Mix but don't shake, or Integrated ACS and financial settlements.
In recent years, the automation systems market has increasingly seen solutions related to the use of access control systems (ACS) not only in the security sector, but also in other areas of the economy. They talk about integrated solutions, specialized applications, new opportunities. This is due to the fact that the security market has become a little narrow for the potential capabilities of these systems. The rapid development of the element base of electronic systems, various types of identifiers, and data transmission methods has led to the emergence of new options for using typical ACS. The first thing that happened was integration with other security subsystems. This direction is clear. The goal is to increase the information content of complex security systems, reduce the influence of the human factor and ultimately increase their efficiency. Another direction is the so-called payment and access control systems. This is also a kind of integration, only the integration of ACS with enterprise automation systems. There are many such systems. Among the manufacturers, there are both experienced leaders and newcomers who offer the market both unique solutions and a number of typical competing technologies for the same areas and purposes. Let's consider the issues of such integration. Thus, the creation of such systems is necessary where there is a requirement to solve two problems at the same time: organizing controlled passage and providing paid services. These are businesses related to the organization of paid parking, the entertainment industry, hotel complexes, etc. The main goal is to obtain operational data for financial calculations and improve convenience for clients and service personnel.
Many companies claim that they have integrated the ACS and the payment system. In practice, this comes down to two approaches: the first is the use of identifiers that allow storing information (smart cards), and the second is the organization of interaction with payment terminals (cash registers, etc.). The first approach is used mainly in places where the customer wants to fully automate the process, most often these are automatic parking complexes. The second is used in almost all other cases. In both cases, the user of the system receives full financial control and the formation of reports used in accounting.
Automated parking is a modern system that allows solving the problems of organizing parking with entry/exit control using relatively simple means. Radio frequency rewritable tokens and cards in the Mifare standard are used as identifiers in such systems. For one-time visitors, identifiers made in the form of plastic tokens can be used. The system does not have information exchange between individual terminals; all necessary information is “transferred” using rewritable media (tokens and cards). The absence of computers as such significantly simplifies the installation and operation of the system, and does not require highly qualified personnel. The number of entries, exits, payment points, subscription and debit cards, as well as the number of parking spaces within this system is not limited.
Specialized payment and access control systems using automatic entry control technologies and cashless payments using a plastic card (key fob, bracelet) are used at ski resorts, sports centers, gaming complexes, etc. The main goal is to create a unified system for managing the entire range of services provided, timely receipt of information about business processes, ensuring full control of cash flows and increasing comfort for visitors. Visitors have access to many different options, and a single plastic card is required to pay for all services. In essence, the solution is a distributed ACS with an access control system for each card, only instead of managing the access point, the ability to receive a particular set of services is managed.
Our own experience and the experience of our colleagues in the industry, acquired during the implementation of ACS at various enterprises, has shown that the problem of organizing a payment and access control system can almost always be solved in the second way.
For example, the organization of services in the enterprise canteen — lunches, etc. can be easily solved with the help of a specialized software module and a reader installed directly near the cash register. In this case, the visitor, having applied his identification card to the reader, receives (or does not receive) lunch or dishes at the distribution. In this case, the data is automatically transferred to the accounting program, which writes off the corresponding amount of money from the visitor's account or simply calculates the number of services provided to summarize the results at the end of the month. In principle, in this case, the cash register can be completely omitted, and all settlements can be made in non-cash form.
Another object is an automatic petrol station. To solve the problems of departmental petrol stations in the standard projects «Accounting and dispensing of fuel at a motor transport enterprise», the MasterPOS Wizard™ cash system is used. However, its operation requires a certain solution for user identification, as well as maintaining some accounting of events. It is for solving these problems that the ACS tools are used. In essence, the integration of the ACS into the cash register management system for petrol stations has been implemented. The solution allows increasing the speed of service provision (receiving the required amount of fuel) and eliminating the need to use cash.
Another example: specialized software is used to organize and automate the work of an ice rink. It allows you to maintain a database of clients, employees, sell various services, access control, control the schedules of group classes, individual training, maintain deposit accounts for clients and pay for services from a deposit account, receive reports on sales statistics, attendance, class ratings, trainer ratings, and keep an event log. The integration of this software and the ACS significantly simplifies the solution of a number of problems of monitoring and delimiting access of visitors to the changing room areas, rink, rental and skate sharpening point, accelerates the registration of rink visitors and control over them in various areas of the facility. In addition, the use of the system allows you to avoid the need to accept cash at several points, as well as promptly receive final financial reports on sales and attendance.
And the last example: organization of paid parking in a hotel complex. Since the hotel parking lot was rarely completely filled with cars of the complex's guests, the task was set to organize paid parking for cars of clients who were not guests of the hotel. The created parking payment and access control system allows organizing a paid access mode to a closed area. At the same time, interaction directly with the payment terminal (cash register), accounting of money, issuance of passes, accounting of parking time is carried out using the 1C software package, and the ACS controllers provide direct control of actuators (barriers, traffic lights, locks, etc.). The system allows accounting and control of lists of car owners, payments, passages, etc. The system can work with privileged categories of users, such as, for example, guests and hotel staff. All events are recorded in the database.
If you look at these examples, the last one, in my opinion, is the most interesting. Today, the 1C software package is used to automate a large number of different enterprises. It effectively solves the issues of accounting for cash and financial control, creating specialized reports and interfaces for various services. No other ACS software package has such a variety. The question is: is it necessary? Creating a payment and access control system comes down to developing a specialized software shell that works with ACS controllers. This means that the most effective method of implementing ACS at various enterprises is to use specialized software packages from various manufacturers. The leader among such software tools is, of course, the 1C software package. For example, we did not reinvent the wheel, we found colleagues who are specialists in various fields of automation, and based on their developments, our partner installers were able to create payment and access control systems. In my opinion, the use of certain programs for automation is a completely subjective decision of the customer and the use of standard, proven automation software tools is more preferable.
On the other hand, the operation of ACS controllers under the control of the 1C software shell has a number of other additional advantages, such as the organization of various access modes for enterprise employees (local business trips, sick leaves, etc.), control of the movement of vehicles and material resources, etc. This allows for a more efficient organization of the work of the security service at the enterprise.
Today, there is a parallel development of ACS and automation systems (payment systems, financial control, etc.). Despite the fact that these systems can be used independently, their integration allows solving more complex problems — creating payment and access control systems. Each subsystem can be installed and function at the enterprise completely independently, solving the problem of increasing the efficiency and security of the enterprise. However, the use of ACS as an element of enterprise automation allows for increasing the efficiency of both subsystems while maintaining all their advantages, including those related to security.