What is Effective Technology for Visitor Access Control Systems?

In the world of modern business, managing visitors is crucial for a secure and seamless workplace. Visitor Access Control Systems (VACS) not only help companies efficiently track and manage visitors on their sites, but also ensure a secure working environment for employees. 

There are numerous benefits to be had by implementing the right visitor access control system. From ensuring that procedures are followed on site, to providing a fantastic customer experience.

What Essential Features Should be Included?

Some of the solutions available in the market might have a similar functionality and making the right choice between the vast options may not always be easy. So, what are the core features that the manager needs to consider when selecting the right visitor management solution?

It’s every company for themselves. Taking all of this into account, as well as feedback from our customers, we compiled this list of seven visitor access control features that your system should definitely have.

1. Pre-registration: This option enables the host to create visitor bookings, self-manage and schedule appointments for whoever is visiting and when. If the facility has high security requirements, pre-registration will enable background checks to be performed prior to arrival or to ensure adequate physical security measures are implemented.
2. Security code-bearing email confirmations: If your visitor sign-up form allows you to send a visit confirmation email, make sure to give the email a condensed structure that includes the location, directions, any special details about the visit, and a code of some sort (eg, a QR code or bar code) that a visitor could show upon arriving. Not only is this more efficient for checking the visitor in, but it also reduces manual data-entry, saving time and decreasing errors.
3. Self-service visitor check-in: This can not only give you a professional and economical solution, but allows visitors to check-in by themselves to print a badge and to connect the arrival message with the staff member automatically. In this way, this visitor check-in process becomes work efficient with the minimum support, and the visitors check-in process will also become a pleasant experience. You can choose to show a QR code on the page for the visitors to scan from the phone to access the check-in form. Do you think it’s important for a large number of visitors?
4. Instant alerts via email: Guest experience is further improved by automatically sending immediate emails to hosts notifying them of arrived visitors as soon as the check-in is completed.
5. Badge printing: guest passes automatically generated at sign-in save employees time checking that a guest has complied with site rules and is authorised to be on site.
6. Customise interface and custom branded company: Some solutions give you the ability to customize the layout, so you can add your logo, background tint, button colour, and so on, based on your preferences and branding. You can customize the look of visitor management to fit your company’s unique needs. When visitors experience this system, they will be impressed. They will see that your company has gone the extra mile to organize their visit and make them feel welcome.
7. Watchlists: The system sends alerts and monitors the arrival of persons requiring special attention, such as VIPs or individuals known to have permanently denied access.

What are the Benefits of a VACS to Businesses?

There are a few main reasons why a visitor access control system is beneficial to businesses, these are outlined here:

Standard Procedure

If you standardise visitor and employee access management at every single site and campus that your company owns or manages, you are putting your enterprise in a much better position for dealing with the new dynamics of the modern workplace. Standardisation also reduces risk of overlooking some of the key details of your operation. This is extremely useful in regard to audits, because it makes sure that your company is in compliance with the laws.

Enhanced Security Measures and Real-Time Visibility

As well as being an excellent convenience, a Visitor access control system is a powerful security tool, not only because it allows you to control who has access to your facility, but because the information collected and stored by it permits constant surveillance and control of who has entered, who is still on-site, and who has yet to confirm that they have departed from your facility and returned their access badge to reception. 

Improved Front-Line Productivity

VACS provides a cost-saving solution: with the option to digitally sign in at a kiosk, front-desk personnel save valuable time and increase overall front-line productivity.

Improved Customer Service

The purpose of a VACS is to make customers, their visitors and staff feel more welcomed and generate interaction by using intelligent self-service kiosks, sending out a personal voice message to every visitor by greeting them at arrival making it look more personal and giving the comfort of sending out personal-invite emails. The check-in process is now quick and hassle-free as you can check in a client within 30 seconds.

Workplace Insights and Reporting

VACS provides information on how many visitors have come to the office, what time they signed in and out and more. This data can assist users in making more informed choices, allocate resources more effectively, and result in work allocation being more efficient. Generate reports on the time visitors signed into and out of the office, and filter data by date, visitor, visitor company, host company and host staff.

Compliance Made Easy

Accumulating visitor data is one thing. But staying compliant with the law is another – so that’s a priority, too. What matters, too, is having a clearly delineated plan for either deleting the data after a period of time, or in response to a request for removal. Some companies might want to retain visitor data for a period of time. Others still will want to receive removal requests, such as those facilitated under the EU’s GDPR.

Summary

It all starts with integrating visitor registration with the tools you know, use and trust, so that visitor management starts on the right foot. Make sure your chosen solution comes from a provider you can trust to help with implementations, keep it integrated with your software, and support remote working.  See an example here.