Visitor Management System: what it is and what does it do?

Check in this post what is a Visitor Management System, what are its main features and what kind of solutions it can offer you.

At some point, you must have already visited some company for a technical visit, an interview, a meeting… And before entering, you had to make a registration at the reception.

You probably informed some data like your ID, then you took a picture through the reception webcam. Maybe after that, the receptionist might notify you had to wait for your host to come.

It wasn’t a very nice experience, was it?

One of the processes that tend to be more outdated, bureaucratic, and disorganized in companies is the process of registering visitors at the reception desk.

Besides generating an extraordinarily manual and tedious work for the company’s receptionists, this kind of experience can be very frustrating for the visitors. After all, nobody likes to wait in a queue or a waiting room.

It is in this context that the Visitor Management System can become an excellent tool for all involved in such processes.

What Visitor Management Systems are for?

A Visitor Management System (or VMS) is a solution that integrates and automates the entire process from the arrival of a visitor in a company, through whole experience during the visit, to the follow up afterward via software.

Some essential functions of this type of system include self-service check-in, data collection, document signing, host arrival notifications, and label printing.

Check-in process

Check-in to a VMS takes place on a self-service basis. In other words, the visitor himself fills in his data and information, according to what the company needs.

This self-service is performed by an iPad kiosk that is located at the reception or entrance. The visitor then fills in his information on the iPad, according to the needs and regulations of the company. The system also takes a picture of the visitor in this process. 

Also, the visitor can inform who the visited person, which automatically notify the host via different tools such as Whatsapp, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.

Data collection

For many companies, it is essential to collect visitor data for security reasons and to comply with agencies and laws such as the LGPD/GDPR.

A Visitor Management System makes it much easier to manage it. When a visitor checks in, their registration data is saved in the cloud.

You can check information such as visitor arrival times, which employee was visited, what was the purpose of each visit, and much more. Not mentioning how effortless it is to find this information in the VMS platform.

These applications ensure that data management is LGPD/GDPR compliant, so you don’t have to worry about it.

Document signing

An essential feature of a Visitor Management System is the signing of digital documents.

Many companies have non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), documents that guarantee the confidentiality of information that visitors may have contact with during their stay at the company.

The signing of these documents can be automated as part of the check-in process. This facilitates both registrations for the visitor and control of such contracts, which are automatically stored in the cloud.

Host notifications

One of the most important functionalities of a VMS is host notifications.

Commonly, some employees do not know the exact time of arrival of people who would visit them. This can lead to confusion in any company size and leave visitors lost without knowing where to go.

A Visitor Management System notifies the host at the exact time of a visitor’s arrival, stating their name, time of entry, and a photo of the visitor so that the host knows who to meet at the reception desk.

These notifications are made by communication tools widely used in everyday life, such as WhatsApp and Slack, among others.

Label Printing

Another essential feature of some VSM’s is the possibility of printing badge for visitors.

VMSs can synchronize their control panel with printers so that after registration on the iPad, a badge with the visitors’ data is printed automatically.

In companies with many collaborators, it is challenging to recognize who works for it and who is a visitor. Badges for visitors put an end to this doubt and ensure that visitors don’t feel lost when they’re at the company.

Why should you implement a Visitor Management System?

We talked a little about the main functionalities that a VMS has. But what problems does it solve, and what solutions does it provide?

Manage your visitor’s data

A VSM enables companies to have total control over the management of their visitors’ data.

Besides being an application for tablets, the VSM also consists of an online web dashboard where you can access all the data collected from visitors in real-time, generate insightful analytics, and more.

These dashboards contain precise and visual analyses of the flow of visitors in a given period, so you can find out who receives the most visitors and the company’s peak times.

Besides, all control and access to visitor data are under the General Data Protection Act (LGPD) and other regulations.

If a company needs to have control over its visitors’ data, a Visitor Management System becomes something essential for its management.

Increased check-in efficiency

One of the most significant benefits of this type of system is the optimization of processes in the reception and, thus, higher efficiency.

The time spent with registration processes at reception is drastically reduced, integrating and automating all stages and offering a more positive experience for its visitors, plus the significant help to the company’s staff.

This enables receptionists to stop spending their time on mundane tasks and focus on other activities.

Awesome visitor experience

A Visitor Management System enables a pleasant and positive experience right at the entrance to the company, replacing the tedious part of the process with paper and documents with an iPad self-service. 

This brings a more innovative image to the business by automating a traditional process through simple and intuitive technology. It also increases the companies branding and caring within all stakeholders.

Upgrade lobby and company security

Every company should be concerned with internal security, even more so if they receive people from outside the company frequently.

A Visitor Management System enables all relevant data on all visits to be stored safely and easily accessible, with real-time management.

Also, features such as host authorizations determine that only authorized persons can enter the company, generating much more control and security.

All of these features greatly enhance office security and ensure control over all third-party actions.

Who should use a VMS?

A Visitor Management System is essential for companies that have the need to control their visitors.

If this pain exists, this system becomes an enormous gain in efficiency, security, cost reduction and is an excellent ally for professionals responsible for infrastructure and work environment, such as facilities managers.

Companies that do not require this type of control can enjoy some positive points, such as a more innovative image for the company, but may not take advantage of all the solutions that this type of system offers.

If your company has such needs, maybe it’s time to look for a solution like this.

How do we know so much about Visitor Management Systems? Well, we are one!

If you want to know more about how this type of system works and if it makes sense for your company, schedule a free demo with one of our experts right now!