Residential communities and commercial businesses deal with foot traffic every day. Delivery people, contractors, guests of residents, and business partners are just some of the visitors who come and go. However, without a properly implemented visitor management system (VMS) and security practices, it becomes difficult to know who enters your property and when. Without the ability to efficiently register and monitor visitors, your commercial building or gated community may be left vulnerable to crime.
In this guide, we’ll discuss the dangers of traditional visitor management, how tech-based visitor management systems can improve both security and the guest experience, and tips for creating the perfect visitor management system for your business or community.
In this Article
- What is Visitor Management?
- Risks of Manual Visitor Management Systems
- How Automation Improves Visitor Management
- Top 5 Benefits of Visitor Management Systems
- Buying Guide: Pricing and Manufacturers
- Checklist: Best Visitor Management Features
- Live Security Guards vs. Automation
- Final Thoughts
What is Visitor Management?
Visitor management is the process of greeting, checking in, and monitoring guests during their time at a property. Visitor management serves the purpose of making sure everyone stays safe as well as protecting property and on-site assets.
Typically, these responsibilities are delegated to a receptionist or security guard. These employees ensure that anyone entering the building registers at the front desk. They may collect information such as the guest’s name, driver’s license number, who they’re coming to see, and their destination. Those in charge of implementing visitor management practices may distribute temporary access or name badges, too.
Traditional visitor management is better than no visitor management at all. However, the manual processes involved in traditional visitor management often present unnecessary risk.
Why Risk It? Problems with Manual Visitor Management Systems
Traditionally, visitor management practices, performed manually by security guards and receptionists, put security at risk. Plagued by inconsistent standards, paper spreadsheets, and inefficiency, these manual practices could lead to security risks and fines from regulatory bodies like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Take a look at the problems encountered by relying on outdated visitor management.
The Risks of Outdated Visitor Management
- Security– Paper logs can be easily accessed or tampered with. In areas of high foot traffic, people may enter a building undetected.
- Inefficiency- Manual check-ins create longer waiting queues, more people waiting in the lobby, and ultimately more annoyed visitors.
- Limited Tracking– No real-time data on visitor movement. People can move within the building or community without being monitored.
- Poor emergency management– Logbooks cannot be easily searched. During an emergency, valuable time will be wasted looking through check-in spreadsheets.
These are a handful of risks associated with manually accounting for guests. Let’s look at a sample visitor management flow and try to identify its potential vulnerabilities:
Manual Visitor Management Workflow (Sample)
- Notify– Resident phones or emails the community security team about a future guest
- Register- Resident tells security the details about the guest, including name, car model, and driver’s license
- Check-in– The resident’s guest arrives and checks in at the guard house, confirming information.
- Access– Access is granted to the guest, and the guest is free to move about the community.
There are holes in this process, including email requests getting overlooked, the misspelling of guests’ names, and once on site, there’s no guarantee visitors get to their final destination. But these aren’t the only risks associated with traditional visitor management processes.
If you’ve taken anything away from this section, it should be that manual visitor management exposes your community or business to intruders. However, there is an answer. Keep reading to find out how.
The Benefits: How Automation Improves Visitor Management
Imagine you’re a property manager at a prominent commercial real estate firm in Miami. Your goal? To make a good first impression on anyone who enters your building – convenience and security are key. From the parking garage to the office, you want a seamless guest experience. You want people to know exactly where to go and how to get there quickly. Software-based visitor management does exactly that…and more.
Software-based visitor management helps property management teams keep their properties, assets, and residents safer. Today, VMS systems combine hardware with software to improve the experience for everyone.
Top 5 Benefits of an Automated Visitor Solution
- Convenience
Software-based visitor management makes submitting, receiving, and organizing guest requests more convenient.
How?
Let’s start from the beginning. Tenants and residents no longer have to fill out paper forms or call gate attendants when a guest is coming. Instead, they just open up the visitor management app on their smartphone, enter the required guest information, and hit send. Easy enough.
“But I’m a security guard who loves paper forms.”
Automated VMSs don’t just benefit tenants and their guests – they make operations easier for security teams, too. After a visitor request is made, it populates in a software platform. The guard can instantly see the request and even get notified when a new one occurs. All the manual inputting of names is a thing of the past.
Let’s consider the office worker, Mario Mamamia. One night, Mario is working late and decides to order a pizza. He needs to make sure the delivery person navigates to his office without trouble. From the comfort of his desk chair, he simply opens the building’s visitor management app, enters the delivery service’s name and other pertinent information. When the driver arrives, they check-in, using the kiosk at the gate or front desk, and are on their way. Presto! Automated pizza delivery.
- Improved Security
It would take a whole blog article to discuss how automated visitor management improves security. The short answer is that these systems allow teams to pre-screen guests, collect NDAs and other agreements, as well as integrate with access control and video surveillance.
Many visitor management companies allow users to create their own workflows. If the law offices of Frank, Ulmer & Assoc. want their client to sign a waiver before visiting, then they can create an automated workflow. The workflow will deliver the waiver to the client before their arrival on site. If the law office wants to run a background check on guests, they can include this in the workflow as well.
But improving security goes far beyond pre-screening, especially for commercial businesses. For example, a visitor management system integrated with a badge printing machine can easily generate a temporary visitor pass. This pass can keep the guest from accessing certain areas while simultaneously making their journey easier.
Additionally, VMS can be integrated with parts of your security system to help you monitor visitors as they move within a building or community.
- Efficiency
Do you want your building’s lobby to look like the Department of Motor Vehicles? Then, it’s essential to start prioritizing the efficiency of your guest check in process. By implementing a modern visitor management system, you will dramatically reduce bottlenecks that occur with manual visitor management.
Self‑service kiosks or tablets can be placed at the front desk to automate data collection, notify hosts when a guest checks in, and auto-generate badges. Automated badge printing replaces labor‑intensive manual badge creation.
Finally, if an emergency occurs, possibly related to a visitor, it will be much easier to search an electronic database rather than an Excel file or physical record.
- Compliance
Beyond improving security and efficiency, visitor management systems also help businesses stay in compliance with laws and regulations. A VMS ensures accurate, tamper‑resistant audit logs complete with timestamps, entry and exit records, host details, signed agreements, and ID captures. These records will be stored securely in a centralized, searchable database. Depending on how you tailor your visitor workflow, these records can support compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, OSHA, and others.
By now, you should be getting an idea of just how powerful automated, software-based visitor management can be. Maybe you even have an idea of how you’d like to implement it. So to understand more about your buying choices, let’s talk a little bit about the manufacturers, prices, and important features.
Buying Guide: Pricing, Manufacturers, and Features of Visitor Management Systems
Most of us can’t just walk into a local hardware store and get advice from a local “security sage.” So we’ll try our best to fulfill that role and give you some insight about how to choose a visitor management system. If at any time you’d like to speak with a real security sage, give SafeTouch a call.
- Envoy
Envoy is a seasoned player in visitor management. Their system comes with visitor check-ins, user-friendly mail management, and sleek visitor logs. While Envoy is rated very highly across tech review sites like G2 and Software Advice, users report having printer connection issues. Envoy ranges from $131/mo to $349/mo, according to Software Advice.
Price: $131/mo – $349/mo
SoftwareAdvice.com Rating: 4.8
- Proxyclick by Eptura
Another industry veteran is Proxyclick. Users tout Proxyclick for its advanced features like Floor Plans and Maps, Occupancy Management, and Space Reservation. However, its tracking and analytics have room for improvement. Some users have reported that Proxyclick has errors when creating access groups and creating badges. There are two pricing tiers available.
Price: N/A
SoftwareAdvice.com Rating: 4.6
- Kastle
Kastle offers a visitor management system that integrates with their access control software. The company is revered for its credential management feature and activity logs. Additionally, Kastle’s customized reports give users the ability to build reports in real time. If you’re looking for a system that excels in monitoring, Kastle is the right choice for you. The system has facial authentication capabilities and real-time alerts to help notify users of potential threats.
Price: N/A
G2.com Rating: 4.6
- FacilityOS (Formerly iLobby)
iLobby was founded in the early 2010s and rebranded as FacilityOS in late 2022. According to a press release from CEO Ariel Mashiyev, the move was to “bring together all of (their) products into one cohesive interface.” To that end, FacilityOS now has various modules, including VisitorOS, the company’s visitor management module. This visitor management software helps users pre-register guests, create custom workflows, and monitor visitor activity in real-time. The highlights of this system are the ease of the digital sign-in process, in which users can create customized flows based on visitor type. FacilityOS has three pricing tiers, the first starting at $199/mo.
Price: Starts at $199/mo – Enterprise Tier (Call for Information)
Softwareadvice.com Rating: 4.6
By no means is this an extensive list of visitor management manufacturers. Many access control companies also design their own VMSs. To learn more about all your options, reach out to a SafeTouch security expert.
Best Visitor Management Features for You
You’ve narrowed your search to a few trustworthy visitor management companies. Now comes the time to demo each solution. But how do you make a final decision? It might come down to the company with the best features. Below are some of the most important features your new visitor management system should include.
Checklist: Key Features of Visitor Management Systems
- Digital Sign-in– Digital sign-in processes often involve self-service kiosks and intuitive user interfaces, making it easier for visitors to check in without staff assistance.
- Automated notifications– When your guest signs in or completes a step of your VM workflow, you should be aware. Automated notifications keep hosts informed of visitor arrivals, providing essential information ahead of their visits.
- Real-time monitoring- The front desk should be the first checkpoint in your commercial building or HOA security – not the last. Monitoring allows security teams to track visitor action.
- Access logs– Make sure you securely track and store all access data. Good visitor management systems allow for data to be quickly searched and audited, while also protecting against cybersecurity threats.
- Customization- No two buildings or communities are the same. Ask the manufacturers you speak with about the customizations available. These might include: badge design, different check-in workflows, visitor group customization, temporary credential settings, and pre-arrival documentation.
- API integrations- Nowadays, if your security does not integrate, it isn’t operating at its fullest potential. Visitor management systems that offer the most safety integrate with solutions like access control, video management systems, identity management (e.g., Okta and Entra ID), parking management, and more.
These features help make sure your security operation runs smoothly and efficiently. Whether you’re securing an enterprise business or a gated community, customizing your visitor management is crucial to your success.
Designed to grow as the business grows, Securiteam’s service offers scalability to meet expanding needs.
HID provides industry-specific solutions and feature sets, enhancing the adaptability of the visitor management system across various sectors. Utilizing these systems can lead to improved security measures and increased operational efficiency for businesses.
Visitor Management Systems vs. Live Security Guards
Live security guards have their place in security. However, they also can be terribly inefficient, or even worse, a nuisance to your community – just ask homeowners in Forsyth County, Georgia. Residents grew frustrated as private neighborhood security, hired by the HOA, stopped residents and visitors for alleged traffic violations.
That’s bad news. It’s annoying for residents and a tarnish on the neighborhood’s reputation. But live security guards also present problems like inaccurate record keeping and long queues waiting to enter the community.
This is where neighborhoods like the one in Forsyth could benefit from automated visitor management. Automation can monitor and alert people who consistently drive over the speed limit. For repeat offenders, property management can step in. Additionally, these systems free live security agents to focus on more important issues.
Virtual Gate Guard Service
SafeTouch’s Virtual Gate Guard service uses web-based visitor management systems for streamlined visitor registration and access control. Virtual guarding not only speeds up the entry process but also reduces human error and liability associated with live guards.
Start Your Journey to Better Security and Convenience Today
You know your visitor management needs better than anyone, so don’t settle for a solution that isn’t tailored to your goals. Safetouch experts can help you assess, purchase, install, and monitor your visitor management or security system. With over 30 years of industry experience, we’ve got the knowledge to guide you through home surveillance cameras, smart sensors, and more. Plus, our security team will monitor your system 24/7, and with a guaranteed response time of 45 seconds or less, we’ll always have your back. Give us a call at 888.895.SAFE (7233) to speak with a SafeTouch expert today!