Visitor management systems come with an array of elements, which can make choosing the best one a challenge. One priority stands clear above all others: you need a solution that provides high-level security for your employees or students while safeguarding assets. A good VMS is one of the most effective tools to provide that security.
Here are a few visitor management system best practices to help you choose and implement a top-notch solution that meets your business needs and your security concerns.
Align visitor management with your overall security strategy
What are your company's overarching security goals and plans? Some considerations include reducing theft, securing restricted or hazardous areas, banning access to certain individuals, or enhancing your emergency response plans. Whatever your company's goals and plans, make sure the visitor management system you choose will align and enhance your overall security measures.
Collect the right information
A visitor management system allows you to collect information about your visitors that you can use for a variety of reasons. For example, beyond collecting name, company, and contact information, consider collecting additional data like who they're visiting and what areas they're confined to as well as how long they expect to stay on-site and how long they actually stayed.
Data helps you plan for a variety of situations like an emergency response or the need to limit visitation periods. You can also use it to track who is receiving guests, what the purpose of the visit is, and what location they visited. Regular data analysis might reveal potential threats or problems you weren't aware of.
Have a plan during an emergency
Most companies have plans in place in response to an emergency that requires vacating the building. You need the same type of plan for your visitors. Consider how you'll handle visitors who aren't there to see a specific person, such as contract workers with temporary visitor badges or service technicians and delivery people. How will you track these individuals and who is responsible for making sure they exit the building during an emergency? Once you've created a plan, train the appropriate staff to manage visitors if an emergency occurs.
Centralize your visitor management system
Rather than having systems scattered around departments or other locations, consider centralizing your solution in the reception area of your building or facilities. This eliminates duplication of effort and streamlines entering, changing, and verifying information, while reducing the chance of errors.
A central visitor management system also keeps all logs and reports in the same place. If you need to determine who visited your organization on a specific day at a specific time, it's easy to accommodate rather than tracking down separate systems across departments. And IT will be happy with only one system needed for backup and restore protocols.
Integrate all security solutions
Integrating your visitor management system with your current employee ID solution makes sense. If you have proprietary information or assets that need protected, integrate your visitor badging system with your ID access control system to restrict visitors to certain areas. Each area has a card reader that authenticates a visitor's ability to enter or denies access based on pre-selected conditions. Make securing your building or facility an automatic process by integrating with your current security system.
Require visitors to return their badges
To keep accurate records and know in real-time who is on site, require each visitor to check out before they leave. If you're using ID cards with your visitor management system, collect them so you can reprogram them for other purposes. This helps keep your visitor logs up-to-date and complete.
Especially in case of emergency, it's crucial to know who is in your building or facility and who has already exited. Your visitor management system is the best tool to manage and secure everyone in the event the building needs vacated.
Review your system annually
Things change, sometimes quickly. What visitor management policies and practices worked last year might not work this year. For example, you might need to add a health screening procedure to your VMS that checks temperatures and more. Or you may have new assets or a new R&D lab with sensitive and proprietary information that needs safeguarded.
Reviewing your visitor management solution every year helps you stay up to date on policies and protocols and also helps identify new areas that need tightened security. Protecting your visitors, employees and staff, and your business is the number one function of a visitor management system.
Final thoughts
Your visitor management system is a key part of your company's overall security strategies and plans. The right system serves as the gatekeeper, protecting employees and visitors while safeguarding your business critical assets. Selecting the best visitor management solution offers peace of mind that you're effectively managing your risks.
If you need a visitor management system or are looking to upgrade to a solution with more functionality, contact an Idesco ID Expert. Our ID Experts have a deep understanding of and experience with all brands and manufacturers. We'll help you find the perfect visitor management system for your business and security needs, one that works with your budget. Call us today at 1-800-336-1383 or stop by our showroom to take advantage of Idesco's 75+ years of experience in everything security.