What is Modern Visitor Management?

Learn how an effective visitor management system can enhance your office experience and make a positive impression on clients and guests.

Visitor management software is a set of processes, policies, and tools that an organization uses to keep track of office guests. While some companies may use analog systems to register visitors, software platforms are becoming increasingly popular. Visitor management software can be used to pre-screen office visitors, register individuals when they arrive at the office, maintain records of past guest visits, help visitors navigate the office or book workspaces, and notify hosts of guest arrivals.

An office visitor management system is needed by organizations as they navigate the return to in-person work and look for efficient tools to keep track of everyone onsite. Visitor experience software can be used to manage contractors and freelancers, clients, job applicants, event attendees, and interns. Visitor policies can vary widely by industry, with some companies having an open-door policy, while others may need to thoroughly vet each individual to protect their client data or intellectual property.

Efficiency is key in any organization, and front desk employees typically have a wide range of administrative duties. However, if you have employees whose primary responsibility is signing in guests, you’re not using their time efficiently, especially on slow days. Guest management software allows for contactless check-in using a kiosk or even the visitor’s mobile device, freeing up your reception staff to focus on other priorities and tasks.

To keep employees safe and protect your assets, you need to know who is in the building at any given time. Visitor management software helps capture and store this information, creating a digital log of all new and returning guests. Plus, using an online check-in system is much more reliable than a sign-in sheet that visitors fill in by hand. Having a record of all past visitors can also help you stay in compliance with data privacy regulations.

For organizations with more than one office, it can be challenging to keep track of all the comings and goings at each location. A centralized platform fosters transparency and gives leadership teams visibility across the entire organization. Additionally, visitor management systems can be used for desk and office reservations, making it easier for employees to collaborate with colleagues and find workspaces that suit their needs.

Digital visitor logs can also drive better business decisions, as insights into space utilization across your whole organization can optimize how you use the office. Furthermore, when you host office guests, you also have the opportunity to communicate your brand. Many platforms allow you to showcase your logo, colors, and other personalized design elements.

• Deliveries:

When it comes to office visitors, deliveries are a common type that you should be tracking. These can range from routine deliveries of office supplies to lunch or coffee orders. Sometimes employees even have personal packages shipped to their office location for convenience or safety reasons. Keeping track of when these deliveries happen can help assess contractor relationships and guide official policy changes, such as making personal package delivery an official employee perk. Plus, accounting for when packages tend to arrive can help managers keep the front desk well-staffed when it’s most important.

To make the delivery process as smooth as possible, it's important to make it easy for delivery people to check-in. That's why you should keep a large button labeled “delivery” on the home screen of the check-in system, allowing delivery people to select what type of delivery they’re making based on the most common types for the office.

• Contractor Visits:

Another type of visitor to track is contractors, who are specialized service providers such as cleaning staff, catering services, or office equipment repair personnel. It's important to keep track of when these contractors arrive and leave for contract tracing purposes, providing records of services provided, and assessing contractor relationships. This information can also be useful for emergency purposes, as employees may not have personal contact information for these visitors. To make it easy for them to check in, it may be simpler to add a button for the most common types of contractors, such as “building maintenance” or “catering,” and then have an “other” button for those visits that don’t neatly fall into a common category.

• Job Interviews:

Tracking job interview candidates is another important task for any office. Collecting their personal information for emergency purposes and assessing their on-site behavior, such as how early they arrived, can be helpful for future interview planning. It's important to make a good impression on job candidates, so setting up a visitor management system to alert all employees involved with the job interview process, and ensure everyone knows where to be and when can be helpful.

• Appointments, Meetings, Events, and Personal Visits:

Appointments, meetings, events, and personal visits are special visits that require extra care. Keeping track of these visits can help allocate staffing and office resources in the future. For example, you can use the data to plan how many meeting spaces you actually need or to schedule your front desk staff properly based on peak visitor times. It's also important to make sure that all employees are alerted to the presence of any visitor who isn't normally in the office, to promote a culture of safety and security.

To ensure a great visitor experience in your space, it's important to make your office app a great host! Make your office easy to navigate from finding the meeting room to showing visitors the way to coffee or the restrooms - even better if you can remember their coffee preferences and order for them.

• Staff Check-In:

In addition to tracking visitor check-ins, some offices may also choose to track employee check-ins. This is especially helpful for remote or visiting employees who may benefit from the visitor experience. With the right tools, you can easily automate the assignment of entry badges, workspaces, and parking spots. You can even offer navigation assistance or help them order lunch. For in-office staff, it's important to be alerted to the presence of visiting employees so they can take advantage of in-person face time.

Creating an optimal visitor experience is an essential aspect of effective visitor management. Visitors should feel welcomed, comfortable, and safe while on your premises. Below is a checklist for an optimal visitor experience:

• Make a good first impression: A welcoming reception area with comfortable seating and clear signage can go a long way in creating a positive first impression. Welcome them before they arrive to make a really great impression.

• Simplify the check-in process: enable ale precheck-in on your office app, implement an automated check-in system at the front desk, have a front desk employee available to greet visitors and guide them through the check-in process, or even better all of the above..

• Provide clear instructions: Provide clear instructions on how to navigate the premises, including information on where to find restrooms, water fountains, and other amenities. Today, many expect these suggestions to be part of your office app.

• Issue an identification badge: Issue a clear identification badge to visitors that includes their name and photograph, as well as the date and time of their visit.

• Offer refreshments: Offering refreshments such as coffee, tea, water, or snacks can create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for visitors. Imagine being able to collect lunch orders for delivery from your office app through Grubhub or UberEats? No more chasing people around with a menu to get their order.

• Ensure safety and security: Ensure that visitors are aware of safety and security protocols, such as where to find emergency exits, and any other safety measures that are in place. Your office app should allow you to collect any attestations or records that you need to ensure these protocols.

• Address accessibility needs: Ensure that your premises are accessible to visitors with disabilities. This includes providing accommodations such as wheelchair ramps and accessible restrooms.