Free Visitor Management Systems: DoThey Exist?

System Can Manage Workplace Safety

Visitor management refers to recording the number of visitors to public buildings. By gathering the data, a system can track the usage of the facilities by visitors. A system like this can help manage workplace safety.

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Many basic systems have a desktop application or app where an employee can input the details of the visitors. Visitor management is not just about recording the number of visitors. It also provides information on the location of people in the building should an emergency occur and the site require evacuation.

It’s an added bonus if the system has functions which enable the identification of visitors who are not permitted on the premises. Many of the systems will have elaborate functions due to the fact that safety is the primary aim. The system also requires a secure platform where the identities of visitors can be protected against hackers. Furthermore, it needs to be linked to devices such as tablets and printers.

The System Must Be Able to Handle Visitor Flow

Visitor flow is a key layer that can make a system much more elaborate. If the workplace only has a handful visitors per day, such as five or six, then the flow might not be as important. On the other hand, if the visitor count increases to thousands, the system must be able to handle it.

A visitor management system can take the form of a digital signing-in which can replace a printed book. www.ofec.co.uk/web-and-software-development-services/digital-visitors-and-staff-signing-in-book.aspx offers such a system.

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According to Campus Life Security, Delano Union School District in California has implemented a system at 12 of its schools. The system allows the monitoring of visitors who are on campus at any given time.

GDPR, which stands for General Data Protection Regulation, is one of the latest buzzwords, and it affects all businesses which provide goods and services in the EU. It’s therefore not recommended that an organisation turns to a free tool which is not GDPR compliant, as the penalties can be heavy. It is difficult, and probably impossible, for a free tool to meet stringent security criteria.

Having such a system in place is an excellent way of introducing your visitors to the safeguarding routines and fire safety measures that you offer as they sign in.