residential, commercial, and public-sector estates, organisations are looking for practical ways to modernise properties without major disruption or spiraling costs.
This shift is changing the conversation around access management. Rather than installing entire new systems, facility teams are increasingly adopting retrofit access modernisation, upgrading existing mechanical locks with digital capabilities while minimising structural work and operational impact.
The growing operational challenge of mechanical keys
Mechanical locks remain the number one choice across a wide range of properties and infrastructure environments. While reliable in many respects, physical key management can become increasingly difficult as estates grow larger, occupancy patterns become more fluid, and operational demands increase.
Lost or unreturned keys remain a consistent issue for facilities teams. In some cases, a single missing master key can trigger expensive and time-consuming rekeying programs. Managing contractor access, temporary workers, external service providers, and high-turnover occupancy environments often adds further administrative complexity.
Digital access systems give facility managers much more flexibility. Access rights can be updated remotely, restricted to certain locations, or limited to specific time periods without requiring physical key exchanges. This improves operational efficiency and security oversight while reducing the burden of manual access management.
For facility managers responsible for large or geographically dispersed estates, reducing maintenance requirements also create significant operational savings over time, meaning the overall cost of ownership is lower than with mechanical keys. This becomes especially valuable in multi-property renovations, where operational costs for access systems are high.
Modernisation without disruption
One of the most significant advantages of retrofit access modernisation is the opportunity to modernise with minimal additional work required.
Many face constraints that make extensive renovation work impractical. Timelines are tight, budgets are limited and disruption must be kept to a minimum. Residential buildings cannot easily tolerate prolonged disruption, heritage properties may restrict structural alterations, and commercial sites often need to remain operational throughout upgrade programs.
Retrofit approaches allow organisations to improve access control while preserving much of the existing infrastructure and avoiding unnecessary operational disruption. This flexibility is becoming increasingly important as organisations seek to modernise aging assets while continuing to support day-to-day operations.
Sustainability through extending existing infrastructure
Sustainability is also becoming a larger part of facility management strategies, particularly through extending the lifespan of existing assets and reducing unnecessary waste.
Upgrading infrastructure rather than replacing it entirely can reduce material waste, construction activity, maintenance travel, and servicing requirements. For many construction players, sustainability goals and regulatory reporting requirements are increasingly aligned with operational efficiency goals.
Existing buildings are now the priority
The conversation around smart buildings often focuses on new developments. In reality, the greatest modernisation challenge lies within the buildings and infrastructure that already exist.
Most organisations are working within aging estates, constrained budgets, occupied properties, and increasingly complex operational requirements. Retrofit access modernisation offers operators and property owners a practical way to improve security, simplify access management, reduce operational overhead, and support long-term sustainability goals without major disruption.
The future of access management will be shaped not only by the next generation of buildings but also by how effectively existing buildings can be adapted to meet new demands.
3rd June 2026