Automating Access Control with Optix, Kisi, and Suite Genius

Time and time again we see that an integrated coworking technology ecosystem is the secret sauce to a successful business.

Mitchell Purdy, founder of the coworking network Suite Genius, couldn’t agree more. By perfecting his tech stack, Mitchell has proven just how pivotal technology can be in enhancing and elevating his community.

Here is how Mitchell elevates his brand, empowers his team, and engages his coworking community with an integrated technology ecosystem powered by Optix and Kisi.

“Initially what attracted us to Optix was that forward thinking approach. When we reviewed Optix, it was more along the path of where we are hoping to get to.”

Suite Genius coworking space - North Vancouver

A fresh start

Suite Genius is a coworking network with three locations in and around Vancouver, British Columbia. Known for their beautiful spaces and commitment to community, they’ve been a beloved addition to the local Vancouver coworking scene for over ten years.

When opening their third and newest location in North Vancouver in 2022, Mitchell saw an opportunity to rethink his tech stack. He identified a number of pain points his members and his team were experiencing, and decided to rebuild his tech stack from the ground up.

This involved two major upgrades.

The first was installing Kisi access control readers throughout his new Lonsdale location to help streamline access control and improve door access for his users. He had been researching Kisi for some time and was looking forward to leveraging the technology to automate access control.

The second major decision he made was to move away from his enterprise coworking software provider and switch to Optix. Over the years, Mitchell’s coworking management journey had taken him from manual, piece-meal solutions to an overly complex legacy platform. Now, he was looking to create a better experience for his members through maximizing automation and leveraging a mobile-first solution. All of this would be possible with Optix.

“We had grown outside of the software we were using, and we were becoming a bit rigid. We weren't doing all the things that we had hoped we were going to do.”

Discovering the power of Optix and Kisi

The Optix and Kisi integration is one of the most powerful native integrations in the coworking technology ecosystem today. Together, they have enabled Mitchell to put access control on autopilot, while elevating the coworking experience for his members and team.

Here are just a few ways that Mitchell is using Optix and Kisi to improve his members’ experience at his Lonsdale Suite Genius location.

“Right off the bat, we were happy with the integration. Kisi aligned with us, similar to how Optix did, in that they are forward thinking.”

Elevating the Suite Genius brand

Before introducing Optix to the Suite Genius community, members had two apps on their phone: the Kisi app to access doors and the app of their previous software provider to make bookings. The experience was clunky, and engagement on their software app was low.

Mitchell opted for an Optix White-labeled App to power the community, a fully customized mobile app tailored to fit the Suite Genius brand. Once introduced, members could use the app for everything, from booking a room to viewing an event to even accessing a door.

Using the tap to unlock feature, members can unlock any Kisi enabled door that they have access to by holding their mobile phone near the Kisi reader. With this enhancement members can enjoy the convenience of quick access, and having only one app on their phone – the beautifully branded Suite Genius app.

“If they're coming into Suite Genius, we want every aspect of their experience to be easy and ideally on their phone.”

Empowering the team

Access control management used to be handled by Mitchell and Mitchell alone. Not only did this create a heavier workload for him, it also restricted his community managers from being able to quickly and easily help members with their access control needs.

If a member needed to use a meeting room, Mitchell was the only one who could get them access in the backend.

Now, his members’ access is automated through the Optix admin dashboard and custom Kisi access groups. Access control groups are assigned based on membership plans, and can be quickly and easily modified by any Optix admin – not just Mitchell.

This flexibility enables community managers to manage door access for members whenever the need arises. It’s been hugely beneficial in not only freeing up Mitchell’s time, but also in empowering the Suite Genius management team to better serve their community.

“Community managers can get into the Optix app, they can do all of their stuff there, and we're finding now that we're a few months in, they're doing it more efficiently.”

Expanding their business model

At their buzzing Lonsdale location, Mitchell’s allocated the first floor of the building to hot desking and open seating areas. This area is open to the public during regular business hours and is monitored by a community manager during the day.

The second floor is made up primarily of private offices and other exclusive access meeting rooms. It is unmonitored and locked 24/7, with access restricted to certain members.

With Optix and Kisi, the Suite Genius team has automated access to this restricted floor keeping this space private for the members who have invested in private office space, and reducing any risk of unwanted visitors.

The increased safety and privacy of their Kisi locked floor ensures that they’re able to offer their members exactly what they need at the right price point. It also allows for a more premium offering and a compelling selling point for those who are interested in a private work space.

“Using Kisi has been pretty flawless. When you can start from scratch in a building where you have control of everything, it’s a no brainer.”

Customizing the experience

For over ten years, Mitchell has been deeply committed to his members. In turn, many of those members have been committed to the Suite Genius community, with tenures of almost a decade.

These champions deserve a little something special. One of the ways in which Mitchell honors their loyalty is through granting access to certain areas of the space if and when they need.

If a loyal member needs a few extra hours of meeting room time that month or wants to pop up to the second floor for the day, Mitchell can leverage access control as a token of appreciation.

It’s simple and low cost, but is also a simple way to build an engaged member base that feels supported and appreciated in the space.

“With Optix, we can continue to focus on things like our community, focus more on those events and focus more on connecting the members together - and not just being bogged down by software.”

What’s next for Suite Genius?

Lonsdale is the first Suite Genius location to leverage the Optix and Kisi integration. Now, Mitchell is looking to upgrade his other locations so they can benefit from the integration, too.

That could also unlock the ability for Suite Genius members to be able to move from one location to another, creating an ecosystem of coworking spaces throughout the entire Vancouver area.

Until then, the team is enjoying all that Optix and Kisi have to offer at their Lonsdale location. We’re excited to continue sharing the story of Suite Genius, their incredible community, and all that they have been able to achieve with Optix.

We couldn’t be more thankful for the incredible partnership we’ve built, both with Kisi and the Suite Genius team. Special thanks to Mitchell Purdy and the Kisi team in helping us write this story!