After a tumultuous two years dominated by an unprecedented virus that has shaken the world, it is time to reconsider what was once thought of as a nice-to-have solution by property managers. An advanced visitor management system has, in fact, become a must-have tool in the security arsenal of proactive building administrators.
The need to protect facilities against criminal activity perpetrated by unauthorized individuals remains intact. Owners and managers must be able to know who enters their site and impede access to persons that may pose a risk to tenants, staff, or assets. Nevertheless, in a post-pandemic world, new necessities have emerged.
Firstly, employees demand safety at the workplace and tenants expect reasonable levels of protection to live and work. Taking anticipatory steps towards safeguarding people from COVID-19 exposure can increment tenant retention rates, enhance property reputation, create a positive environment, and reduce avoidable liabilities.
Therefore, it is important to ensure that your visitor management solution is addressing your entire guest life-cycle, from preregistrations to check-outs, and that all appropriate health, safety, and legal requirements are met. Collaborating with a skilled and talented security integrator can facilitate the process significantly.
Get rid of paper-based methods
Sign-in sheets might have been a decent measure for years, but in the post-pandemic world, they are highly inefficient and unreliable. Additionally, they open a substantial security gap that can be utilized by malicious actors.
Some disadvantages are:
- Manual processes take long times, leading to frustration, anxiety, and extended wait lines.
- Paper systems make physical distancing difficult.
- Early check-ins are not a possibility.
- Lack of automatic alerts.
- This is a very insecure alternative. For instance, visitors are able to see the name and other information of recent guests.
- Information entered by visitors might be inaccurate, incomplete, or ineligible.
Instead, cloud-based visitor management systems are advised. With an advanced platform, visitor experience can be improved, and properties can be protected against various security threats.
A sophisticated visitor management system is key
An adequate visitor management system is especially important for properties, post-COVID-19, to support mitigation tactics, reduce the risk of infection, increase security levels, and elevate visitor and renter satisfaction. Property managers should also explore carefully the current environment and evaluate post-pandemic challenges, including:
- How to manage a high volume of visitors?
- How to make sure check-ins are done as quickly and efficiently as possible?
- How to increase both safety and wellness in the properties?
A modern visitor management system, that is competent enough to address the critical post-pandemic pain points, should be able to:
- Offer users pre-register options.
This can be easily done by issuing and distributing QR codes (Quick Response Codes) and allowing guests to scan those codes when they arrive in order to accelerate check-ins. - Automatically check visitors against security watch lists.
- Automatically send notifications to designated administrators.
- Provide real-time reporting.
- Let visitors do self-service check-ins.
- Integrate with other technologies.
- Offer contactless check-ins.
Having an optimal visitor solution is now a necessity for the property management vertical. It can reduce the risk of exposure, diminish wait times, simplify admissions, and demonstrate the organization’s commitment to wellness and safety, all while maximizing security.