Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini are now part of everyday business. According to a McKinsey survey, 71% of respondents use these tools in at least one business function. In your own organization, you can use GenAI to get more from your electronic key control system by optimizing documentation, training, and processes. Below are five example prompts to get you started.
Best Practices
To get the best results from GenAI, it’s important to be aware of a few guidelines:
- Always Check the Output — GenAI tools sometimes make mistakes, so review any written content or process recommendations to ensure they’re factual, clear, and practical.
- Avoid Sharing Sensitive Information — Don’t share confidential information, employee data, or other sensitive details. Instead, provide generalized descriptions or anonymized examples to keep your organization’s information secure.
- View It as a Tool — GenAI isn’t a replacement for your work responsibilities. It’s a tool to help you work more efficiently and accurately.
- Be Specific — To help the GenAI understand your request, write clear, detailed prompts. The prompts below are designed to help you create effective instructions, while allowing you to fill in the details specific to your organization.
As long as you follow these best practices, GenAI can help you save time, reduce errors, and support decision-making.
Prompts
Jump to any of the prompts below to explore how to improve your key management with GenAI:
Drafting Policies and Procedures
Use GenAI to create or refine your key control policies and procedures. Whether you’re starting from scratch or wanting to make sure your current policy covers all the bases, GenAI can help you save time, clarify ambiguous areas, and standardize processes.
Prompt
You’re a security policy consultant. Your job is to [create/review] our key control policy and procedures.
Context:
- We’re a [type of organization: e.g., apartment community, auto dealership, fleet operation].
- We manage keys for: [types of assets: e.g., vehicles, units, equipment, restricted rooms].
- Keys are used by: [roles: e.g., employees, vendors, maintenance, security].
Instructions:
- Include industry best practices for physical key control.
- Write clear, step-by-step procedures for checking out, using, and returning keys.
- Assume we use an electronic key control system that automatically records key transactions.
- Address accountability measures (logging use, tracking overdue keys, exceptions).
- Recommend consequences for not following procedures.
- Ensure the policy is practical, easy for employees to follow, and supports security and compliance.
- Include procedures for handling overdue keys and generating reports for audits.
Reference:
[Insert current documentation here, if available, for review and improvement. Remember to remove or anonymize any sensitive information.]
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Creating Quick Reference Materials
While detailed key control documentation is important, employees get bogged down with a lot of details. Quick reference materials like checklists or cheat sheets make procedures easier to remember and follow.
Prompt
Create a quick reference guide or checklist summarizing our key control policy and procedures.
Context:
- The guide is for [employees, vendors, security staff, etc.] who need a concise reminder of key control best practices.
- It should highlight the most important steps for checking out, using, and returning keys.
Instructions:
- Keep it short, clear, and easy to follow.
- Organize it as a checklist, cheat sheet, or step-by-step reference.
- Focus on practical guidance employees can quickly scan and remember.
Reference:
[Insert current documentation here, if available, for review and improvement. Remember to remove or anonymize any sensitive information.] |
Planning Training Activities
Creating engaging training helps employees remember to follow key control procedures and learn how to use your system. But coming up with these activities is time-consuming. With GenAI, you can speed up the planning process and plan activities that work best for your group of trainees.
Prompt
You’re a security consultant. Your job is to create fun, engaging activities to familiarize employees with our key control policy and system.
Context:
- We’re training [number] employees on key control best practices.
- They must learn how to: [training tasks: e.g., check out and return keys, select checkout reasons, run reports, review your user queue, use the mobile app].
- Our training will take [time allotted for training].
- (Optional) Our training budget is [amount].
- (Optional) Trainee demographics include: [applicable generations: e.g., Gen Z, millennials, boomers].
Instructions:
- Suggest enough training activities to fill the allotted time.
- Incorporate various formats to appeal to different learning styles.
- Include a mix of interactive exercises, demonstrations, group discussions, and quizzes to appeal to different learning styles.
- Include scenarios that mirror real-world key control situations.
- Highlight how using the system properly supports security, accountability, and compliance.
- (Optional) Tailor activities to engage the demographic groups listed.
- Provide a brief rationale for why each activity is effective.
Reference:
[Insert current key control documentation here. Remember to remove or anonymize any sensitive information.] |
Writing Email Communications
Whether you need to remind people to return keys on time, inform them of a policy change, or update them on new system features, GenAI can help you improve your email communications by:
- Suggesting key details that might be missing
- Clearing up any confusing instructions
- Adjusting the tone
- Fixing any typos or punctuation errors
Prompt
Help me edit this email to [employees, vendors, or staff] about our key control process.
Context:
- The email’s purpose is to [describe the email’s purpose, key details to include, and any action you want recipients to take].
- Our key control system is electronic and automatically logs key activity.
- Recipients may have varying levels of familiarity with the policy.
Instructions:
- Suggest any important details that might be missing.
- Clarify anything that could be confusing.
- Adjust the tone to be [friendly/professional/concise].
- Correct typos, grammar, and punctuation errors.
- Keep the email clear, actionable, and easy to follow.
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Brainstorming Process Improvements
Like any process, your key control procedures might encounter hiccups and bottlenecks. Maybe too many people need the same key at once. Or maybe you’re receiving too many system alerts. Whatever the issue, GenAI can help you brainstorm solutions you might not have considered.
Prompt
Help me brainstorm solutions for challenges in our key control procedures.
Context:
- Our key control system is [describe the system], and we manage keys for [types of assets].
- Users include: [employees, vendors, maintenance staff, security personnel, etc.].
- [Briefly describe the issue (e.g., multiple employees needing the same key, too many system alerts, lost keys, delayed check-ins)].
Instructions:
- Suggest several practical ways to prevent, reduce, or resolve the issue.
- Include workflow adjustments, system features, or policy tweaks where applicable.
- Ensure solutions are realistic and actionable.
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Next Steps
When you use GenAI tools the right way, they have the power to help you save time and break through roadblocks. Try one of these prompts today and enhance your key control in the areas you need it most, whether it’s documenting policies and procedures, building employee awareness, or creating an engaging training process. By following these tips, you’ll make your electronic key control system even more effective.