Improving Security Through Better Visitor Management

In many organizations, visitors and contractors are still being asked to sign a paper visitor log.  While this method of keeping track of visitors is perceived as quick and easy, it provides very little security, and poses a number of other problems:

• More often than not, the names are not legible, or are false
• In an emergency (fire, etc.), it would be impossible to quickly determine who is still in the building (can’t read the names and check out times are not always required or enforced)
• Information regarding who has visited the company is readily available for everyone to see, but this information should be confidential
• The paper log, and hand-written visitor badges, presents a poor image to visitors, and a perception of lax security

To address these issues, both large and small organizations are implementing an EasyLobby secure visitor management system (SVM).  The visitor systems reside on a Windows computer, typically at the reception desk, and automate the entire process from registering a visitor within the visitor systems to using badge maker software to create and print badges.

EasyLobby SVM badging software is easy to install, easy to learn, and easy to use.  With EasyLobby, visitor management becomes a fast and easy process (20 seconds or less to process and badge, with id badge software, each visitor, contractor, etc.) with the following steps:

Scan the ID – place the visitor’s credential (driver’s license, business card, passport, government or military ID, etc.) into our scanner; all information, including their photo, is automatically captured to the SVM visitor systems form on the badging systems screen.

Capture other information, as needed – capture signature or take a photo using the id badges software (if they don't have a license to scan), and enter any other information such as the Category of visitor, name of the person being visited, and reason for the visit (all presented as drop down lists to choose from).

Print a customized Visitor Badge   -- using the print log software, when you click the Print Badge button, EasyLobby SVM’s printing management systems adds a time and date stamp to the visitor record for the Check In time, and prints the badge that you specified for that visitor Category (visitor badges can look different from Contractor badges, etc.).  The SVM print log software includes over 300 badge templates to choose from, as well as a custom badge designer so you can make your badge look and say whatever you want.  The id badge systems print log software allows the print of badges on a black and white thermal printer, or print full color badges on a color inkjet printer, or print hard cards.  SVM print log software supports any Windows printer. You can even use self-expiring badge stock, which bleeds through a red stop sign after 12 hours to show the badge is expired.

Access and Analyze – the SVM visitor systems database can be used to look up and sort visitors and visits by a variety of criteria. Use the Report Wizard to generate customized reports in seconds, and store and disseminate report data instantly.

Myriad visitor systems badging systems can be stationed in different locations and share a central database over the network for monitoring and reporting.  And EasyLobby is also tightly integrated with over 30 of the most popular Access Control visitor systems; this integration allows you to grant any visitor or contractor temporary card access directly from the visitor form to further enhance the building's security.

EasyLobby’s printing management system also supports the printing and scanning of a barcode on the badge for quick check-out.

Security should be a top priority for any organization that gets visitors to its facilities, regardless of size.  In addition to keeping better track of who is in your buildings and why, companies can also present a more security-conscious and professional image to all of their visitors, contractors, partners, and prospective employees.  With EasyLobby visitor systems, visitors feel like they are in a professionally managed, more secure facility, and both employees and visitors feel safer.

What are the benefits of SVM?
In the 12 years we have been in business, we have helped thousands of organizations across every type of industry discover the many benefits of replacing that outdated paper log with a Secure Visitor Management system.

These benefits include:

• Securing the workplace more robustly with visitor systems
• Streamlining the visitor check-in process with badging software
• Capturing detailed visitor information more accurately and automatically with the id badge software
• Being able to easily perform analysis and reporting on visitor systems data across multiple locations using badging systems badging software
• Keeping visitor and company information confidential
• Providing high quality, professional looking badges to visitors and employees with use of the printing management systems
• Being able to tightly integrate visitor systems with your access control system to further improve security