Next-Level Visitor Management: Why Your Business Needs a Smart Visitor Management System

If you walked into any office lobby ten years ago, you would have been met by a clipboard and pen, with the receptionist asking visitors to put their names in the logbook. Flash forward to today, and the manual logbook is almost extinct—thank goodness. In a world that is moving so fast, your business simply can’t rely on a piece of paper and a pen to keep track of who walks through the door.

What is replacing the logbook? You guessed it: a Smart Visitor Management System (VMS). A quicker, more effective way to manage visitors to your workplace—now that is modern and secure! So, why should you make the leap? Let’s take a closer look at what is beyond the logbook.

1. First Impressions Count—even at the Front Desk

Your front desk is often the point of first contact your company has with the outside world, no matter if that means a potential client, job applicant, or delivery person. How they are treated when they arrive can say a lot about your company.

A smart VMS replaces paper sign-in sheets, using attractive, simple-to-use interfaces—usually a tablet or kiosk—that allow the guest to check in themselves, and in many cases, will automatically notify employee(s) when their guest arrives. This small change can improve how your company is portrayed and show you are serious about being a professional, organized business with desirable technology tools right from the beginning.

2. Security Holes Are Closed

Paper visitor logs are easy to forget, forge, or dispose of. Let’s be honest, who looks at the visitor log unless something bad happens? 

Smart VMS platforms can reduce or eliminate security holes. They securely store your digital records and can take visitor photos, print identity cards, and receive background checks in real-time, if needed. Now you can be serious during emergencies or audits, because you will clearly be able to know EVERYONE who has entered your building. You can also confirm the time of entry, the reason why they entered, and who they were to meet with.

3. Simplifying Compliance

Depending on your industry, compliance with privacy or safety regulations is not a choice—it is a requirement. Organizations are required to responsibly manage and protect visitor data from GDPR to HIPAA.

A smart visitor management system can help organizations be compliant by storing your data safely, documenting that you enlisted a digital NDA where included safety or instructions, and allowing you to manage access rights and records. There is no reliability or legal protection from using a manual log. 

4. Improved Workflow Saves Time & Money

Imagine how much time your front desk staff spends managing a visitor, printing badges, calling to let an employee know there is a visitor, and searching through log books for old visits. Going through the tasks adds up.

With an automated visitor management system, all these repetitive tasks are managed in seconds. Employees get notified via SMS or email immediately. Badges print right away, and you can have pre-reg apps for even quicker visitor check-in. This means less bottlenecking, more efficiency, and all the good things productivity brings.

5. Touchless Technology Is Here to Stay

In our post-pandemic world, health and safety are more important than ever!  A smart VMS can facilitate contactless check-ins, temperature checks, health questionnaires, and visitor pre-screenings without the need for face-to-face interaction. 

This not only provides protection for your staff and guests but also demonstrates that your organization is taking responsibility for public health and being proactive.

6. Scalable for any Business Size

You don't have to be a Fortune 500 company to have the benefits of a smart visitor management system.  Whether you are a small startup business or a medium-sized enterprise, smart VMSs are scalable and customization can match your specific needs. 

A smart Visitor management software can support single-office businesses and multi-site organizations as it grows to meet your complexity, operational, and security requirements.

Final Thoughts: More Than a Fad

Using smart visitor management systems and tools isn’t just a good thing to have today; it is becoming a standard practice in the workplace for modernity. It is about security, improving efficiency and compliance, and helping the visitor experience all at the same time. And, the best part? It has never been easier or less expensive to implement!