7 ways how visitor management software can change your company

There is a growing recognition of the importance of visitor management software across industries worldwide. Its benefits are practicable that its rising popularity in various types of businesses isn’t surprising.

Data from Zion Market Research show that the global market for this modern technology that is aligned to the purpose of CRM software was valued at about $1200.0 million in 2015 and is projected to grow six times over to $6300.0 million by 2025. Furthermore, the research firm expects the market to expand at 15% CAGR from 2017 to 2025.

Depending on how companies use the tool, visitor management software can do wonders in how current businesses operate. While some companies use it primarily for convenience, others use it for security purposes. For this sake, there is ongoing development in making the software more accessible to small businesses. As a case in point, a cloud-based visitor management solution is enabling managers and landlords to remotely monitor and control access permissions without physically handling keycards or keys to their new tenants.

Below are seven ways visitor management system features can build strong customer relationship and transform the way you do business:

1. It allows you to customize features to fit your growing needs

A decent visitor management tool is scalable and highly flexible. It makes it simple for you to make changes you need whenever you need them. You can customize it according to your preference and update it as often as needed to keep pace with the latest trends and best practices in visitor management.

2. It hastens the sign-in process of visitors dramatically

The receptionist, security, or the hosts can pre-register visitors through an online pre-registration module. It is a more convenient method than the conventional way of registering on the reception where you would need to deal with plenty of information inquiries.

You can add all the relevant information of a visitor scheduled for a meeting in the populated data system ahead of time. This eliminates the taxing experience of queuing up in lobbies for registration. It is particularly beneficial for large gatherings, conferences, and events by helping organizations manage high volumes of visitors efficiently. Moreover, the system enables you to send confirming emails with safety instructions, a map, and other meeting specifics to any visitor automatically and with accuracy.

Instant notifications substantially reduce visitor check-in and waiting times. It empowers guests to sign compliance documents and create badges without requiring assistance. Hosts can also stay informed and empowered to send better communication with lots of media messaging options to choose from.

A case study done on the visitor sign-in system of the University Malaysia Pahang (UMP) Pekan campus found that the visitor registration process using the technology has improved by 26% to 54% for new visitors and by 86% to 91% for existing visitors compared to manual record. The time needed to complete registration was reduced significantly by almost 37% on average.

3. It boosts staff morale

You only have one chance to make a first impression to last. Visitor management system features will empower your lobby staff to welcome visitors efficiently, quickly, and warmly which could, in turn, raise the professionalism of your organization. This applies particularly to organizations that take pride in offering unique and unforgettable experiences. How well they manage visitors is an excellent indication of their approach in providing uplifting on-site experience. All these benefits you get to enjoy while you keep your facilities and staff safe and your customers satisfied.

4. It improves accountability and visibility

The tool enables you to identify individuals who are in the building premises at any given time. There are many factors to consider when choosing a visitor management system.

Automating data generation of check-ins and third-party interactions is one of the most critical visitor management system benefits as it helps companies obtain insights for external and internal use. A more advanced system can even provide your staff with the ability to study and detect various visitor patterns such as the check-in frequency of a particular individual and the person they meet with. Depending on the information captured and your software’s capabilities, they can generate different reports which can be quite beneficial in instances where it is essential to record on-site departures and arrivals from a secure zone.

5. It increases efficiency

Take your business to the next level by replacing paper-based systems with more advanced technology. Outdated paper-based systems are inefficient while the latest technology takes advantage of the state-of-the-art features of scanners and cameras to screen visitors while you make them feel welcome and hasten their registration process.

A stark difference between a modern web-based visitor management system and a traditional method is that it does not only look more aesthetically appealing and more professional but is also substantially more efficient and productive. It owes it all to constant future-proof development. Pre-registration of visitors and the automatic notification of their arrival also help your staff save time and divert their focus to other important tasks.

Paperless reporting also eliminates the need for large quantities of paper and long hours of administrative labor to ensure that data is filed, stored, and secured safely. All visitor information is filed in an easily accessible back-office solution. Should a visitor wishes to have their details made anonymous or removed after their visit, the receptionist can quickly search for his reference number or name and perform the request.

6. It saves you money

Automation and streamlining of visitor sign-ups equate to lower processing costs for every visitor. This ultimately means substantial cost savings in the long run. A lengthy sign-in process can be detrimental to receptionists who are often multitasking to complete their primary and secondary roles. According to a UC Irvine study, it takes about 23 minutes for someone distracted from interruption to recover. Other costs are hard to measure, including those related to security breaches. An automated system of visitor management can eliminate these costs.

7. It keeps your employees and facilities safe and secure

Among other visitor management system benefits, many organizations are recognizing the importance of securing the safety of their employees and facilities. An outdated manual sign up system offers little to no security. Modern lobby security equipped with high-tech features, on the other hand, provides you the additional protection you need to identify visitors accurately and quickly. Visitor management software is now often used to complement access control and building security systems. This eventually saves companies from investing additional money into extra physical security devices and installing CCTVs.

In the case of hazardous situations, a reliable web-based visitor management system can help in searching through evacuation reports by a single push of a button. It can likewise notify the management about the non-staff individuals that are present on the premises.

To ensure third-party intelligence remains confidential and securely stored, the most advanced system enables you to configure the settings inside the back-office solutions. This ensures that only authorized staff members are permitted to access visitor information and thereby limiting possibilities of a data breach to only trusted personnel.

Should you invest in visitor management software?

Investing in modern technology to revolutionize your business operation is an excellent idea with all the visitor management system benefits as mentioned above. They are good reasons to believe that these solutions are taking over the reception.

Nonetheless, there’s a variety of these solutions available. You should spend considerable time vetting each solution to understand its pros and cons. Picking the wrong visitor management software for your company could cost you features you don’t really need or does not provide the best value. Making a change later can also be a total waste of time. You also need to consider the skill levels of the users. It should be user-friendly not only to visitors.