The ultimate visitor management system guidelines

What is visitor management?

Visitor management  involves tracking the usage of a public building or site, including the processing of said visitors when they arrive and ensuring they have a great experience when they are there. Visitor management usually involves a multitude of processes that keep visitors safe, secure and in the correct place.

Visitor management is relevant in many industries including commercial, retail, hospitality, tourism, finance and education.

Why is visitor management important?

Visitor management is crucial in the workplace because it ensures workplace efficiency, improves visitor and employee experience, and workplace safety. It enables Facilities Managers to know who is in the building at all times, restrict visitors to specific floors, record visitor information securely and control where contractors have access.

Visitor management can benefit businesses in many ways:

Automates the entire visitor management process to assist visitors.
Creates a great first impression with visitors and employees
Allows for a frustration-free visitor journey
Enhances workplace efficiency
Saves reception costs
Manages the return to work process after Covid-19 lockdown
Improves building security
Delivers transparency in a digital world
Visitor management GDPR compliance

What types of visitors go to offices?

Depending on the type of organisation you have will determine what types of visitors you have. Examples of office visitors include contractors, employees, prospective new hires, delivery drivers, customers, business partners and cleaners.

What is a visitor experience?

Visitor experience refers to the process that a visitor follows from being invited to your building, to leaving it. Good experience infers that the visitor had a positive interaction with your company, meanwhile, a poor experience is likely due to broken processes and/or negative interaction with your company. The difference between these two experiences could lead to making or losing a sale.

A good visitor experience looks like:

An informative and welcoming invite to your building Information about the meeting host, including a photo of them
Clear directions to your office
Documents to pre-sign and the option to pre-register prior to their arrival
Express check-in
A warm welcome from reception, who are aware of their arrival Immediate help if the visitor needs it
Intuitive Covid-19 safety
Internal wayfinding capabilities
Directions to the nearest toilet, fire exit, where to make a coffee
Wifi codes available
The host is notified of their arrival so they can be prepared Information to help them get home, such as weather details and local landmarks

We believe in a concept of "Connected Workplace" to deliver the best visitor experience. The simple but significant concept: On grid or Off grid.

Is your visitor management system Off Grid?

Many Facilities Managers and building operators are plagued by unconnected visitor management software:

Microsoft Outlook - every meeting in Office 365 has a meeting host and the guests.
In an “Off Grid” unconnected workplace that data sits there serving no real purpose, except the meeting attendees, who may not know how to get to the building or how to access the meeting room.
Visitors have no idea if the building is COVID-19 safe, how long it’s going to take to access the building, or what processes they should follow when they arrive.

On Grid visitor management experience

In an “On Grid” connected workplace, multiple visitor management systems connect and inform each other, making the workplace intuitive, informed and intelligent which deliver

Automates the entire visitor management process to assist visitors
Wow first impression
Frustration-free visitor journey
Enhance workplace efficiency
Save the cost of receptionists

Click the image to watch Vgreet visitor management system video.

How should companies manage visitors?

Companies must consider the entire visitor management process; from the moment the guest receives an invitation to visitor sign in, right through to saying goodbye to them in the foyer; each step of the process should be carefully considered. Companies should be aware of the techniques and best practices to deliver the best first impression of the business, delivered by visitor management solutions to upgrade visitor journey.

Modern visitor management process looks like:

An informative email invitation
Google Map directions your location
Full confirmation of all details such as time, date, room, host etc
A QR code to enable check-in
Contact details for the host
Motion sensors to detect arrivals
Contactless, three-second check-in
COVID self-certification options
Thermal temperature scanning
Tailored security access
Directions to the correct meeting room

Read how Vodafone manages their visitors and other case studies.

What is a visitor management system (vms) / software?

A visitor management system (vms) is a solution that allows organisations to streamline their visitor management process, using technology to monitor and record visitor information.

Visitor management system uses software, hardware, and database to enable preregistering visitors, effective communication, express check-in, interactive mapping, and workflow.

Read what we think are the best visitor management solution features.

Types of visitor management systems

1. Traditional visitor management

Need to wait in a queue to check-in
Visitors are lost in the building
Congest reception
Taking a journey through security barriers
Sign-in with paper and pen
Can't integrate with other systems
Still require a manual process

Read why we think visitor management apps or signing in with an iPad is not efficient.

2. Modern Visitor Management System

Impress your visitors from a meeting invitation
Touchless and express sign-in system
Decongest reception
Include more features, such as wayfinding, host notification, pre-registration, thermal imagining, voice activator, motion sensors, virtual receptionist.
Visitor management software integration

3. Legacy on-site software

Can be costly to purchase initially
Requires a physical presence in your office Requires maintenance, upkeep, and updates

4. Cloud-based visitor management system

Cost and time-efficient
Is secure
No hardware maintenance or repairs

Source: Forbes

How does a visitor management system work?

Visitor management systems combine technology, security, communication and analytics to not only provide a great first impression, protect your staff and visitors, but also the tools for Facilities Manager to keep the building running effectively.

How does Vgreet visitor management system work?

Vgreet manage visitors by delivering an intuitive and connected workplace, integrating with Proxyclick and Condeco which makes meeting room booking and meeting scheduling with Microsoft 365 easy. Our partnership with Moneypenny gives visitors instant support through Vgreet's kiosk while visitors are checking in.

The features of Vgreet Visitor Management System

Vgreet is a digital visitor management system that offers a contactless check-in, reduces congestion in your lobby and reduces visitor management costs. Vgreet creates a unique and better visitor experience by delivering the following functions:

Pre-registration
Visitor identification
Wayfinding
Facial recognition
Thermal imaging
QR code express check-in
Customisable notifications for hosts and security
Upgrade the journey with on-demand digital receptionists

Read more about our wayfinding tool with MapsPeople.

Read more about our thermal imaging technology

Read more about each contactless feature.

The journey with Vgreet Visitor Management System

Vgreet visitor management system delivers two parts of the visitor journey:

Journey 1 starts in Microsoft Outlook. A host invites visitors to a meeting, Office 365 synchronises with Condeco, whose visitor management module passes the visitor details into the visitor management system Vgreet. The visitor gets a great invite and a touchless check-in.

Learn more about how office 365 registers visitors with Vgreet

Journey 2 starts at the invite. A visitor follows the map details on the invite and arrives at reception, where motion detectors tell the Vgreet system they have arrived and voice recognition prompts them to check-in. One scan of a QR code enables a pass to be printed and they are given details of the meeting room and floor they need to go to. If the visitors do not have a QR code to check-in or require further assistance, they get instant help from Moneypenny's on-demand digital receptionists.

Learn more about the touchless check-in process

Benefits of using visitor management systems

Using visitor management systems solves many problems:

A safe visitor experience

A safe employee experience

A safe reception environment

Cost reductions

A decongested reception

We’ve delivered key messages and benefits of using visitor management solutions to 5 personas especially:

HR

Facilities Managers

Legal

IT

Corporate Real Estate

Most visitor management starts with one simple task: to improve the all-important first impression. However, in this era you can be more ambitious with other visitor management system benefits:

A safe workplace strategy with efficient communications that you take employee and visitor safety seriously.
Pre-registration for expected visitors, motion sensors and voice recognition for a simple and touchless sign-in.
Drastically reduced transition times through the reception area with express check-in features minimise congestion, even at busy periods.
Remote receptionists upgrade the staff and team safety whilst maintaining a ‘service-first’ culture.
Integrations with key partners who specialise in their respective areas enhance the service delivery.
Fast returns on investment.
Flexibility designed into the solution, customised visitor journeys cater for every enterprise-grade need and can be accommodated with ease.

Who can use a visitor management system?

Anyone can use a visitor management system! From airports and hotels, to hospitals, schools and commercial buildings. The benefits of using a visitor management solution can be seen by any type of building in any industry.

Examples are:

Companies that are using Vgreet visitor management system include:

Vodafone

NM Money

LAX Airport

The Workspace Group

LifePlus Clinic

Google

And more.

Contact us if you’d like to hear how a visitor management solution can help your organisation.

How much does visitor management system cost?

Vgreet  visitor management offers a great ROI compared to the cost of FOH and reception staff. Vodafone's return-on-investment of £80k in year 1 and £175k in year 2 with Vgreet. However, the questions are not just about the visitor management system price but its impact in uncertain times.

£2,900 every time you lose a receptionist: time to recruit (£1,000) training (£1,000) uniforms (£900).

A single person reception costs 25-30% more than their salary for holidays, sickness and peak time manning levels to cater for.

How to choose the best visitor management system?

1. Think about your visitors

Start walking the customer journey and think of your visitors.

Spend one day with an employee, a contractor and a visitor and watch how they use your building, what things do and don’t work, question them about what needs to change.

2. Evaluate your front desk service

Different types of reception face different challenges, calculate your workplace's digital efficiency to understand how many staff you actually need at busy times and how your visitor management solution can enhance front desk service.

Read more about what we mean by breaking the paradigm.

3. Start talking “return on investment” not cost

Budgets as a term are replaced by returns on investment and returns on the experience you delivered.

4. The seamless experience

With visitor management techniques and best practices in mind, question if your visitor sign-in system has touchless procedures, ensure employee safety in reception, and impress your visitors no body else can.

5. Read reviews

Capterra or Google Review are helpful websites to compare which visitor management solution suits you the most.

How to convince internal stakeholders

There are three key points to remember when trying to gain buy into an idea or project:

1. Bring your stakeholders in the loop early

One of the most helpful things you can do to encourage stakeholder buy in is to involve them early on in the project. By doing this, you allow your stakeholders to familiarise themselves with your project aims and the solution you are exploring.

2. Listen to concerns

A short stakeholder workshop is an effective way to hear out any concerns or worries that they may have before the project gains traction. During the session you can answer questions and concerns, or take note and get back to them after the session. Your stakeholders will appreciate the chance to make comments before you go ahead with the project.

3. Communicate

Keep your stakeholders up to date throughout your project. Depending on how influential they are to your project will define how often you do this; whether it’s a daily update in Scrum, a weekly phone call, or an email update, be sure to communicate at an appropriate level.

Read more about the benefits of a visitor management system and how you can convince stakeholders.

What are the visitor management systems in the UK?

Here are a range of visitor management systems in the UK, each bringing a variety of benefits to the modern workplace.

Examples of visitor management systems include:

Vpod

Proxyclick

Condeco

Moneypenny

iLobby

Greetly

Sign in app

Vpod

Vpod create unique tech solutions combining people and technology to drive customer satisfaction and profitability.

Vpod provide end to end solutions for companies wanting to improve engagement with their customers whilst reducing costs and increasing sales. They work with individual organisations to automate, personalise and transform customer experience journeys – keeping people in the process where and when necessary in order to build trust and provide a great service at an affordable price.

Proxyclick

Proxyclick is a cloud-based visitor management platform built for the best-of-breed needs of the global enterprise and helps trusted brands across every industry to transform the way they welcome their visitors and contractors. Proxyclick’s clients include L’Oréal, Revolut, PepsiCo, Audi, and other global Fortune 500 companies with both offices and production sites. With more than 30 million visits registered in 7,000 locations around the world, Proxyclick’s solution allows organisations to minimise security and compliance risks while upholding privacy rights.

Proxyclick’s new features aim to provide enterprises with a contact-free check-in solution for every step of the visitor journey and employee experience. With millions of employees, visitors, and contractors set to re-enter corporate premises around the world, these solutions will allow organisations to perform sufficient due diligence to mitigate liability risks. The new offering introduces a completely contactless solution with no physical interaction necessary from check-in to check-out of a facility.

See how Proxyclick integrates with Vgreet.

Condeco

Condeco  create workplace management and meeting schedule software for enterprises around the world.

Condeco’s major USP is Condeco Sync; no matter where you make your meeting room booking, Condeco keeps the room directory up to date so that real-time availability is accurate to the minute. It also extends its visitor data via its API to industry-leading tools like Proxyclick and Vpod.

See how Condeco integrates with Vgreet

Moneypenny

Moneypenny  is the world’s leading outsourced provider to small and large businesses for delivering brilliant customer conversations. Established in 2000 and based right here in the UK, Moneypenny’s 1000-strong team delivers telephone answering, live chat, switchboard and customer support services to over 21,000 businesses. Each and every client benefits from their unique mix of extraordinary people and ground-breaking technology to answer calls and live chat exactly as if based in-house.

With Moneypenny, you’ll have a dedicated receptionist, on hand 24/7 to look after everything your in-house team does and more - now including on-demand video concierge support. Briefed by you and accountable to your business, you’ll rely on the flexible support of your very own Moneypenny Receptionist whenever your team is busy or unavailable. 

Award-winning - 6x featured in The Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For

Trusted - 20 million calls & chats looked after on behalf of sole traders and global enterprises
Leading - The world’s #1 outsourced communications provider
24/7 - Every customer managed seamlessly around the clock from their UK head office

Greetly

Greetly is an office visitor sign-in system and check-in app with instant reception notifications, visitor photos, badges, eSignatures and a cloud-based log.

Sign in App

Sign In App is an app for visitors and staff registration, providing visitors with the information and documentation they required for their visit as well as allowing staff members to sign in from their mobile or while on the road.

iLobby

Emphasising on its security level, iLobby is a visitor management system which simplifies the process of screening visitors by monitoring the visitors in the building, streamlining the visitor sign-in process, automate security and compliance automation, and physical access control.

What is digital reception?

Digital reception is a method of registering visitors and ensuring they get to their destination on time.

Digital receptions usually involve a kiosk that visitors approach and sign in. Once they have checked-in, the host is notified of their arrival.

If they need help, they can select an option that connects them to a receptionist that is located elsewhere i the building.

How does Vgreet’s digital reception work?

Vgreet’s digital reception is a perfect combination of technology and people delivering an enhanced product with reduced costs. Vgreet has video integration to allow visitors and employees to connect with a PA from Moneypenny via our Vgreet unit.

Vgreet’s digital reception enhances user experiences like Touchless and Express check-in, improves process efficiency with self-certification whilst delivering a 3-second check-in, and creates a safer workplace with front of house staff not having to physically meet visitors.

What is Hybrid Working?

Hybrid working combines the physical office space and alternative workspaces, such as your home. This approach, when combined with other factors such as flexible working or a 4 day working week, allows employees to have more control over their work-life balance while maintaining productivity for the organisation they work for.