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Choosing a visitor management system part 1:
Five basic criteria

by Andrew Jones

This is the first of three articles about choosing a visitor management system.

How do you know who is in your facility? A good visitor management system, or VMS, helps you: sign in visitors, provide identification for them to wear, keep track of them during their visit, and keep a record of their visit.

What follows are four basic criteria that most organizations care about when researching a visitor management system.

1 — Degree of security

A visitor management system is only part of the overall security equation. So it helps to consider what you want out of it in the context of your overall security strategy. For purposes of this article, when we say “security,” we are referring to what’s known as “physical security,” which is concerned with protecting people and property within and around a building. That said, a VMS can do only so much, but some systems do more than others.

Below are the main elements of physical security:
a. Deterrence (warning signs, perimeter markings, lighting)
b. Obstruction (walls, locked doors, fences)
c. Identification (I.D./access cards, badges, other credentials)
d. Detection (cameras, alarms, other forms of surveillance — for people and things coming in, as well as those going out)
e. Response (by security guards and police)

Of these elements, (c) is most concerned with the management of visitors, providing Identification that is temporary, as well as that of more permanent occupants, like employees.

Identification also acts as a Deterrent (a) and helps with Detection (d), but in varying degrees of effectiveness. For example, identification cards that can unlock doors are more secure than adhesive badges that merely show a visitor’s name. Still, even requiring a name badge makes it harder for intruders to roam a facility unescorted (Deterrence). And a video camera can tell if a person is wearing approved identification (Detection). This is just one example of how these elements of physical security overlap. (Here’s another: though security guards are noted under Response, they certainly aid in Deterrence as well.)

2 — Ease of Use (initially and ongoing)

Generally, the ease of using a visitor management system is directly related to the Degree of Security it provides. If you want your VMS to scan driver’s licenses and maintain a database of troublemakers, you would expect a longer and more complicated installation and training process than that of a simple sign-in book.

3 — Cost

This is probably an unfair question, but what is security worth to you? So many organizations say they can’t afford a visitor management system. But, as soon as there is an incident, security becomes more of a priority and budget dollars are found. Then, things quiet down, and next year’s budget returns to pre-incident levels.

In the scheme of things, visitor management is “soft” security. It likely won’t prevent an armed intruder from wreaking havoc. But it provides other benefits:

Encouraging visitors to check in and out at the front office
Allowing the front office to authorize visits (and to refuse them)
Helping staff to identify and assist strangers in the halls
Knowing who is in the building at all times
Keeping a record of who visited whom, and when
Assuring building occupants that a security procedure is in place

It’s hard to know how much security is enough. But visitor management is among the most affordable, easiest, and quickest ways to improve your security.

4 — Speed

As you probably already know, there needs to be a balance of the various criteria you are considering for your VMS. Speed is a good example. How quickly do you need to be able to sign visitors in to your facility? Do you entertain a lot of visitors and vendors every day? If so, how do you register everyone completely without creating a long line of people at the front desk waiting to be processed? Fortunately, there are ways to sign in your guests, with either a manual or electronic solution, that are both thorough and quick.

5 — Image (How does the product make your organization look?)

Your answer to this question might be, “Who cares, as long as we’re secure?”

There are two aspects of “Image” as a criterion when considering visitor management solutions. One, does the product literally “look good”? And, two, does the product convey the appearance of added security?

Most visitor management systems include a visitor badge of some kind. These range from a plain, generic badge that just says “visitor,” to a custom-printed badge with the facility’s logo and a color photo of the visitor. Custom-printed badges that contain a name and logo help to promote an organization’s “brand.” More important, from a security standpoint, they make it harder for intruders to falsify their identification. So employees, when they see a stranger wearing a custom visitor badge, can more safely assume that person has permission to be in the building.

Next:
Choosing a visitor management system — part 2: What do you want it to do?
Choosing a visitor management system — part 3: Not all badges are made alike

Also:
Pro's and Con's of a Manual Visitor Sign-In System
Pro's and Con's of an Electronic Visitor Management System

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