Define who needs each door
This scenario assumes a law office occupying part of a multi-tenant DC building. Its suite entrance, internal offices, records storage, and shared service areas have different owners and access needs. First establish which locks the tenant may change and which belong to the building’s managed system.
Build a simple access schedule listing doors against roles. A cleaner may need the kitchen and common corridor without access to records storage. A facilities contact may need service rooms without access to individual offices. Document those exceptions before asking for a convenient single-key arrangement.
Decide where a master key is inappropriate
A master-key hierarchy makes some access easier, but losing a key near the top can affect many openings. Consider keeping particularly sensitive rooms outside the general hierarchy. A restricted-duplication product can add control over authorized orders, subject to the actual product and supplier policy; it does not replace an issue register.
Check the existing cylinders and lock cases for compatibility. Some doors may need new cylinders while others need different hardware or building-owner approval. Record those distinctions in the quote so the office does not mistake a partial rekey for a complete system change.
Test permissions and assign a custodian
The handover checklist should include both permitted and prohibited access. Test a staff key against the rooms it should open and a sample it should not. Count issued keys, identify their authorized recipients, and store the system schedule where ordinary visitors cannot access it.
Assign someone to approve duplicates and handle departed staff or missing keys. Physical access arrangements support the firm’s information-handling policies, but a lock change cannot certify client confidentiality or regulatory compliance on its own.
See commercial master-key systems and the master-key planning guide before requesting a survey.
