For many facilities directors, locks and hardware are often treated as minor line items in a much larger facilities budget. Yet overlooking them can be a costly mistake. These systems are the first line of defense for employees, customers, and assets. Poorly managed lock programs not only raise costs but also increase risk, slow operations, and create vulnerabilities that extend far beyond the store.
The Rising Cost of Reactive Service
The retail and restaurant industries already face mounting expenses. Direct store operating costs have risen 12.7 percent in just two years, with repairs and maintenance climbing 17.3 percent in the same timeframe. While HVAC and refrigeration often take center stage, locks and hardware failures quietly add to this burden.
Consider the impact of a door that will not secure properly. Each emergency service call often requires a truck roll, a technician dispatch, and expedited parts. These reactive calls cost far more than scheduled or preventive service. Industry data shows that the hourly labor rate only makes up 30 to 40 percent of total cost. The real expense is tied to total cost of ownership factors like repeat repairs, average time on site, and delays in securing the location.
Without a programmatic approach, reactive lock repairs pile up. One Vixxo analysis showed that proactive triage avoided 35 unnecessary truck rolls in a single year, saving nearly $9,000 before labor and parts were even considered. For multi-site operators, these savings scale quickly.
Security, Accountability, and Risk
The financial side is only part of the story. Facilities leaders must also contend with risk management and security compliance. Each unsecured door, lost key, or broken lock creates exposure that can damage the brand in ways far more expensive than the repair invoice.
Unauthorized key duplication is a common problem across distributed portfolios. A single missing key in a store can force a complete rekeying of the location, costing thousands of dollars and creating operational disruption. Master key systems or interchangeable core programs offer better control, tracking, and security. With these systems, directors know who has access and can change cores or revoke access quickly without replacing every lock.
The reputational cost of inadequate security is harder to measure but just as significant. Customers expect safe environments. Employees expect protection during early morning and late-night shifts. A breach caused by poor lock management undermines trust, which no loyalty program or marketing campaign can easily restore.
Why Locks and Hardware Are Often Neglected
Despite their importance, locks and hardware programs frequently lag behind other facilities initiatives. Common reasons include:
- Perception of low priority. Directors often focus on visible assets like refrigeration or lighting, leaving locks in the background until a problem arises.
- Fragmented vendor networks. Many portfolios use a patchwork of local locksmiths, creating inconsistent pricing, slow response times, and little accountability.
- Lack of data. Without performance analytics, leaders cannot track total spend, repeat repairs, or the efficiency of vendors.
The result is overspend, inconsistency, and elevated risk.
Building a Data-Driven Lock Program
The path forward requires the same discipline applied to other major trades. A best-in-class locks and hardware program includes:
- Centralized triage. Every service request is reviewed before dispatch. This avoids unnecessary truck rolls and ensures issues are accurately diagnosed. Vixxo’s in-house locks and hardware experts, with more than 50 years of combined experience, have shown that triage alone can eliminate thousands in waste each year.
- Data-driven provider management. Performance should be tracked with metrics like IVR compliance, tech time to site, first-time fix rates, and average days to complete. These analytics reveal where vendors succeed and where hidden costs accumulate.
- Modern access systems. Conversions to solutions like InstaKey or master key systems reduce the risk of unauthorized duplication and simplify management across multi-site portfolios. Interchangeable cores, for example, allow directors to change out locks in minutes rather than days.
- Total cost of ownership focus. Hourly labor rates matter, but they are only part of the picture. Directors should measure vendors on repeat repairs, time on site, and completion timelines, which together account for the majority of cost.
The Strategic Payoff
Locks and hardware may not drive revenue like coffee programs or prepared food, but they protect the foundation of the business. They secure assets, safeguard employees, and ensure customers trust the environment they enter. Directors who elevate locks from a line item to a strategic priority achieve three outcomes:
- Lower costs. Proactive triage, vendor accountability, and PM programs cut waste and stabilize budgets.
- Reduced risk. Master key systems and modern access solutions provide accountability and minimize exposure.
- Improved efficiency. Faster turnaround times reduce downtime and allow staff to focus on customers rather than facilities issues.
Why Facilities Leaders Should Act Now
With costs rising across every category, from repairs to utilities to labor, ignoring locks and hardware only compounds the problem. Facilities directors who build structured, data-driven lock programs protect more than the P&L. They protect the people, assets, and trust that define the brand.
In an industry where margins are under constant pressure, locks and hardware may be the hidden lever that delivers both savings and security. Directors who seize that opportunity will not only cut costs but also strengthen their organization’s ability to scale safely and consistently.
