Evolution of the locksmith trade: from the conventional lock to the digital lock
Locksmith and his traditional role
When you are locked out of your home, you would generally look for a locksmith because it is never easy for an untrained person to open the lock. Even a newly trained locksmith may take longer to open a lock than an experienced locksmith. Both experience and skill are important when it comes to picking locks.
In the past, locksmiths not only open locks, they also repair locks and duplicate keys. However, key duplication is frequently done in neighborhood stores today and lock repair is often not financially viable because it is inexpensive to replace a lock. As such, the locksmith’s task has come down to picking the lock in recent years.
Lately, more people are ditching their mechanical locks and replacing them with digital locks. Why are more people replacing their locks with digital locks? What is the replacement rate for such locks? Would this have an effect on locksmiths for years to come? Could you continue your trade?
From conventional lock to digital lock: locksmith to fit or retreat
With the introduction of a digital lock and its popularity, the locksmith has to learn a new set of skills (i.e. opening a digital lock for the home and office, as well as the safe).
As for the high adoption rate of a digital lock, a locksmith service is likely to shift towards opening such locks in the coming years. In the article “Growing Adoption of Biometric Systems in Enterprises” dated May 23, 2017 provided by Transparency Market Research, there is strong adoption of a digital door lock system across all end-user industries, including residential sectors, industrial, government and trade with Asia- The Pacific market is expected to lead in terms of growth rate. The research estimated that the global market for digital door locks was valued at $ 1,161.7 million in 2016 and would continue to grow at a tremendous rate.
In Asia and around the world, we see more and more households installing digital locks due to their convenience and ease of use. Locksmiths who refuse to evolve with the digital age and acquire the new ability to open such electronic locks may be forced to retire in the next 10 to 20 years. It is a choice that must be made, that is, adapt or perish in this changing world where digital adoption is accelerating at such a tremendous rate.