A range of new technologies today are impacting various disciplines, industries and economies around the world, and for the better. This has been called the “fourth industrial revolution,” a term coined by Klaus Schwab at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, 2016. Across India and the world, different companies are discovering innovative tools that are revolutionizing existing frameworks, allowing businesses to serve their customers and partners in a better way, empower employees and stay relevant in intensely competitive markets.
The Veris Visitor Management System is one such tool that is allowing companies to leverage the benefits of this digital transformation.
The Story of a Traditional Visitor Management System
The traditional visitor management system for companies in India comprises a fat log book and pen that often don’t even serve their purpose. Such was also the case for a reputed company in Mumbai, based in a multi-tenant building in a posh locality of the city. Visitors had to register themselves in the log book, providing personal information at the reception of the multi-tenant building. The process used to become tedious especially before lunch time, when a maximum number of visitors would turn up. Long queues led to a crowded reception area, and a harassed receptionist trying to sort visitors according to the company they wanted to visit in the building. Signing the conventional log book is not dynamic, it becomes repetitive and frustrating for the visitors when they have to register themselves again at the designated company.
We are all familiar with this picture. A disgruntled receptionist at a company, who has to manage appointments, take details from visitors, guide courier services, answer queries on the phone, issue gate passes and do hundreds of such time-consuming tasks with no provisions for proper breaks and no time to extend warm welcome to important guests. Matters were escalated when a particular important client missed his meeting, after waiting for an hour in the reception area, with no one to properly guide him.
No wonder such ambiguity could be resolved by employing a visitor management system at the reception of the multi-tenant building, wherein visitors could check in by themselves at a self-serviced kiosk and select the company he’d like to visit. What is even better is the possibility of synchronised facility & tenant visitor management systems to negate the need of repeat registration.
The need for change was intensely perceived when it came to managing security, with no way to track if anyone had strayed from their intended destination, overstayed or was loitering, waiting for an opportune moment to harm a business or hurt an employee.
The Digital Visitor Check-in Revolution
Things have dramatically changed with the multi-tenant building and the reputed brand we mentioned earlier adopting smart visitor management software. The Veris cloud-based visitor management system not only increased office productivity, but also ensured enhanced security within the office premises.
For the Employees
No longer did employees have to come to the reception to receive guests or couriers each time the receptionist called them. They could be instantly alerted through the system on their mobile phones via messages/ in-ap alerts/ emails. Through the software, they can pre-register invited guests and alert the front-desk teams in advance reducing unwanted queues for check-ins. Similarly, they could also convey delays to the guests, asking them to wait for a certain time, provision for guest wifi, share GPS coordinates for the meeting directly with the guest. In short, no guest would ever go unattended or feel confused at the reception.
For the Visitors
For visitors, this system saved precious time, which would otherwise have been spent in long queues and a written registration process. They could provide information in complete privacy; without the fear of any unknown person having access to the information shared in the logbook. Guests didn’t have to wait for the receptionist to guide them anymore. This was good for job candidates in particular, who could directly be guided to the HR department, and concentrate on the interview process. Greater convenience led to a positive impression on guests, many of whom where prospective clients and foreign delegates. The best part was that the check-in experience could be customized to give each visitor an amazing brand experience, building a positive impression of the company right at the doorway. The web check-in feature for pre-invited guests also was a win-win!
For the Facility Management/ Security Personnel
A cloud-based data repository made it easy for security or admin staff to source detailed reports easily. In other words, this was an end to the humongous task of pouring through registers, in case visitor information was required. They got real-time reports on visitor activities and could be alerted in case a person overstayed within the office premises. The system captured photos of guests, along with information, generating visitor badges automatically. These functionalities provided the staff time to focus on better staff planning and security protocols.
For the Receptionist
Without the need to juggle between receiving visitors to various office locations, attending phone calls and answering multiple queries, the receptionist became free to provide a warm welcome, with freedom to take short breaks, whenever necessary. All this resulted in lesser confusion and embarrassing situations for the company.
In the coming days, such visitor management systems would be imperative in every office. Along with changing market dynamics, businesses are also faced with the challenges of providing greater security to their female employees. Digitization will solve such tricky issues as well.
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