A visitor management system is more than about managing visitors. It is about being in control of people’s access to your office and property. At the same time, it is about making stakeholders such as your staff accountable for their guests and visitors.
A visitor management software allows you to offer a smooth entry to your guests while automatically preventing suspicious people from trying to enter the premises. It should provide you handy information about who is inside the premises and who is hosting whom. Areas in the office premises marked as “sensitive” or “restricted zone” should be made inaccessible to unauthorized visitors without the need for manual screening of visitor credentials.
In this blog we discuss the top five reasons why businesses, especially those in India, need to switch from manual and semi-automated visitor operations to a cloud and mobile digital visitor management software.
1. Enhanced Security
A digital visitor management system must be an integral part of your physical security and operations system. It helps an organisation achieve its security goals and fast-track facility operations.
Gates and reception lobbies are the main entry points to any business premise. These are the first line of defense in securing an office building. Entry points to a building are where a visitor should be authenticated and his details captured digitally. A digital visitor management software ensures a high level of security as compared to visitor log books or on-premise systems.
Once a visitor’s data is recorded and stored, a visitor management system allows you to trace them via digital records. Such practices can keep a check on ill-intentioned people exploiting the loopholes in manual processes.
A digital visitor management software helps organizations achieve major security goals. It can:
- Authenticate a visitor and his or her credentials on the spot through a visitor app
- Capture accurate visitor details and store it for future use and references
- Auto-capture visitor sign out that is normally ignored with a visitor register
- Rule out any misuse or manipulation of visitor data
- Eliminate the misuse of unreturned badges that may contain visitor details
- Automatically block the entry of unauthorized visitors in restricted areas of the premises
- Bar mischievous people from making an entry
- Raise alarms to stop someone who has made an entry from exiting or sent mass emergency broadcasts
2. Operational ease
Authenticating a visitor by capturing his or her picture and mobile number in a visitor app takes just a few seconds. This process is way quicker than using a paper register or entering the visitor’s information in a system.
Yet, a digital visitor management system is much more than a digital visitor guest book. All visitor-related details are then stored in the cloud for real-time viewing. Visitor history and statistics can be further viewed and used for decision making.
A digital visitor management software makes tasks easier for the security staff and receptionists. All they have to ensure is that a visitor is allowed to enter the gates only after he or she is authenticated and data is captured.
A visitor self kiosk is part of an automated check in system. Visitor self kiosk sign in makes the entry process of visitors independent, quick, and hassle free.
A digital visitor management software eliminates operational hiccups and fast-tracks the processes. It can:
- Recognize all categories of people and visitors be it new guests, staff, vendors, or daily wage laborers
- Create instant QR code-based self-generating visitor pass - this completely eliminates the use of paper badges and visitor register books
- Recognize all types of access cards, since it can be easily integrated with access control
- Capture time log and attendance of people via automated check-in system
- Act as an automated check in system for regular visitors and allow them entry without making them go through repeat formalities
- Allow hosts to pre-approve a new visitor for his or her seamless entry, no need for visitor pass here
3. Smart Technology
A digital visitor management software is based on cloud and mobile technology. It eliminates the use of complicated hardware that require recurring maintenance.
In the case of a digital visitor management system, all that you need is a smartphone. A visitor app can capture all visitor details and store it in the system for real-time or later view.
A digital visitor management system can also be easily integrated with an access control hardware. Despite a huge demand, an access control system integrated with a digital visitor management software is at the initial stages of development as it requires expertise in software as well as hardware. Integration with access control hardware is one area where not many VMS market players are comfortable with.
A digital visitor management system that is based on the latest technological innovations has many interesting features. It can:
- Store all types of visitor and staff data and information in the system for real-time access and viewing
- Provide data in a usable format since it has built-in statistical tools - helps in decision making and identifying trouble makers
- Easily integrate with doors and elevators and access control systems like biometrics, boom barriers, turnstiles, etc.
- Offer a lot of flexibility in terms of usage and pricing since it is cloud based.
4. Brand Image & Service
When you pre-approve a guest’s entry to your office premise, it gives your guests and visitors a superior experience right from the point of entry. At the same time it builds a good image of your company.
If you want to build your company’s brand image, a digital visitor management software is a small investment to make.
A no-nonsense digital visitor management system is more than a digital visitor guest book. It can:
- Improve brand image of the business among internal and external stakeholders
- Eliminate long queues and time-consuming authentication and registration processes
- Increase visitor satisfaction because entry is quick
- Heighten emergency response of organisations via alerts and notifications, alarms, and such digital means
5. Low Overheads
With a digital visitor management software, you do not need a large team to handle hundreds or even thousands of visitors on a daily basis. A single security guard or a receptionist can handle countless visitors easily with a digital visitor management system.
In the long run, a digital visitor management software reduces security and facility overheads by lowering the need for staff and resources.
Conclusions
Security processes can be cumbersome and thwart a comfortable guest experience. A digital visitor management system offers both security along with visitor satisfaction.
It fast-tracks the visitor entry and exit processes like no other system. It is an excellent means of quickly authorizing a visitor, ensuring security, and at the same time providing visitors a great experience at your office premises.
If offices are going digital, let not facility and security operations be left behind in the digital age.
