In the last few years, modern companies have turned away from the paper log book and implemented a digital solution: a visitor management platform. As workplace security evolved, visitor management platforms were not only a tool for managing visitors, but became an integral part of the security playbook; particularly in a company’s efforts to maintain a safe and compliant workplace.
When implementing a visitor management platform at a company, many security professionals find themselves overwhelmed with the data available to them. While this data can be useful for the security of a company, it’s important to understand how these analytics can benefit a company in their efforts to maintain a compliant and risk-free workplace.
Total control over who is onsite
When a visitor arrives onsite, an entry is made into the company’s visitor management platform. This record will include their contact information, the reason for their visit, and the date/time of their visit. Not only are these records imperative to ensure the right processes are in place for a particular type of visitor, but companies also have the upper hand to track and solve any compliance issues, and identify any potential problems.
Emergency evacuations
In addition to knowing who is onsite, companies have the responsibility to be able to reach visitors and employees at a moment’s notice. Should an emergency situation arise that requires the immediate attention of everyone physically on the premises, sending alerts and notifications from your visitor management platform to all visitors can keep people safe and informed.
Compliance standards
Oftentimes, the guidelines tied to regulations like ITAR can seem like a daunting and overwhelming task. A visitor management system (VMS) supports compliance and health requirements such as ITAR, HIPAA or FedRAMP, to name a few. Not only does this ensure that companies are maintaining a high standard of compliance and safety, but it avoids massive fines and potential prison time that often follow when a company fails to adhere to these strict rules.
Integrate with existing systems
Features like watchlists can also be leveraged to comply with these regulatory requirements. Many visitor management platforms can be integrated with existing access control systems, third-party or internal watch lists, and ID scanning devices to create multiple layers of security before, during, and after a visitor is onsite. Internal watchlists can trigger alerts when a particular visitor arrives—whether it be a person of concern, or a VIP visitor.
Dashboards
While data is certainly beneficial to security professionals, it’s just as important to ensure this information is presented in a convenient, efficient and organized manner. Visitor management dashboards allow its stakeholders to quickly access the information they require—whether they are preparing for an audit, or are looking to improve their protocols based on their findings.
Dashboards can be utilized throughout an entire organization; HR, facilities and executive management can all benefit from being able to fully understand what is happening onsite, and take the appropriate measures. Users can build reports to highlight specific analytics, and provide a complete view of the current safety practices to really understand any weak spots and highlight any successes.
Analytics are a valuable piece of the security playbook that can often be mistakenly overlooked or misunderstood. By implementing a visitor management platform, companies can continue to provide a seamless and efficient visitor experience, all while maintaining compliant, secure and safe.
To learn more about how a visitor management platform can provide your company with the analytics it needs, contact us.