Managing visitors is an essential aspect of maintaining an orderly and secure workplace. Paper log and manual approvals of visitors can cause delays, incomplete documentation and even security problems. A modern visitor management system digitizes the whole process from registering the visitors until the time of their departure.
What Is a Visitor Management System?
A visitor management system is a computer software that facilitates the registration, verification, authorization, tracking and management of visitors to a workplace or facility. Visitors may be pre-registered by the organization or conduct digital check-in through kiosk, tablets, QR codes and any other form of digital check-in that is available.
The software collects data such as name of the visitor, purpose of visit, host employee, dates and time of arrival and departure. The software can have additional features of badge issuance, notification, workflow approval and reporting.
1. Increases Visitor Security
The main benefits of using visitor management software include better management of who comes into the building.
As opposed to keeping an entry log, you create a procedure that looks like this:
Visitor comes → Registers → Verification → Host permission → Enter → Exit
Thus, you create better visibility in what visitors do and help your security team determine who was allowed to enter the building. Also, some tools can connect with access control equipment and allow access on certain conditions.
2. Tracks Visitors in Real Time
It is especially important during emergencies to know who entered the building.
A digital solution maintains the list of visitors who have checked in and haven’t checked out. The security officers and authorized personnel can see what people are in the building at a given time and will be able to evacuate them safely.
3. Digitizes the Visitor Register
Using paper-based visitor logs involves hand writing and maintaining it.
It may be hard to find necessary data, the information can be illegible, and the process of looking through it takes time. Digital logging solves these problems and decreases repetitive work for the receptionist and security teams.
4. Facilitates Faster Check-In
Queues at reception can produce a bad impression among customers, candidates, vendors, business partners, etc.
Pre-registration, check-in via QR, self-check-in kiosks or tablets would allow providing necessary data to the visitors and sending the hosts’ notifications automatically without the need for receptionists to make a lot of calls and search for employees.
5. Facilitates Sending Automatic Host Notifications
Visitor management system would be able to inform the right employee of his/her guest’s arrival.
E.g.:
A client arrives to the reception.
A visitor completes registration.
The system finds out who is the host.
The host gets a notification.
The visitor waits for approval/collection.
The visit is logged digitally.
That eliminates communication delays and makes possible focusing on other tasks.
6. Provides Additional Options to Control Access
The use of a visitor management solution together with the access control system would give a company additional options to manage access in a better way.
Thus, a visitor could get a badge or other form of access credential which is limited according to company policy. Also, visitor management systems could be integrated with various security technologies such as identity verification, surveillance and access control system infrastructure.
7. Enhances Management of Contractors and Vendors
Not all visitors in a workplace are just customers and guests. Other types of visitors may need entry such as contractors, vendors, delivery persons, consultants, auditors and service providers.
A visitor management system is able to develop workflows depending on the type of visitors. It can allow companies to collect appropriate information from each category, seek approval, issue appropriate passes, and maintain proper records for their entry.
If the facility has many contractors coming and going, then it can bring more accountability than just using a visitor sign-in sheet.
8. Provides Digital Records
The digital records of the visitors can help in maintaining a proper record of each visit including the date of entry and exit from the premises.
The digital records can help in:
- Security audits
- Internal audits
- Preparation for emergencies
- Compliance audits
- Investigating incidents
- Visitor reporting
- Analyzing management data
The digital audit can also help in retrieving information easily whenever necessary.
9. Minimizes Admin Tasks
A great deal of time is spent by the reception and security staff in manual management of the visitor registration process.
Automation will help minimize such activities like:
- Writing down visitor details
- Contacting employees regarding visitor arrival
- Compilation of visitor information
- Using paper-based registration
- Searching for historical data
- Creating manual reports
This will help the staff focus on security, reception, customer service, and other job-related activities in the workplace.
10. Enhances Visitor Experience
Security need not complicate the visitor experience.
An effectively designed system will facilitate arrival through pre-registration, digital instruction, automation, and speedy check-in. The result will be an orderly visitation experience for the client, candidate, vendor, or any other visitor.
The professional reception of visitors can also play a part in shaping the impression visitors get of an organization.
11. Assists Organizations with Multi-Site Management
An organization can have a number of offices, campuses, plants, or facilities.
A unified visitor management solution can assist in the standardization of the visiting process at all sites while giving administrators access to the activity of others depending on their authorization.
Key Benefits at a Glance
| Area | Traditional Process | Visitor Management System |
| Registration | Paper-based | Digital |
| Visitor tracking | Manual | Real-time records |
| Host notification | Phone/email/manual | Automated |
| Access approval | Manual | Configurable workflow |
| Visitor records | Difficult to search | Searchable digital records |
| Check-in | Often time-consuming | Faster digital process |
| Reporting | Manual | Automated reports |
| Emergency visibility | Limited | Current visitor information |
| Contractor management | Manual | Structured workflows |
| Multi-location management | Difficult | Centralized management |
Conclusion
It can be seen that a visitor management system is not just a technological substitute for a traditional receptionist’s logbook. It should link all steps of visitor registration, validation, approval, access control, notifications, monitoring, and reporting within one process structure.
If an organization seeks to enhance the level of workplace safety and decrease administrative burden, a visitor management software system can help to do this. Nevertheless, any technological solution works effectively in combination with good policies and procedures in respect to visitors.
