Must-haves for an effective visitor management system in 2024

In 2024, we are seeing a much bigger increase in people returning to the office in comparison to recent years, and with that comes the return of visitors. But with the modern workplace constantly evolving and a higher focus on safety, the landscape of visitor management continues to evolve with it - driven by advancements in technology and increased security demands. 

Below are just a few of the must-haves for an effective visitor management system in 2024 and beyond…

1. Enhanced security features

Enhancing safety and security should be the top priority with any visitor management system. An effective VMS should include:

• Pre-registrations - Pre-registering visitors before they arrive can significantly enhance security. By allowing visitors to submit their details and purpose of visit ahead of time, you know exactly who is going to be on site and can plan ahead. You can also share important safety information with guests before they arrive.
• Blocklists - Your visitor management system should give you full control over who is allowed to enter onto your premises. Automated blocklists help to identify and prevent further entry to individuals who pose a security risk.
• Visitor identification - Visitor badges play a crucial role in distinguishing visitors from employees. A VMS should offer automatic visitor badge printing that can be customized to include the information you require such as visitor photos, names and who they’re visiting. 
• Real-time tracking - Knowing who is in the building at any given time is essential for safety and security. An effective visitor management system will provide real-time tracking of visitor and employee movements within the premises; knowing exactly who is on site is particularly useful for emergency evacuations, ensuring everyone is accounted for.
• Background checks - More modern VM solutions make it easy to manage security checks. Prevent visitors from further entry if they do not have the required documents and security checks and streamline new employee onboarding, uploading the relevant information such as right to work documents and checks.

2. Elevate experiences for all

Improving efficiency is always a top priority for organizations and a visitor management system is the perfect way to do this; elevating experiences for employees, visitors and anyone else that interacts with your organization. Some of the key features to look for when looking for an effective visitor management system that improves efficiency include:

• Employee check in - Ensuring employees also sign in and out on your visitor management systems enables you to know exactly who is on site in the event of an emergency. An effective VMS will offer multiple ways for your team to check in to work seamlessly with their workday.
• Contactless sign in - Touchless check-in options, such as QR codes or smartphone check-ins, make it quick and convenient for visitors and employees to sign in. This not only enhances the visitor experience but can also minimize queues in your lobby area.
• Cloud-based solution - Cloud-based VMS solutions offer unparalleled flexibility and scalability. They allow for remote sign in, real-time updates, and seamless deployment across multiple locations. By leveraging the cloud, organizations can also ensure their visitor and employee data is securely stored and easily accessible from anywhere - improving management and reporting.
• User-friendly interface - A VMS should be intuitive and easy to use for both visitors and staff. A user-friendly interface with easy navigation ensures smooth operation and features like multi-language support and contactless sign in can significantly enhance the user experience.

3. Solve more than one business process

In today’s working world, a visitor management system should not operate in isolation - it should integrate seamlessly with other processes to streamline your business operations and continue to elevate experiences. We’ve already mentioned employee check-in, but here are few other processes an effective VMS can improve:

• Appointment scheduling - Having a visitor management system that includes appointment scheduling starts the visitor experience long before they visit and enables automatic pre-registrations. Allow guests to select their appointment slot and they’ll automatically be pre-registered as a visitor in your VMS.
• Employee time tracking - We’ve talked about employee check-in, but time tracking takes employee management with your VMS to the next level. Manage working hours, make absence management easy and export CSV reports compatible with your payroll system.
• Desk & room management - Desk and room booking is often overlooked when looking for a visitor management system. However, in the hybrid world that many organizations now work in, it can be invaluable. Users can see real-time availability of desks and rooms, making it easier to find and reserve spaces that meet their needs without unnecessary back-and-forth communication; they can also plan ahead to ensure they have spaces available when a visitor is coming in. No more running around to find a meeting area with your guest when rooms are occupied!

4. Scales with your organization

If your business is growing rapidly or you have multiple locations, it’s crucial that your visitor management system can scale with you. Here’s what to look for:

• Multi-site management - An effective visitor management system makes it easy to manage multiple locations. Your VMS should enable you to manage multiple sites from one portal, allowing for a global staff list and giving you the option to restrict who can access each location.
• Easy to deploy - As mentioned earlier, cloud-based solutions offer unparalleled scalability - making it easy to deploy your new system to multiple locations, setting global site settings or tailoring to each location.
• Seamless integrations - In addition to solving multiple business processes as discussed in our third point, an effective VMS will also integrate with your existing systems. For example, Google Workspace or Azure AD to help you manage a global staff list, or Slack and Microsoft Teams for notifications.

If you’re looking for a solution that does all of the above and more, you’re in the right place. Sign In App is the smart and flexible visitor management and employee sign in solution, built for the modern workplace. Get started today with a no-obligation 15 day free trial here. Alternatively, if you have any questions, you can reach the team 24 hours a day, 5 days a week here.