Posts in category: Visitor Management

Visitor management software is becoming an increasingly popular feature in many businesses across the UK. It allows for digital sign-in as well as visitor tracking and reporting, and can be essential for increasing security, streamlining the sign-in process, and providing new marketing opportunities.

As a relatively new form of technology, there are still some businesses and visitors who have their concerns about it. That is why we thought it was time to do a bit of myth-busting, so here is the truth about 10 of the most common misconceptions surrounding visitor management software.

1. Visitor management systems are expensive

It is easy for many businesses to assume that software will be much more expensive than their traditional paper logbooks, but this is not necessarily the case. Whilst there may be a higher initial investment, it is capable of transforming your security and efficiency.

This will help to save hours of time for your receptionists and other staff members, allowing them to focus on other tasks and be more productive. This means that despite the setup cost, visitor management systems are actually an extremely cost-effective tool.

2. The systems are too complicated

It is important to remember that visitor management software was developed so that anyone who walks into your business will be able to use it. The system is incredibly user-friendly and will take your visitors through the sign-in process step by step. How much information you collect from those visitors is entirely up to you and what your business needs to know.

Setting up the software is just as straightforward. The interface has been designed to be intuitive so that you can customise it in the style of your company branding and tailor the system to your needs as easily as possible. It can also be integrated into your other technology systems so that it works seamlessly alongside them. It also means that you are able to change and adapt how you use the software as the needs of the business evolve.

3. Visitor management systems cannot be customised

The truth is that visitor management systems are actually more customisable than the pre-printed logbook on your reception desk. You can add your own logo and branding colours to keep the system looking professional. It is then possible for you to customise greeting messages, promotional material, and instructions on what your visitors should do once they have signed in.

In addition to this, you can also outline what questions your visitors should be asked. This can be as simple as their name, email address, and car registration, or you can find out more about their contact details, the business they have come from, and the purpose of their visit if you want to.

Visitor management systems have been developed to work with every business, and so they are fully customisable and adaptable to ensure they meet your own specific needs.

4. They are only suitable for big businesses

The real beauty of digital visitor management systems is that they are suitable for any business of any size. They are cost-effective and can ensure that you do not need a dedicated member of staff to man your reception at all times. You can customise your software to suit your business and make it as personal as you want. It also allows you to streamline check-in to keep everyone safe and secure and look more professional in the process.

5. Visitor management software is not secure

Visitor management software has been designed with layers of security and digital verification to ensure it is as secure as possible. Many systems will use multiple identification methods, and the in-built encryption will help to guard against any data theft or privacy infringements. When a visitor inputs their details, they can do so with the confidence that the next visitor to walk through the door cannot view any of their information. However, when they sign into a visitor check-in book on the reception desk, it is possible to see everyone who has come before you.

6. It won’t work with existing systems

The point of visitor management software is to streamline the processes within your business, and to do this it needs to be fully integrated with your existing systems. This software has been developed specifically so that it can be integrated into other digital systems such as security protocols or business intelligence software.

7. The software is not mobile-friendly

The developers behind visitor management systems were well aware that their software would need to be hosted on a variety of different devices. The majority of them have integrated mobile apps that will work on laptops, tablets, and even smartphones.

8. Visitor management software has limited uses

Many businesses that adopt visitor management software have found that it is incredibly versatile. It can work with a security team to prevent any unauthorised access to the building, but it can also be used to make a professional first impression on any visitors who arrive at your business. As the check-in process is smoother and quicker, your reception team can be busy with more productive tasks, and your business can benefit from collecting important data that it can then use for analysis and marketing purposes.

9. They are no use in an emergency

If the fire alarm sounds, your receptionist will normally have to grab the sign-in book and run outside trying to keep track of any visitors. With visitor management software, a number of staff members can all have access to the system, which will contain photographs of the visitors to make them much easier to identify. When they have been located, they can be ticked off the list so that everyone knows they have been found safely, making the evacuation procedure safer, quicker, and more effective.

10. They only work in one location

Visitor management software is often cloud-based, which means it can be signed into from a variety of different locations. It can be used to scale with your company and cover multiple locations if needed.

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Every business needs a way of signing visitors in and out, and many are now making the shift towards a digital visitor management system. These are quick and efficient ways to replace the more traditional paper-based systems, but how do they stack up against one another?

So, let’s explore the benefits of each type of sign in system to work out which one would be the best for your business.

What is visitor management software?

When a visitor arrives at your business, there is a certain amount of information that they will need to give you. Instead of queuing up to speak to a receptionist or filling in a paper-based system, your business may choose to put visitor management software in place, which is hosted on a tablet computer. This can be fully customised in the style of your business, including colours, branding and logos and can also ask any relevant questions that you have selected.

This makes the sign in system much quicker and also more detailed, and the ability to take a photograph means personalised visitor badges can also be printed. The records of each sign in are then stored digitally and any relevant members of staff will be informed of the arrival.

Cost effectiveness

One of the biggest concerns for any business will be how cost effective their sign in system is. There is no doubt that the upfront cost of a paper system is much cheaper than needing to invest in visitor management software. However, the long-term view can be very different.

Not only does the paper system have the potential to become disorganised or lost, but the digital system can also keep information much more secure and actually provide businesses with greater regulatory compliance and enhanced marketing opportunities. This means that whilst the digital setup costs might be greater initially, it can pay dividends over a longer period of time.

GDPR compliance

The GDPR rules state that you must take all reasonable efforts to keep the data of your visitors, customers and staff as secure as possible. Paper based sign in systems can make this very difficult to achieve as they are often available for anyone in the reception area to view, photograph or copy. Keeping paper-based information secure is also much harder in the long term as they will need to be kept in files and folders which are more easily accessed by other people.

When someone signs in using visitor management software, they will only be able to see their own record and not anybody else’s. This is then stored digitally and can be encrypted. Access to this data will be restricted to those who are given the necessary login details for the system and their activity can be tracked. Therefore, a digital management system can help you to be much more compliant with GDPR rules and avoid any of the penalties that might be incurred by data being lost or stolen.

In case of emergency

If the fire alarm sounds, then everyone will need to be evacuated from the building and those in charge of reception should grab your visitor sign-in books and take them out to try and account for all the visitors that might be in the building. This could be an arduous task as they will not always be sure who they are looking for, and the person in question might have been located by somebody else.

With a digital sign in system, multiple members of staff can have access to the visitor records on mobile devices such as laptops or tablets. Each record will have a photograph to help identify the visitor and once they are marked as found by one member of staff, it will show on all devices, meaning that it is much easier for the emergency services to focus on anyone who might be missing.

Continue reading: How can Visitor Management Systems help with emergency evacuations?

Productivity levels

Productivity is key to any business, so it is important to look at how the different sign-in systems can help with this. Digital systems tend to help boost productivity in the workplace by providing a more quick and efficient service. Each visitor can sign in independently without needing the help of any reception staff, which frees them up to complete other tasks.

The member of staff that the visitor is here to see can then automatically be notified of the arrival and can send instructions or go to meet the visitor at the appropriate time, meaning that they are not left hanging around waiting.

Visitor management software can automate many processes involved with signing in and greeting a visitor that can help to save both time and money for businesses.

Marketing opportunities

Welcoming a visitor to your workplace is one thing, but it can be important to follow up with them afterwards as well. Sign in sheets can collect a limited amount of contact information, but visitors can choose not to fill this in, or it may be illegible. When choosing to follow up after the visit, each inquiry will need to be made manually and individually, which can be time consuming.

With a digital sign in system, it is possible to make it mandatory that a visitor supplies certain contact details so that you can chase them up later. You can also automate this process, by setting reminders or sending pre-written emails. The information can also be put into a database, making it much easier to send mass emails at appropriate times if GDPR rules allow it.

Paper based sign-in systems have been invaluable for decades, but there is a newcomer on the block that looks set to replace this. Visitor management software has a huge number of advantages over the more traditional systems which makes them more secure, more efficient and more valuable. Businesses are increasingly turning to digital sign in options to help ensure that they are compliant with all GDPR rules whilst also making most of the information that they are able to gather, which can benefit both the visitor and the business itself.

Time to ditch the paper and go digital

Say hello to a smart, more efficient visitor management system to help boost productivity, ensure GDPR compliance and create a smoother visitor experience. Contact our team today for more information or download VMFree – for free, today!

When someone visits your office, they are probably coming to do business in some form, so it is important to make a good impression. You want them to feel welcome, comfortable, and as though they are walking into somewhere professional, and you can often have limited space in which to project all of this.

The contract won’t be signed on the basis of your reception area, but it can be the start to building a positive long-term relationship that can help your business to ultimately be more successful.

Here, we take a look at ways in which you can make the welcome to your office a positive experience for any visitor.

Prioritise comfort

When someone arrives at your office, the best way to give them a warm welcome is to make them feel comfortable and relaxed as soon as possible. If they need to wait for someone to come and see them, make sure there are comfortable chairs and refreshments available so that the wait does not seem quite so arduous.

You should make sure that the area is in keeping with the rest of your business so they can get their first taste of what to expect from you and avoid it looking too much like a doctor’s waiting room.

It can also be useful to include some reading materials but try to shy away from the usual trashy celebrity magazines and pick newspapers, magazines and books that are relevant to your industry and reflect who you are. It is also important to ensure that these are changed regularly, as if they are out of date, it can look as though you do not care.

In terms of aesthetics, some well-chosen art can always be a big step in providing a warm welcome. Again, this can be reflective of the type of business that you are and can even help to convey messages about some of the services or products that you offer so that the sales process begins from the moment your visitors sit down.

Visitor management software

Friendly and approachable receptionists can be a great way to give somebody a warm welcome, but the reality of many offices is that your reception staff are busy and often overwhelmed, meaning that the initial greeting is not always as positive as you might like. Many offices are now making use of visitor management software to provide an innovative solution to the sign-in process.

This can be hosted on the tablet computer and personalised to suit your business, which means it not only carries your branding, but it can ask your visitors any questions that you need. All visitors need to do is enter their details to let someone in the office know that they have arrived.

Many versions of the software will also allow them to take a photograph on their arrival and print out a personalised name badge. This can all help to show that you have a professional set up and you can streamline the arrival experience, so visitors are not left waiting for long periods of time becoming impatient in the process.

Clear directions

When visiting an office for the first time, it can be a daunting experience for some people, whilst others might be concerned that they will be wasting valuable time trying to find you.

It is therefore important to make sure that there are clear directions so that the entrance to the office can be located as easily as possible.

This could be through signage that starts in the car park and leads people through the building, or even instructions that are emailed out a day or two before arrival.

This allows people to plan effectively and help to eliminate any anxieties about the visit. If you are using visitor management software, you can then show people directions to the right area of the business or alert someone to come and collect them from the reception area.

Be prepared

As a visitor, there is nothing worse than arriving at an office only to find that people are not expecting you or are not ready. This can mean that they are left waiting for long periods of time or that the meeting seems unprofessional as people try to gather resources and locate the right individuals.

It is therefore essential that you are prepared for any visitors so that their first impressions with you are positive ones. Even if they are an unexpected visitor, things like visitor management software can help you to gather information about who they are and why they are visiting you so that you can be a little better prepared when you greet them.

Keep people updated

Ensuring that your visitors are fully informed about the status of their appointment is essential when it comes to avoiding unnecessary frustration.

A visitor should be informed how long they will be expected to wait when they first sign in and this can be done through a receptionist or the visitor management software that you are using. You should then make sure that they have access to some real time notifications to keep them informed about their status and any updates.

You can do this in a personalised manner, through text message or by a screen in the reception area. Even if you are running late, then open communication can help to alleviate many of the difficulties that this may cause, so let your visitors know about any changes to their appointment status as soon as possible to reduce uncertainty and ensure that you still look professional.

A visit to your office starts the minute somebody walks through the door, so it is important that you think about every step of their experience with you.

Creating the right type of welcome can say a lot about the kind of business that you run and whether that person wants to work with you. You should therefore make sure that you have his streamlined process and a comfortable and professional reception area to help you seal the deal with your visitors without them even knowing.

Create a warm atmosphere today

If you are wanting to create a warm, welcoming and seamless guest experience, we can help you! At VMFree we offer a free visitor management solution for businesses to help manage, control and streamline the visitor sign in process.

If you have a question or would like to know more about our service, please contact us today and we’ll be happy to you.

Visitor management systems are becoming increasingly popular in a growing number of businesses due to the convenience and efficiency that they can offer. They provide a new and innovative way to track visitors as they come and go from your business, helping you to find out more about them, keep them safer and improve the way in which your business works.

What is a visitor management system?

A visitor management system is a digital way of logging the arrival of visitors into your business. Rather than a traditional logbook on a reception desk, this is not only able to capture the name and time of any arrivals, but also any other details that you might feel are pertinent.

These systems are completely customisable, which means not only will they carry the branding of your business, but you can choose what questions the system asks each visitor when they sign in.

This system is often also able to take a photograph of the visitor and print a personalised visitors badge for them to wear while they are there. This can be a massive boost to security as it makes it much clearer who everyone is. The system can also notify the member of staff that is due to be meeting the visitor to ensure that there are as few delays as possible in getting them seen.

Visitor management systems have been designed to streamline the reception service, providing a more professional way to record any visits whilst ensuring that all data is kept secure and your business functions at its best.

The benefits of visitor management software

One of the biggest impacts that visitor management software can make is on your time. Visitors can now sign in on a tablet computer, providing you with all the information you need quickly and easily. This means there are no delays while they queue to the reception desk to wait for a busy member of staff and eliminates the risk of any human error in dealing with the visitor.

Having a live record of who is in the building can also play a big part of any emergency procedures. In the event of an evacuation, multiple staff members can have access to the same system which shows which visitors are on site at any given point and can include a photograph, making it easier to identify them and take them off the list when they have been located.

Visitor management software is also very important when it comes to data collection. Most sign-in books simply ask for a name, an organisation and sometimes a car registration, but with visitor management systems you can ask for much more detail than this. You can collect contact details, job information and even the reason for the visit to help analyse trends and follow up on potential sales leads.

This system is also designed to improve the security of your business. You can have a list of people who are authorised to access the building, and you can keep information and pictures on file of anyone who is not welcome. This makes it much easier for any security teams to deal with unwanted visitors and keep everyone within your business safe and happy.

Visitor management software is incredibly important at freeing up the time of valuable staff members for more important roles whilst providing a professional and streamlined approach to visitor management that can be used in businesses of almost any size.

Get started today

Are you looking for a fast, secure, and most importantly, free visitor management software? At VMFree we offer a free visitor management solution for businesses to help manage, control and streamline the visitor sign in process. If you have a question or would like to know more about our service, please contact us today and we’ll be happy to help.

Visitor management software is now becoming an essential tool for many businesses as a new and efficient way to greet and handle visitors. It can perform a number of different tasks and has customisable options to help it seamlessly blend into your business and its branding.

There are many different types of visitor management software available, so it is important to look at the needs of your business in order to identify the one that is right for you. In this article, we assess the visitor management software options to help you make the right choice.

What is visitor management software

The reception area of a business can be a busy place, and so visitor management software has been brought in to help streamline many of these processes. It can be set up to collect whatever information from your visitors that you need, and can tie into appointment calendars, helping to inform staff when a visitor arrives and ensuring that meeting rooms are booked.

Once a visitor has signed in using the software, it can print a personalised visitors badge for them, log their arrival and even tell them where they need to go next. This can mean that receptionists are not needed in the same way and can free them up to perform other tasks, whilst also enhancing security and making the business more efficient.

Business needs

When investing in visitor management software, it is important to look at what your business needs it to do.

By looking at your own needs first, it becomes much easier to narrow down the options that are out there to find the software system that is right for you.

This can be done by thinking about the number of visitors that you need it to be able to deal with, the information that you need it to collect, and the systems that you might need it to integrate with. Once you understand your own needs, it is much simpler to find the visitor management system that is the right fit.

Compliance

Compliance looks different in every type of industry, so you need to have a full understanding of what rules you are bound by. Whether it is GDPR laws or regulations that are more industry specific, you need to ensure that you are compliant at all times, and this includes your visitor management software.

It is therefore important that you look for solutions that have been designed with these laws in mind, to help them meet your needs more effectively. The visitor management software that you choose will need to have all of your required security features and should be able to capture the data that you want.

Integration

In most cases, businesses will want their visitor management software to integrate with other systems that are already in use. This might mean that it will need to link to access control systems, booking software, appointment diaries, security cameras or databases.

You should start by making a list of all of the systems that it will need to be able to work with, to enable you to check that the visitor management software you have chosen will integrate correctly.

Security

Visitor management software is required to handle a lot of sensitive data, both on behalf of your business and your visitors, so it is crucial that it is fully secure.

Before opting for any type of software, it is essential that you check whether it offers security features such as data encryption, secure storage and multi-factor authentication so that you can be confident that you have taken all necessary precautions.

User-friendliness

In order for visitor management software to be effective, it needs to be easy for everyone to use. Your employees will need to be able to get to grips with it in order to effectively set up meetings, and your visitors should be able to use it with little or no support in order for it to deliver the efficiencies that you are looking for.

It is therefore important that you get to use the software before you invest in it, so that you can see how it works for yourself. Visitor management software that is difficult to use will often be under utilised, which can then have a direct impact on security, productivity and visitor satisfaction.

Accessibility

In order to ensure that your business is inclusive for everyone, you should also check what accessibility features are on offer. This might include text to speech features, translation abilities or different text styles to ensure that everyone who enters your business is able to use it.

Customisation

You will want your visitor management software to look as though it is another part of your business, so you will need a range of customisation features. This will help it to fit in with your branding and colour schemes to give it a more professional feel.

You should also be able to customise the data that it collects, the messages that it displays and the way in which it works, so make sure that you check the software you are looking at provides the flexibility that you need.

Support

We know that things can go wrong from time to time, no matter how good they are, so you should also consider what support is on offer.

You should look at what services your software provides to help you fix problems or understand features that might be causing you headaches. As a business, it is important that you resolve any issues as quickly as possible, so check what each package offers to get you back on track when you need it.

Affordability

Every business has a budget, so you need to consider what the real costs of the software will be. Look at what licences might be needed, whether there are monthly subscriptions and think about any add-ons as well as the initial setup costs.

Visitor management software is a great way to improve workflows as well as enhancing safety and being more professional, so make sure you do your research and pick the right option for your business.

Get Started With VMFree!

Looking for a fast, convenient, secure, and FREE visitor management solution? Here at VMFree we offer a free visitor management solution for businesses who are looking for cheap and effective solution to managing a range of visitors from clients to contractors.

Get in touch with our team today and we’ll do all we can to help!

Ensuring that your visitor management software is GDPR compliant is crucial for any business that collects personal information. Here’s how to ensure that your visitor management software is GDPR compliant.

What is GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) exists to manage the way data is processed and stored, by businesses, ultimately to prevent data breaches and theft of sensitive information.

There are currently two GDPRs: EU GDPR and UK GDPR which came into force following Brexit.

For the most part, the key principles within the UK GDPR are very much the same as the EU GDPR, however some rules differ if personal data is being transferred between the UK and EEA, which you can read more about here.

Why was GDPR implemented?

GDPR was introduced to respond to growing concerns about the way personal data is collected, used and stored by companies. Concerns were raised regarding the potential for misuse of personal data and it falling into the wrong hands and being exposed.

The rules and guidelines of GDPR made it clear for customers on how their personal data would be collected, used, retained and disposed of.

It is important with GDPR to only collect the data that you absolutely require, you should not collect any personal data that is irrelevant.

What does GDPR have to do with visitor management software?

Visitor management software requires you to collect guests’ personal data such as name and maybe contact information. When collecting this personal data, this is where GDPR becomes applicable.

GDPR applies to any processing or collection of personal data that can be linked back to an individual such as names, email addresses, vehicle registration plates and pictures.

GDPR protocols apply to both electronic visitor management systems and paper-based systems.

Who is involved in GDPR compliance?

There are 3 main stakeholders involved with GDPR compliance and management:

1. The visitor, also known as the data subject
2. Your company, also known as the data controller
3. Your software, also known as the data processor

How long should data be retained?

There is no minimum or maximum requirement to maintain personal data. Companies can establish their own retention periods which could be from a week to a year.

As long as the data is maintained securely, the data can be stored as long as required and when this is no longer required, it must be disposed of in a compliant manner to ensure data protection.

Risks of GDPR Non-Compliance

If your business doesn’t comply with GDPR, then you could face serious legal penalties. Here are some recent examples of penalties that companies have faced:

• 2019: Google was fined €50 million by the French data protection authority for not being clear regarding their data protection practices
• 2020: British Airways were fined £20 million by the UK data protection authority for a data breach that exposed the personal data of around 500,000 customers
• 2021: The UK data protection authority find the hotel group, Marriott, £18.4 million for a data breach which exposed data of over 330 million guests

There are two tiers of penalties that your business could face for not complying with GDPR, the higher maximum, and the standard maximum.

The Higher Maximum

As stated by ico.org.uk, “The higher maximum amount, is £17.5 million or 4% of the total annual worldwide turnover in the preceding financial year, whichever is higher.

In practice, the higher maximum amount can apply to any failure to comply with any of the data protection principles, any rights an individual may have under Part 3 or in relation to any transfers of data to third countries.”

The Standard Maximum

Again, as stated by ico.org.uk, “If there is an infringement of other provisions, such as administrative requirements of the legislation, the standard maximum amount will apply, which is £8.7 million or 2% of the total annual worldwide turnover in the preceding financial year, whichever is higher.”

How to ensure your Visitor Management System is GDPR compliant

There are a number of steps that you can take to ensure that your visitor management system is GDPR compliant:

1 Ask for consent

GDPR requires businesses to obtain consent before obtaining their personal data. You need to ensure that your VMS allows for guests to confirm that they have read the privacy policy, or options for which data can be stored.

2 Provide information

GDPR states that individuals or guests have a legal right to know what you plan to do with their data after they have provided it. You must be upfront and clear on how it will be used and stored for.

3 Collect only what you require

You should be selective and only ask for the data that you require. This helps streamline the check-in process and prevents you from storing any unnecessary data.

4 Control & limit access

Businesses must ensure that only those who are authorised have access to the data obtained. You could implement access control procedures which logs the members of staff that have accessed data collected, you can then review the log and ensure that no unauthorised members of staff have viewed customers personal data.

5 Decode information

Cloud based visitor management systems provide a safe way to store data as they are encrypted and difficult to access and understand.

6 Respect your guests

Visitors can withdraw their consent at any given time, and this must be respected. If you do not follow their requests and remove the data originally collected, you are in breach of GDPR protocols.

Keep GDPR Compliant with our Visitor Management Systems

If your business is looking for a GDPR compliant visitor management software supplier, then you can get in touch with our team today to begin implementing your visitor sign in system.

Depending on the size of your business you may have multiple access points that people can enter and exit. Having them all managed individually can be a big task that in some cases could require unnecessary additional staff.

Fortunately, there are ways to keep this under control through a visitor sign-in system. You may wish to close off access points altogether to ensure visitors and staff come and go from one main entrance which can be monitored more effectively by smaller numbers of security staff, but without compromising on safety.

Why use a visitor access control system?

A visitor access control system can benefit businesses because it allows you to track who is within your premises and why they’re present at your workplace. By understanding these two factors, a sign-in system can keep a close eye on who enters your workplace and where they entered from, so your business can act quickly if there is any unauthorised access within your building.

With our visitor sign-in system, individuals are provided with the option to confirm their attendance remotely, by signing in from the comfort of their own device.

Ensure to collect visitor information

When a visitor enters your building, it is important to know as much as you can about the visitor. Common areas of information to collect can consist of their name, contact details, when they entered the building, and how long they expect to be there for.

Having these details available, even for a short amount of time, your security team can quickly understand the reasons for their visit and if unauthorised, make decisions with haste before the visitor leaves.

Combine your safety systems

Your business should already have safety and security systems in place before you implement a visitor access management system. Combining your existing procedures with your newly adopted system can help your visitors feel more comfortable and welcomed by your business.

Through combining your safety systems together, it can also simplify access for different types of visitors, for example someone visiting your business for a meeting can be signed in and granted to different areas of your workplace based on their permission from existing security systems, whereas someone delivering parcels and packages can be handled much more efficiently and have only the access permission they need, without causing disruption.

Plan for emergencies

Regardless of how small or large a security risk may be, is vital to ensure visitors and staff are always safe. If you’re putting a security plan in place, it’s important to keep in mind visitors such as facility managers, who aren’t your employees but frequently visit the business, delivery drivers and other service providers who visit the business upon request, as well as guests attending meetings, so that they are aware of the evacuation plans.

Typically, the best way to ensure that employees and regular visitors are familiar with these protocols is by practicing your evacuation plan upon their arrival.

Implement a visitor sign-in system today

By putting a visitor access management system in place, you can better control your access points by knowing who enters your business, as well as their purpose. If you’re looking to adopt a visitor management system to help control your workplace access points, get in touch with our team today and we’ll do all we can to help.

We all know that first impressions are important, but did you know that your business’ first impression doesn’t start when they meet an employee, it starts when they enter the building!

Many organisations have a wide range of visitors including potential new hires, family and friends, clients and even delivery people so providing them with a welcoming and professional environment as soon as they step through the door can do wonders for how they feel and how they perceive your business.

Visitor management systems are a great way to welcome both visitors and staff during the work day. They can help give directions and information to visitors while also giving your team a way to track who is in the building and why.

Here we discuss the ways a visitor management system can help welcome visitors to your business.

It gives a great first impression

A VMS can help you impress guests as soon as they walk through your door. You can send them an invite that contains all the information they require to know such as directions, parking instructions or anything unique to your business. Additionally, you can send over your privacy and data policies, so your guests are comfortable with these prior to arrival.

A professional appearance

Step away from using old style pen and paper. A VMS lets your guests digitally sign in which can help streamline the sign-in process.

A friendly digital welcome screen is a lot more inviting than a sheet of paper and a pen. Additionally, it prevents employees having to keep track of visitors manually which can help improve efficiency and time management.

Wayfinding

Visitor management software can help guests find where they need to be. Once they have signed in, the system can provide them with directions to find exactly where they need to be, and this can be very useful for first time visitors.

It can help address your visitors quickly

Leaving your visitors to wander aimlessly through your lobby or reception is no way to create a welcoming environment. Using a visitor management system which can give recently signed-in visitors their ‘next step’ can reduce their anxiety in situations where they’re not sure where they’re supposed to go.

These next steps could be directions to the meeting room or waiting room, informing them of who they need to speak to like a receptionist and even directing them to important areas like facilities and cafeterias. This can help address each visitor as they arrive, reducing reception wait times and welcoming visitors instantly.

Furthermore, as soon as a guest signs in, an employee can be notified about their arrival and then greet the guest to make them feel welcome.

Security measures

A visitor management system helps you keep your workplace secure from unauthorised guests. You can utilise the system to pre-screen visitors, so you are confident that they are who they are claiming to be. This can help guests feel safe and secure whilst they are visiting your premises.

You can also run through the emergency evacuation process and notify visitors of the nearest emergency exits should they be required. This can also help them feel safe and aware of their surroundings.

Additionally, having staff regularly checking the reception area or hiring security guards can help employees and guests feel safe and comfortable at all times.

It gives them identification

Especially in larger organisations, visitors can often feel as if they don’t belong or that the person that they’re there to see won’t be able to find them in a room full of people, so providing them with a custom visitor badge can ease this tension.

VMFree’s custom visitor badges can include the visitor’s name, picture, what type of visitor they are (family and friends, potential hire, deliveries and more) and even the date of their visit. You can also customise the look of your visitor badges to add your company’s branding and logo.

To make it easier for a visitor’s return visit, you can save templates for your custom visitor badges so you won’t have to create a new one each time, just will just need to change the date of the visit and maybe the reason for their visit.

Welcoming visuals

No matter if your visitors sign in through a physical terminal or on their phone, they should have an easy warm welcome. If visitors are signing in on a physical terminal or even at reception, ensuring it is easily accessible is important, this means having adequate signage and putting it in an accessible area, preferably close to the entrance of your premises.

Allowing visitors to sign in on the app gives them the opportunity to sign in ahead of time, this means it will reduce time spent standing around or wondering where to go. Signing in on the app allows visitors to read your policies ahead of time and also allows them to see where they need to go before even entering the building.

Welcoming environment

Your reception area should be warm and inviting for all guests for a good first impression. It should be on brand colours, well-lit, clean and have space for guests to take a seat whilst waiting to be greeted.

You can even go the extra mile with your reception area by providing guests with light snacks and refreshments should they require these. They may have had a long journey so a refreshment may be greatly appreciated. Furthermore, to create a positive and relaxing environment you could select an appropriate playlist and aroma which go hand in hand.

How can VMFree help?

VMFree is a free visitor management system that has a wide range of features to help you manage and welcome visitors to your business including, custom visitor badges, visitor tracking, staff management and an accompanying sign in/out application.

If you would like to learn more about VMFree and how it can provide your business with new ways to manage staff and visitors, please contact us today!

Visitor management systems help with emergency evacuations by providing accurate, real-time evacuation lists, enabling better coordination with emergency responders, and offering instant access to essential data like last known locations and contact information.

With visitor management systems being known for being a versatile way to track and manage the people entering your business premises, we’re going to delve into more detail as to how they can help in an emergency situation.

The key benefits of visitor management systems during emergency evacuations:

In the event of an emergency, it’s important that safety procedures are carried out quickly and efficiently.

Real time evacuation lists

In situations without any visitor management systems in place, you can never account for everyone in the building. By using a visitor management system, you can access a real time evacuation list that can provide details of who is on site and their last known location, ensuring everyone is accounted for during an emergency.

Because guests are required to sign in and out when they enter and leave the premises, you can get an accurate evacuation list that you can use to mark people as safe and make emergency services aware of people who are still in the building.

Cloud based system allows access to data during an evacuation

In an emergency, a cloud-based visitor management system can save you precious time. If you’re using logbooks or electronic management systems, you might be unable to access the list of people in the building if you have been evacuated.

With a cloud-based visitor management system, you can access your evacuation list on your phone by logging in to your system on the application. Cloud based visitor management systems also allow you to access your data while offline so you can obtain the important data you need without being connected to the internet.

Enhanced coordination with responders

In an emergency, it’s vital that you provide responders with as much information as you can so they can do their job to their best ability. Being able to provide emergency responders with a list of people who are still not accounted for, and their last known location will allow them to prioritise getting people safely out of the building without having to search every department for them. This could potentially save lives.

Visitor evacuation lists can provide first respondents with the number of employees and visitors that are still unaccounted for, the areas they’re located and additional information that could help authorities.

Visitor photographs for to help with identification

With many visitor management systems, they use visitor registrations that allow people to attach an image to their account or visitor badge. This can be especially useful to emergency responders as it can help them easily identify people during a search and mark them as safe when they’re out of the building.

Mobile app sign out capabilities to accurately know who is in / out of the building

Some visitor management systems allow visitors and employees to sign out on a mobile app allowing you to get an accurate read of how many people are in the building. It is important to remind visitors and employees to only sign out once they are leaving the building.

This can prevent confusion during an emergency, for instance if a visitor hasn’t signed out and is under the impression they are still present within the building, emergency responders will not know for certain if a certain person needs searching for.

Access to contact information to improve communication

During the visitor registration process, visitors will be able to add contact information. This can be especially helpful getting in contact with people who are not accounted for to find out if they are safe or if they need assistance. Being able to contact the people in the building will also give emergency responders a better understanding of the situation developing inside the building.

How can VMFree help?

VM Free provides a visitor management solution for emergency evacuations. With features such as real time reports of who is on site and cloud based systems to ensure accurate evacuation lists are available anytime, even when offline. Our system will help emergency responders to act quickly and effectively.

VMFree is a free visitor management system with a wide range of useful features to help your business thrive. To learn more about our features or to discuss what you’re looking for in a visitor management system, please contact our expert team today!

Custom visitor badges are a great tool for many businesses looking to keep track of the people entering their premises, but they have many more benefits.

Visitor badges are a versatile tool for the workplace to increase security, branding and to even encourage conversations between people attending their events.

In this blog we’ll discuss what custom visitor badges are, why people use them and how they can enhance your visitors experience at your business.

What are custom visitor badges?

Custom visitor name badges are a way for organisations to keep track of who is inside their building at all times! They’re a great visual aid to easily identify who is signed in and who isn’t. These badges keep unauthorised people from slipping through and causing potential chaos.

Custom visitor badges can be customised to include important factors including:

• Their photograph
• The reason for their visit
• The date and time of their visit
• Who they’re visiting
• Your companies branding
• QR codes for validation

What are custom visitor badges used for?

Custom visitor badges can be used in various types of organisations including schools, offices and even manufacturing facilities. Regardless of whether your workplace is home to a small or large number of people, visitor badges can be a key reassurance for staff and members of the public.

Safety

Regardless of your workplace the safety of everyone who operates in and out of your premises should be a priority. From teachers and pupils to contractors and maintenance workers, custom visitor badges can be an effective tool in enhancing these small security measures, especially if you experience various levels of foot traffic within your school or workplace.

If non-employees are given visitor badges, it allows your staff to easily identify who is authorised to be there and who isn’t. This can help prevent potential safety issues such as data breaches, theft and the safety of your staff.

Showing a form of identity at all times within your place of work can be an extension of your business uniform and will provide reassurance to parents, other staff members and visitors themselves, as they can also identify who is a staff member, and who isn’t.

Branding

Aside from security, investing in custom visitor badges can do a lot more than just identify your visitors, they can also reaffirm your branding! Adding your business’ colours, logo and other branding elements can create a professional and welcoming impression to visitors, it’s also a great conversation starter if your employees are out and about, representing your company.

Encourage networking

Talking of representing your company, visitor badges can also play a key role when it comes to networking. If you’re holding an event, ensuring that names, job titles and even company names are printed on the badge, not only keeps everyone safe, but it can prove to be a great icebreaker and encourage new conversations between groups.

Make it easy for visitors to check out

Ensuring that visitors can easily sign out is a must! This can help your staff identify who is in the building during potential emergencies such as fire alarms. You can customise your visitor badges to include sign out elements like QR codes so a visitor can scan their badge as they leave to notify your staff they are no longer on the premises.

Guiding visitors

When entering a new building it can get confusing finding the room you need to be in or finding the office of the person you’re trying to meet. Making sure your visitors don’t get lost or frustrated can be made easy with custom visitor badges. Customise visitor badges to have navigation information on that tell your visitors where their meeting is, what floor the office the department they’re visiting is on and even quick directions to facilities or cafeterias.

How can VMFree help?

VMFree is a free visitor management system with a wide range of innovative features to help your business thrive. If you’re looking to streamline your visitor management and enhance your visitor experience, please get in touch with our expert team who can walk you through our features and discuss your requirements!