9 features of a visitor management system that improves workplace security

A visitor management system (VMS) can do a lot for your manufacturing organization. It can automate tasks, store data, streamline operations, customize sign-in flows, and loads more. But did you know that a visitor management system can also help secure your physical spaces, too? Whether you are a pharmaceutical enterprise, construction organization, consumer goods company, or any other type of manufacturer, investing in a secure visitor management system is a crucial step to growing your business. In this post, we’ll explore the benefits of a visitor management system when it comes to securing your facilities. We will also outline the features to look out for when choosing a visitor management system for security. Let’s dive in.

How can a visitor management system improve your building security?

Running a successful manufacturing facility means maintaining a secure premise. This includes the security for your workers, machines and equipment, IP, and products and goods. But unlike other industries, your assets don’t fit into one office location. For manufacturing, it’s often a little messier–people move between facilities, factories, and offices more often. There’s therefore more to consider when it comes to the security of your people and business.Here are some ways a visitor management system can help secure your facilities.

Integrates all aspects of your building security

A VMS can integrate with other aspects of your building security. Together, they provide a robust, protective layer across all of your sites. For example, you can connect your VMS to your access control system to help ensure that only invited visitors can come on-site.

Provides real-time alerts and notifications

With a VMS, employee registration, visitor screening, and security alerts happen instantly and discreetly in the background. This helps you balance a welcoming feel for your visitors with a strong sense of security for your physical building. For example, your VMS will automatically notify hosts of visitors who appear on watchlists or scan an invalid ID.

Maintains a record of the comings and goings across all of your locations

A visitor management system paints a much-needed picture of what’s going on across all of your facilities, plants, or factories. This includes who’s onsite, when, and how often. Over time, the data helps you get a sense of the happenings around each of your locations. For example, by knowing what times of day each of your facilities are busiest, you can make better decisions for your security, such as when to have more security staff onsite.

Scales alongside your manufacturing business

A visitor management system is a solution that can grow with your business and your people. This might include adding new locations to your system, or rolling out security processes at new facilities when you open them. A visitor management system helps you monitor security in every location, all of the time.

9 key security features of a visitor management system

The above benefits sound great in theory, but it’s also crucial to understand how a visitor management solution works. We’ve got you covered. Here are nine features of a visitor management system that will help you get the upper hand on your security.

1. Visitor screening

To avoid security breaches, you can use your VMS to screen people before they visit your site. That includes scanning IDs, watchlists, and setting criteria such as proof of vaccination. In the event that someone doesn’t comply with your criteria, your VMS will automatically notify you so you can take action.

2. Instant alerts

Security alerts happen instantly and in the background with a VMS. That means that if an unauthorized person attempts to enter your facility and sign-in, your visitor management system will identify the threat and alert hosts and security personnel immediately.

3. Blocklists

Blocklists are fairly self-explanatory but a hugely important feature in your security set-up. With a VMS, you can add people to a blocklist to ensure they can’t enter any of your locations. The right parties will then be notified, including security personnel and people marked as hosts in your VMS.

4. Badge printing

Badges help with onsite security because it enables your security staff to identify and confirm that visitors are welcome. You can also customize your badges for different visitor types. For example, you might want blue badges for contractors and white badges for auditors so you can spot the difference.

5. Access control

Your visitor management system can integrate with your access control system for upleveled security. Types of access controls are QR codes, facial recognition, and touch ID to allow visitors access to different areas onsite. For manufacturing facilities, access control is an important feature to keep the right people in and out of your facilities.

6. ID scanning

Your VMS is an extension of your security staff. You can scan IDs ahead of time or when each visitor arrives. Your VMS will integrate with your existing blocklist to ensure each visitor is allowed onsite. You can also choose to set up other integrations such as background check software. Once each ID is scanned and verified, your VMS will store this data so you don’t need to check anything twice.

7. NDA and document signing

Whether it’s a NDA, a contract, or any other type of legal documentation, the days of signing pen to paper and storing it in your desk are long gone. A visitor management system will securely send and store any digital documents you need the visitor to sign before they arrive.

8. Integrations

Integrations are potentially the most important feature of your visitor management system. They connect and work seamlessly with your existing tech to improve your security. Some example integrations include credential checks, emergency response, ID scanning and blocklists, secure WiFi, and background checks.

9. Analytics

Your VMS offers real-time analytics across all of your locations and devices. It improves your overall security by enabling you to see important visitor trends. This includes who each visitor is, what time they visit, what time they leave, and how often they might come and go at any given time. With these insights, you can pull reports and send them to security staff for auditing, or simply to make smarter decisions around things like physical occupancy in each of your facilities.

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No matter the type of organization or industry you are, a visitor management system should always be a staple of your workplace security set-up. After all, your VMS acts as a necessary barrier that protects your people, facilities, and business. It secures your enterprise by covering physical security across all of your locations, and keeps you compliant with different regulations globally.Interested in how a visitor management system can help you secure your facilities for 2023? Check out Envoy Visitors now.