Why Is Visitor Management Even More Challenging In A Tight Economy
During a recession, organizations need to generate growth with fewer human and financial resources. Visitor management software is vital for...
If you are still not sold on the digital receptionist software trend, keep reading to find the primary purpose of the visitor management system.
Executive Summary:
- Many people come to your organization’s premises, from vendors, customers, and delivery persons, to family and friends visiting an employee.
- How you check these guests in, allow them to quickly achieve the reason they came, maintain all security requirements, and log data is your visitor management system.
- It is crucial to have an effective visitor management system to create favorable impressions and to maintain the security and safety of both the employees and visitors.
Over the years, there has been a shift to more technologically advanced methods of handling everything in the workplace, including your visitors. Most businesses are embracing digital tools to welcome guests and provide a pleasant experience. This article examines all the reasons you might need a visitor management solution.
First, What Is Visitor Management?
Visitor management consists of a system consisting of plans, processes, and steps set by the organization to welcome visitors and track their movements in the organization.
In the past, manual visitor check in processes were widely used. These entailed a person, either a receptionist or a security guard, sitting by the door to greet and guide visitors to their hosts. Visitors signed in by filling their details in a paper logbook. The inefficiencies were rampant, from the human capital investment to the lack of privacy to the inability to generate data from these processes.
Recent technological advancements have introduced digital receptionist software. Organizations use digital software to welcome, register, direct and monitor visitors’ movement in the premises. Virtual receptionists have proven to be more efficient and effective. Here are some of the benefits you enjoy by installing visitor management software.
What Is the Purpose of a Visitor Management System?
Create Great First Impressions
Keep COVID-19 and Other Illnesses Out
Create Great First Impressions
How you welcome and guide visitors throughout their time in your premises will determine their first impression of your organization.
A visitor management system makes the check-in process painless. For instance, once the visitor enters the organization, they encounter a clear guide to the reception desk where they key in their information in the electronic kiosk provided.
It has an easy-to-use interface that even non-tech-savvy visitors can operate. You can automate visitor check in within a few seconds of their arrival and notify their host. This could be through email, voice calls, Microsoft Teams, or text messages.
A digital check-in system boosts visitors’ confidence and wellbeing as it provides a guide and ready directions, building on the professional first impression.
Frees up Human Resources
Using traditional visitor management methods can be costly since a receptionist’s annual salary can reach $37k. And in today's environment, you might have a hard time hiring one.
Using a self-help sign-in system removes the need for a receptionist or a guard, cutting down on costs. Installing the signing-in system is cheaper and more efficient because staff can concentrate on more complex issues rather than receiving guests. Have your people focused on growing your business, not monitoring your lobby area.
Provides 24/7 Coverage
Any capable visitor management software will operate 24/7 and track visitors' movements even when you’re out of the premises. It means you can keep visitors off from areas they have no access to, and you can even track any possible criminal or espionage activities.
Captures Data
Once the visitor walks into the registration desk, they will fill in their details such as name, date of visit, the reason for the visit, and their host. Part of the registration may include taking photos and electronic signatures that aid in keeping track of all visitors in the location.
You must have a capable visitor management system that can capture and store all this data securely.
Ensures Compliance
The sign-in system ensures compliance with all legal requirements and the rules of the organization. Unlike a human receptionist, the visitor must meet all requirements and submit all the required documents for successful registration and entry to the premises.
What’s more, the visitor management solution will track people’s movement, giving reports on their location to ensure guests comply by staying within acceptable areas, and employee compliance with attendance requirements.
Keeps Your Workplace Safe
As an organization, work towards maximum security for your employees. A capable visitor management system provides access control, limiting visitor movement to critical areas, enhancing safety for your organization.
The system runs a background check of the personal details of the visitor. Visitors from the watch list won’t breach security by gaining access to restricted parts of the building.
A sound visitor management system sends evacuation notifications to all employees and onsite visitors in an emergency, such as a fire incident. The data collected will help track and give exit directions to guests.
During registration, visitors may receive a customized badge with an expiry date, so they cannot use it after the time limit. It makes it easy to identify someone who has overstayed their visit and denies them access to the premises.
The system is a deterrent to potential criminals, as they will encounter strict security measures.
Keep COVID-19 and Other Illnesses Out
The health of your employees directly correlates to their productivity. Using a touchless visitor management system reduce interaction between people, eliminating the transfer of germs and spread of COVID-19 and other contagious illnesses.
Moreover, the integrated temperature scanning capabilities help take and record the temperatures of everyone visiting the organization. This complies with government recommendations on minimizing the spread of COVID-19 at work.
As part of the registration, the visitor welcoming software might require visitors to fill a health questionnaire to help keep a record of their health statuses.
Conclusion – A Visitor Management System Is a Must-Have for Your Business
With a clutch of dedicated receptionists, some companies do not see the need for reception software. They couldn’t be more wrong. A capable visitor management system will not only sign in your visitors, but it also operates 24/7, so it can handle all manner of visitors who get to your premises after-office hours, such as delivery trucks. Moreover, a robust digital receptionist will track visitors, free up human resources, capture and store data, and reduce interaction between people, stopping the spread of diseases.
When you put it all together, a well-executed visitor management solution will can help your organization be more productive and achieve its mission.