On any given day, you may see hundreds of visitors come and go through the lobby of your facility. They might be 

guests, employees are their family members, delivery personnel or other workers. As a business owner or manager, you are likely concerned about providing a welcoming environment for your visitors, but it is also important to understand why visitor and lobby management should be a critical component of your building’s operations.

Establishing a visitor and lobby management system in your facility sends a clear message to all who come through the building that their safety is a top priority. This sense of safety and security often has the added benefit of increasing employee satisfaction and productivity. In addition, because a visitor management system allows for visitors to pre-register electronically or be registered very quickly in person, people are made to feel expected and welcome.

Establish your lobby as a first line of security

When it comes to keeping a facility safe and secure, the lobby is widely considered to be the most important area in which to focus. Your lobby can become your first line of defense with a high-quality visitor management system, which is capable of the following:

• Quickly and accurately capturing visitors’ pictures, signatures, driver’s license information and business cards
• Verifying ID cards or credentials
• Creating a single-use visitor’s ID badges that include the visitor’s name, photo, affiliation, authorized areas of access and the badge’s expiration time
• Performing discreet security checks using watch lists
• Permitting employees to register their visitors ahead of time using an online system, and being notified electronically or by phone when those visitors arrive

Receive instant and automated reports

One of the most powerful tools a visitor management system has to offer is its ability to provide instant reports based on criteria in the visitor management database. This criteria is user-selectable, which means you can choose and change the criteria at any time if it is not meeting your needs.

This system can provide reports informing you on when and how often a particular visitor comes to your building, who their host is, how many visitors a certain employee hosts, how many visitors are processed hourly or daily and how many people go through each station. These incredibly detailed reports make it possible to monitor nearly every aspect of your visitor management system, audit these reports and make any necessary changes if you find that your processes are not working efficiently.

Establish a system of access control

Along with a visitor management system comes the option for an increased amount of access control. For example, if a visitor’s badge has a barcode or other scan-able technology, the visitor management system will interface with the facility’s access control system. These access credentials may be used to provide authorization for entry through controlled portals, in elevator lobbies to enable hall call for an elevator cab or to enable floor call within the elevator cab. This system allows a business to ensure that only authorized individuals can access certain parts of the building beyond the lobby, and they can do so without having to hire extra personnel to patrol.

If your building or facility could use improved systems and protocol when it comes to security, a great place to start is your lobby or main point of entry. By leveraging a comprehensive and easy-to-use visitor management tool, you can give you and your tenants greater peace of mind and an added level of value.