Updated 7 October 2026
Choosing an access control system starts with a clear description of how your premises work. The useful first question is: who needs to enter each area, at what time, and who will manage those permissions?
For a UAE office, shop or warehouse, a written brief gives the supplier something specific to assess. It also gives your team a consistent basis for comparing proposals. Use the steps below before asking for a quotation or approving equipment.
1. List the doors and the people who use them
Start with the entrances you want to manage, rather than a preferred reader or brand. Separate the main entrance from staff-only areas, storage rooms and any spaces with restricted access. Note whether the project is a new installation, an extension or a replacement.
For each door, record who uses it, the busiest periods and the hours when access is needed. Include cleaners, contractors and staff working outside normal office hours. Describe any difficulty with the current arrangement, such as shared keys or uncertainty about who can change permissions.
Keep detailed layouts and security information for a private discussion with the appointed supplier. A public enquiry only needs a general description and contact details.
2. Agree who will manage access
Name the person or team responsible for adding users, approving access changes and removing access when someone leaves. Decide which requests need management approval and who provides cover when the usual administrator is away.
Ask the supplier to demonstrate these everyday tasks on the proposed system. Can your administrator give someone access to only the agreed doors and times? What information can each administrator view? Which records can be retrieved, and for how long? Have the answers written into the proposal instead of assuming every product behaves the same way.
3. Define the visitor process
Think through a visitor’s journey from arrival to departure. Who confirms the appointment? Who authorizes entry? Will visitors be accompanied, and which areas should remain restricted?
If temporary credentials are part of the proposal, ask how they are issued, how they expire and what happens if one is lost. Include delivery staff and recurring contractors in the discussion. A process that works for permanent employees may need a different arrangement for people visiting occasionally.
4. Compare options against your brief
Bonario’s access control service page describes card, RFID and biometric options. Discuss which options suit your users and premises, then request a demonstration of the proposed models.
Ask how enrolment works, what happens when someone cannot use the usual entry method, and how a lost credential is handled. For any proposal that collects personal information, ask what is collected, where it is held, who can access it and how deletion is managed. Agree the process with your internal decision makers before implementation.
The aim is a clear buying brief. A detailed RFID-versus-biometric comparison is a separate decision once your practical requirements are understood.
5. Check the existing equipment and project boundaries
List existing readers, locks and controllers where their details are available. Tell the supplier whether you also want to discuss CCTV, attendance recording or vehicle access. Treat any connection between systems as a requirement to verify for the specific equipment, rather than an included feature.
Ask which equipment can remain, which items need replacement and what building or IT coordination is required. Have the responsible specialists confirm door-release and emergency arrangements for the premises. Ask what happens during a power or network interruption, and how that behaviour will be demonstrated during acceptance.
6. Compare the whole proposal
Request a clear breakdown of equipment, installation, configuration and training. Identify any software licences, subscriptions, replacement credentials and support charges. Ask what is excluded and what would require a separate quotation.
If maintenance is offered, agree its scope, contact process, visit arrangements and parts coverage. Request written terms for any warranty or support commitment. This helps your team compare the actual work and responsibilities, rather than only the headline price.
7. Plan the handover before work starts
Agree who will receive administrator access, equipment details and operating instructions. Include a demonstration of the approved permissions and routine user-management tasks. Record outstanding items and the process for reporting a fault.
To start a discussion with Bonario, send an access-control enquiry with your premises type, Emirate, approximate number of doors and users, and whether the system is new or existing. These details provide a practical starting point for reviewing your requirements.
