Buyer’s guide: Visitor management systems
Rapid
With so many people accessing the workplace daily, how do you keep track of everyone who comes and goes? More importantly, how do you ensure that everyone that comes on site has completed their induction and is aware of your safety policies and is therefore authorised to enter? This is where having a visitor management system helps. In this buyer’s guide we look at what you should consider when evaluating systems.
Why do businesses need a visitor management system?
Businesses need a visitor management system to enhance safety, strengthen security and ensure compliance all while delivering a seamless check-in experience for every guest.
Whether it’s tracking employee attendance, welcoming visitors, or ensuring compliance, a good visitor management system can meet the requirements of every type of person that visits your site. In addition to streamlining site access and enforcing compliance, a visitor management system also enhances security measures by digitising visitor logs, and leveraging biometric and face authentication, to accurately record who is on-site but also deter unauthorised individuals attempting to gain access. With a visitor management system, businesses can create a safer environment for employees and visitors alike.
Questions to consider when choosing a visitor management system
1. What’s the ideal check-in experience for the people who visit?
There are multiple ways to check into a workplace, and the method used depends on the people that will be visiting the most. Let’s look at the different ways to check in:
This traditional method requires maintaining and regularly replacing physical logbooks at entry points. Visitors manually record their details, such as name, date, time of arrival, and purpose of visit. While simple, this approach raises privacy concerns, as visitor information is publicly visible. It also creates administrative challenges as records must be stored on-site, are difficult to search, and can contain errors or illegible handwriting.
This method involves visitors scanning a QR code with their mobile phone and entering their information to check in. No extra hardware is needed and QR codes can be linked to digital visitor management systems, allowing automatic logging, notifications, and reporting. The only downside is that QR codes can be shared or photographed allowing unauthorised check-ins if not paired with induction and compliance software. Also, QR codes don’t directly link with access hardware to open doors.
This method allows visitors or workers to check in using a dedicated mobile application. Geo-fencing technology can automate the process by detecting when someone enters or leaves a defined area. While convenient, this approach has limitations. Accuracy can vary depending on mobile reception, GPS precision, and the size of the geofence. It also relies on users having compatible devices, sufficient battery life, and the correct app permissions enabled. For new or infrequent visitors, the need to download and install an app can create friction and delay entry.
This method allows regular visitors or staff to check in and access secure areas using authorised swipe cards. While reliable and familiar, it presents several administrative challenges. Cards can be lost, stolen, or shared, creating security risks. Replacing or reissuing cards also adds cost and effort.
Fingerprint scanners are commonly used for check-ins linked to access control systems and are best suited to regular visitors or employees. While they offer a high level of security and convenience, they also raise hygiene concerns, particularly in shared environments. Devices can be prone to wear and tear, require regular cleaning and calibration, and may struggle to recognise prints if fingers are dirty, wet, or injured leading to delays and maintenance issues.
Digital kiosks are touchscreen devices that use native apps on iPads or Android tablets to guide a check in and collect information. For a touch free experience, they can display QR codes for scanning or use face authentication to check people in automatically. With the capability to configure multiple check-in processes, print name badges, and notify hosts, these systems are ideal for any kind of visitor. Some kiosks can also be linked to access control to open doors for authorised personnel.
This involves using IP cameras or tablet terminals at key checkpoints, such as a boom gate or turnstile, to identify individuals with face authentication, check their compliance and automatically grant access if authorised. Perfect for outdoor environments, this type of system connects with access control to help ensure only authorised and compliant individuals can enter.
2. What information should you collect during the check in process?
The type of information you collect will depend on your business activities and the people entering your site. At a minimum, you should record each visitor’s name and contact details to ensure you can account for everyone in the event of an emergency.
Additional information may include responses to health or safety questionnaires, completed compliance forms, or confirmation that visitors have read and accepted your site rules. In some cases, you may also need to request supporting documents, such as licences, insurance certificates, or even results from an alcohol breath test. These processes can be streamlined through a digital check-in kiosk integrated with your compliance systems.
3. Do you need to induct people before they come onsite?
If your visitors or contractors need to complete paperwork, upload documents, or go through safety training before entering, pre-induction can save a lot of time at the gate. It keeps arrivals smooth and avoids delays, particularly when large groups start work at the same time. Look for visitor management software that combines inductions and contractor management in one platform.
4. Do you need to print visitor badges?
Printed badges/stickers can help make visitors easily identifiable on site. They can also allow staff to greet visitors by name to improve the overall visitor experience.
5. Do you need to link to access control?
If your workplace entrance is unmanned and security or compliance is a high priority, consider implementing a visitor management system that integrates with your access control, contractor management, and induction software. This type of solution can automatically grant entry, such as opening vehicle boom gates, doors, or pedestrian turnstiles, for authorised and fully compliant personnel only.
6. Do you need to check in vehicles and drivers or just pedestrians?
A visitor management system doesn’t need to be limited to just people on foot. If vehicles can access your site, then consider a system that can check in vehicles and grant access. This can include licence plate and/or face ID checks. Best if the system can also connect to inductions to ensure swift access on arrival.
7. Is the location for checking in outdoors or indoors?
If outdoors, a printed and laminated QR code or an IP camera could be the best method. However, if indoors, a kiosk might be a better option. It’s important to take into consideration factors like weather elements and access to the internet.
8. Do you need to know who is on site at any point in time?
This is important in the case of an emergency. Having digital check-in records, accessible via web and mobile apps, can be very handy for emergencies and evacuation drills. Also, great if you need to quickly search for who was on site on which days, and export information for reporting or investigation.
9. What are your data security needs?
Do you have ISO-related requirements? Will different people require different access levels to check-in activity and analytics? Is it important that data is stored in your country? It’s important to consider your security needs when deciding on a visitor management system.
10. Do you need a system that scales?
It’s worth considering your future needs. Will you be adding more locations? Will the number of people accessing your site increase? A reliable visitor management system should be able to scale with you.
11. Do you require the system to integrate with any existing infrastructure or technology stack?
We already touched on access control, alcohol checks and badge printing. Other integrations you may want to consider include payroll software for automated timesheets, internal communication platforms such as Teams and Slack or key cabinet locks. Customers with IT capabilities may also benefit from building connections internally via APIs.
By answering these questions, you can make an informed decision about which visitor management system is right for you.
What features should a visitor management system include?
For a visitor management system, features should include strong security and compliance functionality, automation benefits, a good user experience for checking in and the ability to integrate with other solutions.
Security and compliance
The system should allow for new visitors to pre-register or register onsite with equal ease. This involves collecting contact information, providing survey questions, and requesting ID documents if needed. The system should allow for this to be done prior to visiting or on the spot.
This feature allows a workplace to tailor different workflows for different people. This might involve setting up multiple surveys and different induction flows based on someone’s reason for visiting. Surveys can be health related, skill specific, or involve safety procedures to be reviewed.
To ensure a safe and secure workplace, the system
should be able to verify the identity of the person checking in. This may involve requesting an ID document, or taking a photo or requesting the person checking in to upload a photo. With the
addition of facial recognition, the check in process can be streamlined, especially for regularly visiting staff.
The system should provide a digital log of everyone onsite in the case of an emergency. The digital list should be accessible on mobile devices and feature the ability to send SMS alerts plus easily account for those that make it to the safe area.
In some cases, a business may need to request, reject and approve documents required for entry. This can include being notified when a document is expiring. This can be part of the induction or pre-registration of new visitors or contractors. This often requires linking to contractor management, permit to work and induction platforms.
Given the sensitive information collected, a visitor management system must include security protocols to protect data. This can include using world-class technology partners that meet the strictest compliance standards, allowing for strong password protection and encrypting data.
Most systems should allow the exporting of data to help with analysis and reporting.
Visitor, admin and host experience
The actual process for checking in and out matters a lot. Ideally, it should be easy, secure and fast. For new guests, it’s the first impression that your business makes, and therefore is critical in creating a lasting positive image. For people that come frequently or every day, it needs to be convenient and hassle-free, as otherwise it becomes difficult to enforce.
Different entries can require different check-in methods. In some cases, a kiosk makes perfect sense, whereas a QR code might suit other entries. It’s worth considering a visitor management solution that offers multiple ways of checking in.
Being able to automatically recognise returning visitors, including staff who come on site daily, can make for a speedier check in. This is where face authentication or a dedicated mobile app can help.
Host notifications help keep staff informed of guest arrivals. This can involve letting a visitor choose their host on arrival or setting up a custom alert when particular people check in on site.
The ability to brand a digital kiosk with your own company logo and colours can help let visitors know they are in the right place and improve the overall visitor experience.
This allows those checking in to select their language (usually via a kiosk) which can help ensure everyone who comes on site can complete the check-in process and review inductions and any site safety rules.
Reporting and analytics
Whether it’s being notified when someone checks in, or hasn’t checked in by a certain time, flexible alarm functionality is a key component of the best visitor management systems.
Automated reporting helps keep site and management personnel informed by providing data on who is on site at any time, how long they spend on site and much more.
If checking out is important, it can be beneficial to automate this task by scheduling a daily checkout time for everyone not checked out.
If you have multiple sites, then this feature lets you easily manage and view different business locations from one web app and export check in information for one or multiple sites.
A visitor management system can collect a range of data, however not everyone needs or wants access to all the data. This is where permission levels come in handy. They allow admins to restrict what users can see or do, which helps prevent unauthorised changes to configuration settings.
This involves a mobile app that allows admins to spot-check audit a worker, see induction and training status, upload licences live in the field using a phone camera, verify or reject documents on the spot, take an ID photo and store documents.
Integrations
Connect contractor management and induction software to streamline access and ensure everyone coming onsite is compliant.
Cross check permits as part of the check-in process to ensure safer high-risk work.
Integrate with access control systems to automatically grant or deny access based on someone’s ID or compliance status.
This allows workplaces to check insurance and vehicle registration at the gate in real-time and receive notifications when non-compliant vehicles attempt to enter.
Use a label printer to provide visitors with wearable labels for easy identification.
Integrate with alcohol breathalysers to ensure workers are safe for work.
Some advanced visitor management systems can capture all the data you need for payroll with timesheets and total hours auto calculated for you. This includes the ability to register break times and auto check out staff by a certain time each day. In some cases, the data can be synced directly to payroll or exported for analysis.
Software implementation and support
Here are some key considerations when it comes to setting up and implementing a visitor management system.
What hardware you need (if any) greatly depends on your specific needs. There are various options available, ranging from simple to print and display QR codes to more advanced setups such as kiosks that utilise iPads or Android tablets, or even cameras that can be integrated with a turnstile. These different hardware options allow you to capture check-in data, verify compliance, and grant access in different ways. If you decide to use a system that requires hardware, it’s important to consider the time needed to obtain, install, maintain and update the necessary equipment.
The best visitor management systems include multiple options for onboarding existing contractors and employees. These options can range from bulk uploading a database of names and contact information or syncing information from a third-party system, to allowing users to enrol on the spot at the point of check-in.
Most visitor management systems include a web and mobile app to view all check in data, receive notifications and export reports. This is also where different workflows, surveys and alarms can be configured. Ease of use is an important consideration when reviewing visitor management software.
It’s important to determine the level of customisation needed to meet your organisation’s unique requirements. This includes thinking about the different workflows, surveys and reports you need. Keep in mind that not every visitor management system is flexible enough to be customised.
Does the visitor management system offer training? Training sessions can be tailored to the specific needs and use cases of your workplace. This ensures admins know how to leverage the software to address key challenges and capture the insights needed.
Most visitor management systems offer some level of customer support, including online resources to help troubleshoot any issues. It’s important to determine what level of support you are comfortable with. Some systems may only provide email support, while others may offer local phone support.
Company evaluation
Evaluating visitor management systems before purchasing is critical to ensuring that your business needs are met and that you get a good return on investment.
Here are questions to answer to evaluate vendors:
- Does the company’s solution meet my specific needs?
- How long has the company been around for, are they well established?
- Where is the company located, is support local and what levels of support are offered?
- Do I get a dedicated rep to look after my account?
- What hardware investment is required (if any) and what help with installation is there?
- What are the costs and contract terms?
- What level of data security does the company provide?
- What’s the roadmap? How fast does the company move in launching new features?
- How reputable is the company, are there online reviews?
- Can I see a demo before purchasing?
- Does the company provide training?
- Does the company offer help with customising workflows, surveys and alarms?
Buyer checklist
Requirements assessment
- Identify your organisation’s specific needs, goals, and challenges.
- Determine which features and functionalities are essential for your workplace.
Investment
- Evaluate the pricing model (e.g., subscription-based, usage-based) and pricing tiers.
- Consider any additional costs such as implementation, training, and support.
Scalability and flexibility
- Assess whether the system can scale with your business as it grows.
- Check if the software offers customisation options to meet your unique needs.
Integration capabilities
- Ensure compatibility with existing systems and software tools where applicable.
- Check for APIs and integrations with third-party applications.
Security and compliance
- Verify the company’s security measures (e.g., data encryption, access controls).
- Ensure compliance with relevant regulations (e.g., ISO, GDPR) based on your industry.
User experience and interface
- Evaluate the software’s usability and intuitiveness for admins and end-users.
- Consider the learning curve and training requirements for your workforce.
Support and maintenance
- Assess the quality and availability of customer support (e.g., email, phone, live chat).
- Ensure the company provides online resources to help troubleshoot issues.
Vendor reputation and reliability
- Research the company’s reputation, including reviews and testimonials.
- Look for case studies or success stories from other clients.
Data ownership and portability
- Clarify ownership rights of the data stored in the application.
- Ensure that you can easily export your data in a usable format if needed.
Streamline your visitor management process with Rapid Global
Rapid Global is a leading global workplace safety software company that helps businesses worldwide keep their people, visitors and contractors safe. Learn more about Rapid Global’s award-winning SaaS software suite including Rapid Access, Rapid Contractor Management, Rapid Induct and Rapid Monitor by scheduling a demo today.
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