A gUIDE to IMPLEMENT
Modern Visitor management system
Visitor management refers to the methods which organisations use to register and track visitors to their facilities. The concept is not newly introduced. Many facilities use some form of visitor registration, ranging from simple sign-in paper sheets to computerized sign-in to high-tech approaches that automate. However, visitor management is more than just a sheet of paper or technology. It is also a policy that protects the facility and governs compliance of visitation.
There are a number of initiatives pushing organisations to explore the possibility of a new or upgraded visitor management system. For many organisations, the primary initiative is to increase security so as to quickly find out and deter unwanted visitor presence in the facility. Visitors are validated as per the policy. Related compliance and legal departments, for example, will be able to generate an accurate and retrievable record of the visitors who enter their facility. Staff immediately recognize the benefits and advantages of an improved visitor management system.
Modern visitor management systems deliver a technological experience. It is designed to be faster and more accurate than paper or computerized logbooks. Staff feels more secure while being in the facility. They also leave visitors with a positive and memorable impression of the organisation they are dealing with. As we understand, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for visitor management, which is why organisations is exploring a change. They will need to consider a number of options, this guide discusses the various elements of deploying a visitor management solution, including the creation of a visitor management policy.
Each organisation will ultimately adapt a visitor management strategy that best meets its needs. Key elements that will influence this decision include:
(1) Visitor data requirement
(2) Self-help or assisted registration
(3) Pre-registration
(4) Software integration
(5) Physical access control
(6) Location of database
(7) Hardware Setup
(8) Policy Setup
(9) Buy-in for a Visitor Management Solution
(10) Creating a Backup Plan
Lets us begin now to review the best approaches of a visitor management system.
1. Visitor Data Requirement
Information is a core element of a modern visitor management system. One of the first decisions to make when discussing a system involves the information that is collected from visitors. The decision to admit or refuse entry to a facility and the establishment of restriction for visitors (i.e., where they can go in a facility) are all made based on the information the system receives. The best approach to sorting out which details should be required from visitors is to ask a simple question: “What’s more important to the business?”
Organisations that operate in a highly regulated industry, such as financial or healthcare, may find themselves being very granular in their information collection. This might mean asking visitors not only who they are, but also why they are there,
What they are attending, where they are meeting, who they are meeting with, and for how long. Visitors may be asked to differentiate personal visits, business visits, delivery, repair, or servicing. Staff acting as hosts might also be required to supply detailed information regarding their guests prior to the actual visit.
One of the biggest challenges faced by organisations is rapid data growth. Organisations are creating and storing huge amounts of information, much of which they may never use again. Making visitors to supply many fields also leads to many problems, visitors in a rush will anyhow fill in wrong data to pass the process. Thus, asking too much non-important data can reduce the quality of the data.
To strike the right balance, ask what information is important to the business. Is there any value in knowing the job title or email of everyone who visits? What about their age and mail addresses? One good exercise in this area is to rank them in order of importance to the organisation. Then ask: How long would it take most visitors to answer all of the questions?
The goal is to balance the value of the data with the time it takes to supply it. If your organisation has a compliance department, you’ll want to inquire about information that should not be retained based on the personal data protection act (PDPA). At the same time, if they really require this much data, do consider the host to provide prior to the visit or the visitor to self-register online prior to the visits. This greatly reduces the time taken for registration and provides a more efficient process.
Unique Identifiers. Every visitor who registers in the visitor management system needs a unique identifier — something that lets the system and the people who manage it know that the John who visited on Wednesday isn’t the same John who visited on Friday. The typical unique identifier is a national ID card number (NRIC). If this data is not compliance to the personal data act of the industry of organisation, it is recommended to collect the last four characters with an additional component such as a mobile number or last name to make it unique. ID number and mobile number together can uniquely and accurately identify a person.
That being said, a mobile number alone can be a unique identifier for a short period for organisation that doesn’t want to collect national ID no. even just the last few characters. Email addresses can be a good identifier if the targeted visitors are business visitors.
Records Retention. The amount of data created and saved by a visitor management system depends on how many visitors come to the facility in a day. The amount of data being saved can increase rapidly, resulting in a visitor management system that runs more slowly because there are more records to search. The storage of records can also create problems for compliance.
It’s important to establish a records retention schedule and enforce it. A records retention schedule governs how information is saved and for how long. The schedule will cover when data is stored directly in the system and the point at which it gets deleted. Creating and following a records retention schedule will improve system performance, make records easier to locate, help comply with industry or government regulations, and reduce litigation risk. It’s common to store data in the system for at 90 days, but the timeframe depends on the organisation’s needs.
Host. A staff or the validated person who receives visitors to organisation or facility. It’s important to find out who the visitor is seeing and whether it is real. It’s common to ask visitor about the host details or invitation details which is linked to a host visiting during registration.
Location. The visiting location of the visitation is a piece of important information. It is recommended to be collected and the process has to be as proven as possible to facilitate tracking. It can provide better footfall monitoring within the facility. As much as monitoring is required, loitering can be greatly reduced by implementing physical access control.
2) Self-check-in or assisted check-in?
With a self-registration approach, visitors can check in as soon as they arrive, shortening contact and waiting time at the front desk. Self-registration is usually done on a kiosk with proper housing and enclosure. Assisted registration will be often done by a receptionist or security office at the front desk, the visitor provides details orally to complete the registration.
In view of productivity, pre-registration is preferred nowadays. Partly due to the readiness of equipment and gadgets in the market and digital era, deploying kiosk seems easier compared to previous days. All age groups are quite well versed in handling the graphical user interface (GUI) of visitor management kiosks, making it worth to invest.
With the rapid acceptance of self-registration, assisted mode of registration has begun to decay. Some organisations have even made new or converted lobbies to reception-less lobbies, the trend will continue to maintain in the near future.
3) Pre-registration
Depending on how many visitors the organisation has daily, it might make sense to request or require that visitors be pre-registered. Pre-registration helps the receptionist or security personnel prepare for the day, including planning for VIP guests and busy time periods that will require more staff.
Pre-scheduled visitors can also be checked in faster because some or all of their information is already entered into the system prior to their arrival on site. If some or all visitors require escorts, pre-registration will help ensure the escort is available when the guest arrives.
Pre-registration is often done by hosts in the past. Modern approaches allow visitors themselves to pre-register through the use of web booking. It greatly reduces the manpower required by organisation to manage and maintain the process.
Planning for Large Groups. Another best practice is to establish early in the visitor management discussion is how your organisation will manage large groups of visitors. Start by determining how many people constitute a large group for the facility, and who is most likely to be inviting them.
Other questions to ask, Will everyone in the group require a check-in? will they be issued visitor badges individually? Will groups require an escort? Are there enough staff members available to assist in processing large groups?
4) Software integration
IT process integration makes visitor management easier and more efficient. IT process integration means that HR data is always up to date, any new join or resigned host will be removed from the visitor management system once it is updated in the active directory. IT process integration gives customer service teams a seamless solution to manage all visitor management efficiently.
CRM integration in healthcare ensures that up-to-date patient profiles and wards are available whenever a visitor is registering or checking in at the kiosk. CRM integration also makes the clubhouse visitor management system up-to-date and instant.
Stay on top of appointments by syncing CRM with VMS. Using two-way integration with your CRM and Google or Outlook calendar and VMS, you can instantly log a meeting in your CRM, create meeting notices, and send invites to meeting guests via the visitor management system.
5) Access Control Integration
Integrating visitor management with physical access control allows visitor movements to sensitive areas to be restricted and tracked. This integration becomes necessary when visitors & contractors are allowed free access to a facility and are not always escorted by a host. A solution is to integrate an organisation's visitor management system with its access control system, allowing the two systems to work together seemlessly to grant entry for the registered visitors.
Gone are the days of sending on-site visitors to the security office for access. Now, the process is fully streamlined. Visitors and contractors can be granted access directly from the visitor management system. An access card or QR-coded label, in the form of a visitor’s badge, is activated in the access control system.
Security is maintained at all times. Even if visitors mistakenly fail to check out properly on their leaving, the fact that the visitor management system is integrated with access control means they will be denied access after a specified time and date have expired if they attempt to return.
Facial recognition access control is another commonly used contactless technology which verify a person identify using their live-face. It captures, analyzes, and compares patterns based on the person's facial details. The face detection process is an essential step in detecting and locating human faces in images. The face capture process transforms analog information (a face) into a set of digital information (data or vectors) based on the person's facial features. The face match process verifies if two faces belong to the same person.
The visitor management process can be greatly benefited with facial recognition technology. A portrait of the visitor is taken during registration, then transformed to become a binary image for posting to a facial recognition device or server. Reader installed at turnstile or door can grant instantly access for visitors, without the escort of security office or host.
6) Location of database
Centralized visitor management control for multiple facilities is the recommended implementation. IT departments don’t want data to be stored at different locations. A centralized database (sometimes abbreviated CDB) is a database that is located, stored, and maintained in a single location. Policymakers are delighted that all facilities under their management are using single database visitor management. Hosts and visitors will be impressed by the aligned processes at all locations and facilities.
7) Hardware Setup: What is right for your organisation?
The hardware setup of the visitor management system will go a long way toward shaping a visitor’s first impression of the organisation. The primary goal of the physical setup should be to integrate security in a welcoming and inviting way. It’s important to think about the physical experience of visitor management and the impression it leaves on visitors and employees, the technology the system uses, and how visitors will be identified within the facility.
The following points will illustrate these key considerations:
Cloud or On-premises setup. The cloud server provides anywhere-access convenience and resourceless server management. On-premises server requires localized IT staff to manage the continuity of the computer.
Placing the Check-in Station. Regardless of whether it’s a standalone kiosk or a desk with a receptionist, place the check-in station in a place that’s easily accessible and has enough room to allow a short line to form. Consider how visitors will enter the rest of the facility. Is there a single point of entrance or several paths out of the lobby area? Is directional signage necessary? Some companies choose to design their lobbies in such a manner that the front desk welcomes visitors but blocks direct access to the rest of the building when they first check-in.
Manned by a Person vs. Unmanned Options. Some organisations will choose to have an unattended lobby, which means it’s crucial their visitor management system and the physical space itself are set up for success. Important questions here include: How will visitors enter the lobby? Do they need to be buzzed in, or is there open access from the street? Who will be able to answer any questions they may have?
Tablet or Kiosk? Organisations that choose a self-check-in option can use a tablet or a floor-standing kiosk. Tablets represent modernity, and they create a very tangible check-in experience using touchscreen technology. Another advantage of tablets is their size. Tablets are small enough to fit on a desk and work well when space is at a premium. A kiosk usually requires more physical space, but it also brings with it a larger physical impact. A kiosk is easier to see across a lobby and will be recognized by visitors as the place where they can check-in.
ID Scanners: Understand the Legalities. Some organisations will consider using ID scanners to gather information from driver’s licenses or other government-issued IDs. Once again, this will involve setting a preference around which data is saved to the system. Consult with the compliance or security team and learn about any local laws regarding the use of personal information. Also, create a workflow that covers how to enter information when a visitor doesn’t have an ID or refuses to share her ID.
Badges vs. Stickers. Not every organisation requires visitors to wear some form of identification when they are in the facility. The same goes for employees, who may or may not display some form of identification throughout the day. Visitor identification can range from the very simple, like a piece of paper or cardboard that says “Visitor” on it, to high-tech badges with details and a photo on them. Some types of visitor passes will expire, while others are created with re-use in mind.
8) Policy Setup: What are the organisation’s rules for visitation?
Every organisation should have a policy concerning visitors. These policies not only protect the visitors, they also protect the safety and security of your workplace and your workforce.
Allowing strangers to wander through company facilities “at will” poses risks. Not only can workplace visitors distract employees, which could cause an accident, but the visitors themselves could be exposed to dangers of which they may not be aware.
Furthermore, people from outside entering your facility increase the risk of theft, violence, industrial espionage, sabotage, or even terrorism. Policies on workplace visitors help maintain security, avoid distractions, protect the confidentiality of company operations, and maintain safety standards.
a. Walk-in visits. Walk-in visits are not allowed unless authorized by the company.
b. Authorization procedures. Host to authorize a visitor. Get approval from a supervisor.
c. Off-limit areas. Identify any areas that are off limits to all visitors (e.g., confidential records, equipment, server room). Integrate with gantry access control (turnstile) to avoid unauthorised access.
d. Identification of visitors. Visitors must check in and out and present photo identification.
e. Visiting hours. Implement visiting hours restrictions (e.g., after hours, during holidays, and on weekends)
f. Visitor limit. Visitor count limitation. can be implemented for specific locations will be preferred. (e.g. for healthcare, ward 1001 will be capped at max. 2 persons).
g. Queue. Implement queue management systematically when the visitor limit is reached for certain locations.
h. Visitors, delivery, and contractors. Categorise into different types of visitors. There should be a coded badge to display “CONTRACTOR” etc.
i. Temporary crew. Consider temporary staff like regular employees but can express check-in without having to enter every time.
j. Visits by designated visitors. Express pre-registration and check-in specially. (e.g. for health care, regular family members is allowed to make pre-registration for other family members)
k. Visitor Photo. Visitors’ photos to be taken during registration to increase tracking capability if there is a criminal case arising.
l. Host responsibilities. The host should challenge unescorted strangers who aren’t wearing the proper identification or escorted?
m. Discipline. Impose warnings or fines for visitors who violate the policy.
9) Buy-in for a Visitor Management Solution
Introducing any type of change into an organisation can pose a challenge. If the employees at a facility are accustomed to
a visitor management process that relies on paper logbooks (or perhaps no visitor management system at all), they may be apprehensive about a new approach. For example, they may now be required to head to a lobby to escort visitors or answer the phone to verify a guest.
Because these changes will require employee buy-in, it’s important to stress the benefits of moving to a visitor management system by sharing relevant resources and training with them. That may mean sending a mass email, scheduling in-person meetings, or updating a company newsletter. When employees understand why the move to a new visitor management system is being made, they are more likely to adhere to visitor policies.
The following messages will resonate with many employees:
a. More Professional. A visitor management system can help the organisation project a more professional image, especially when it’s automated and streamlined. It will eliminate messy hand-written visitor badges and illegible paper logbooks. It can potentially pull information quickly and conveniently from a government-issued ID.
b. More Secure. Workplace safety is a more familiar issue for many people than it was a few years ago. Everyone at the facility benefits from knowing who is there, who they are visiting, and where they can be located. In case of an emergency, a visitor management system can easily produce a list for the authorities indicating who may be in the building.
c. More Compliant. A modern visitor management system will allow the organisation to create and distribute professional-looking reports for audit and compliance purposes. It will also better protect privacy by doing away with unsecured paper logbooks. To help facilitate the adoption of the new system, the next step is to create an internal visitor management policy.
10) Creating a Backup Plan
Even with the best planning, policy, and technology, things can sometimes go wrong. It’s best to be prepared and to create backup plans for visitor management before they are needed. Organisation is moving from paper logbooks to a modern visitor management system, should retain those logbooks because when the hardware goes out or the system error, paper, and pen may be the best fallback option. The backup paper logbook should contain all the fields the visitor management system would normally capture. The plan should also cover what will happen to the information in the paper logbook. Additionally, there should be a plan to quickly replace and restore hardware, this can significantly reduce the downtime and makes VMS work again.
Conclusion
Modern visitor management systems can benefit businesses, employees, and visitors if they are part of a well-thought strategy that’s created in advance of their deployment. The decisions that need to be made can generally be divided into a few areas that cover information collection, the method of registration, the hardware setup of the system, a plan to encourage buy-in from employees, and the creation of a visitor management policy.
Visitor management systems deal with many departments of the organisation, from information technology and security to the facilities, legal, and compliance teams. Communication and planning that involves all these groups is the key to a successful launch and quick return on the investment.