How to choose a visitor management solution

As a workplace manager, you’re juggling first impressions, safety, and compliance all at once. It’s a lot for anyone to handle, and without the right tools, it can feel nearly impossible. But with the right tools, it becomes simple—for you and your guests.

In this post, we’ll explore how to select the best visitor management solution for your organization, including must-have features and key factors to consider.

Streamline sign-in, security, and compliance in one system

A visitor management system keeps track of everyone entering your workplace. It’s a key part of your workplace visitor policy, but the best solutions go further:

• Streamline visitor sign-in and save your team time
• Enhance workplace security
• Meet complex workplace compliance needs
• Make a great first impression for every guest

A robust visitor management system brings all these benefits together, keeping your workplace safe, efficient, and welcoming.

What to look for in the right visitor management solution

Choosing a visitor management system is a big decision. Keep these factors in mind:

Does it help protect your workplace?

Security has to come first. No matter how big or small your company is, an uninvited guest can put people, property, and data at risk. The right visitor management system gives you tools to spot and stop issues before they escalate. Julia Goldberg, SVP of Global Real Estate, Office Services and Security at BuzzFeed put it this way:

“Now that security is tied to [visitor] sign-in, we can automatically detect that person and stop them from entering. I’ve had security incidents abated because I had an unwelcome person attempting to sign in.”

By tying security to the sign-in process, you make it harder for threats to slip through and easier for your team to respond quickly—turning your front desk into your organization’s first line of defense.

Is it easy to set up and use?

A smooth visitor experience starts with technology that’s intuitive and easy to use. The system should make sign-in straightforward, collecting the necessary information without confusing guests or staff.

For example, the right system lets you add required entry steps—like confidentiality agreements, safety training, or ID checks—so every visitor meets compliance standards and you automatically keep a record.

It should also be simple for employees, with mobile-friendly options to pre-register visitors, check people in, and navigate the workplace from their phones.

Does it integrate with your other workplace tech?

Companies today use around 254 apps to run their business. That’s a lot of tools to manage, especially if they don’t talk to each other. A visitor management solution that connects with your existing tools—like Slack, Teams, HR, and recruiting platforms—keeps your workplace efficient and improves the user experience for everyone.

How is visitor data stored?

Look for a cloud-based solution. It keeps sensitive information secure, eliminates storage headaches, and ensures compliance. The system should also offer encryption, flexible data retention settings, and easy-to-export records, so you’re always audit-ready.

What does it cost?

Finally, look for transparent pricing. Some systems charge per visitor, others by employee headcount, or by location. Evaluate which plan matches the complexity of your workplace and the features you need. It’s also smart to loop in IT, HR, facilities, and security teams early in the process to make sure the solution you choose covers all of their requirements and connects with their tools.

Features to look for in a visitor management solution

Whether you want a fully contactless system or an iPad sign-in, these features make a difference:

• Customizable sign-in. Not every visitor is the same. You’ll want a solution that enables you to customize your sign-in flow for candidates, contractors, vendors, or guests. This way, you can tailor questions, emails, and welcome messages, collecting the right info for each type of visitor.
• Visitor screening. Look for features like blocklists, ID scanning, and visitor badges to protect your team and property. For example, being able to automatically flag a visitor on your blocklist prevents security risks before they reach the front desk.
• Digital document signing. The right solution securely collects NDAs, waivers, and other documents digitally. This cuts risk, eliminates lost paperwork, and keeps files organized in one place for easy access during audits or reviews.
• Compliance tracking. Set up check-in to capture details like country of citizenship for ITAR, or have guests complete NDAs and safety acknowledgments. The system should store and back up all screening data automatically, so you can export it anytime to prove compliance. 
• Emergency readiness. Track who’s onsite, where, and when across locations so you can respond fast in an emergency. With an up-to-date list of everyone checked in, it’s easier to account for people during an evacuation and keep your workplace safe.
• Notifications for hosts. Automatically alert employees when their guest arrives. Bonus if the notifications work with the communication tools your team already uses, like Slack, Teams, or email. 
• Analytics and reporting. Understand visitor volume, hosts, locations, and time spent onsite. With these insights, you can spot patterns—like which departments host the most visitors or peak days for foot traffic—so you can adjust resources accordingly.

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Choosing the right visitor management solution is about more than first impressions. You need a system that’s reliable, secure, easy to use, and compliant. 

Before committing, check reviews to see how it performs in the real world and make sure the vendor offers strong support. (Envoy Visitors is proud to be ranked the G2 leader in visitor management!)

Still on the fence? The best way to know if it’s the right fit is to try it out. Start a free trial of Envoy and experience the difference for your team and your guests.