Commercial, residential, and mixed-use buildings welcome visitors daily. This affects building security for tenants, property staff, and visitors. Such buildings see different types of visitors such as family members, on-demand service personnel, clients, workers, and more. Properties need visitor management systems to manage the flow of visitors and grant access to visitors.
What Are Visitor Management Systems?
A visitor management system allows properties to verify and track each visitor who comes on-site just like video intercom. It ensures all visitors who request access and visit the property are verified. It also grants visitors the necessary access credentials to access other areas throughout the building. A secure and convenient guest entry system makes a great first impression on visitors while maintaining building safety. Both tenants and visitors enjoy a seamless access experience by sending tenants notifications when visitors arrive.
Types of Visitor Management Systems
There are different types of visitor management systems that facilitate visitor access, tenant notifications, and activity recording. Pen-and-paper visitor management is a simple system that tracks visitor names in a paper logbook. This system is tricky because not all visitors have legible handwriting, and misread information can lead to inaccurate visitor records. It’s not the best solution for properties that need a high level of security. Inaccurate logbooks can be a security threat, and visitors can use fake names if there’s no receptionist to check IDs.
A digital visitor sign-in system is an electronic version of a pen-and-paper system. This type of solution requires a place to store and manage the server, as it’s a legacy system that doesn’t use the internet. According to ButterflyMX, a cloud-based visitor management system is the best way to manage building access. Cloud-based systems allow users to collect visitor information and manage property access from any connected device. Visitors can scan their credentials or use an online form on a device to enter the property. Access information is stored on the system’s server and can be accessed on-demand from anywhere. Cloud and web-based visitor management features easy integrations with existing access control systems.
Key Features of a Visitor Management System
There are several key features of a digital visitor management solution to look for. Cloud-based systems are best suited for those who want to control and monitor systems remotely. Onsite server installations require a dedicated space and are best for properties that maintain a high level of security. Look for a visitor management solution that has an open architecture structure. This allows you to integrate the visitor system with other access control solutions. You’ll want a solution that supports visitor screening with efficient scanning speeds to process and reduce data entry errors.
The best solution supports multiple access credentials including QR code, facial recognition, PIN, and RFID. Different credentials are necessary depending on the access control point or the types of visitors being processed. A host approval feature doubles as verification of visitor access permission and sends tenants arrival notifications. Data protection is key when dealing with personal information, and users must have a way to prevent the misuse of visitor data. The right solution features encrypted communication between devices.
A visitor management solution should have a wide hardware support range to make migration easier when necessary. Keep in mind some solutions have user restrictions such as limitations on the number of visitors, daily transactions, or the number of system users. Offline data capture features are necessary for temporary sites that have intermittent data transmission. Consider a visitor system that can capture and store data offline, then transmit later when the data link is restored.
There are numerous benefits of a visitor management system for properties that have visitors. Always consider the system features when choosing a solution to ensure you get the most benefits.