According to the Visitor Management Report, 94% of respondents said that visitor management software increased the operational efficiency of their business in 2019.

Not only does it improve efficiency, but it also helps to give a good first impression to your visitors. However, this only works if you choose the best visitor management system.

Keep reading for five tips that will help you choose the best lobby management system.

What Is a Visitor Management System?

A visitor management system is often a tool or software that will help you manage who is in your building. You can have guests check in and out. This helps your staff and visitors, but it also protects your business from unauthorized visitors.

A visitor management system can also manage where your visitors can go in the building. You’ll be able to manage the flow of people in the building, and you can also optimize and improve their experience as well.

You’ll also have records of who visited your office and can review historical data as well. You can collect important information about your visitors in case you need anything, and you could even have pictures of your visitors on their profile to make it easier to identify them.

Some systems will allow guests to check in on their own through a kiosk, but some will only let employees manage this.

1. Identify Your Specific Needs

Before you start shopping for visitor management software, identify what your business’s needs are. If you don’t choose software that aligns with those needs, you’ll end up wasting resources and could actually create more inefficiencies.

First, you should identify how many people will be visiting your office and how often. Think about what information you’ll want to collect from those people.

If you have extra security protocols, you also want software that can accommodate that. For example, some software can connect to your security cameras to provide real-time tracking of your visitors.

2. Figure Out Who Will Be Using It

Are you going to allow your visitors to sign in and manage it on their own, or are you going to require an employee to check people in? Are both people going to be using it?

Think about all of the possibilities for who might use this tool because this will help you determine what features you need it to have. Some of them offer different packages to manage all types of visitors, and some of them have limited capabilities.

If you’re going to have visitors use it, you also want to ensure that it comes with a kiosk and a user-friendly interface.

3. Find Something User Friendly

Speaking of user-friendly, it’s best to find software that looks clean and is easy to navigate. This’ll make your staff’s job easier, but it’ll also leave a good impression on your visitors. If your visitors are frustrated with the system, you’ll be setting a bad impression for the rest of the visit.

Try to find a solution that comes with clear instructions and an interface that anyone could figure out how to use.

4. Ensure It’s Compliant

Data security should also be high on the list of priorities you consider while looking for the right solution. You need to ensure that the software is secure since you’ll be collecting important data and information from visitors.

You should check your area’s local legislation. For example, if you’re in the EU, you’ll have to follow GDPR regulations. You may also want to consider what data you’re going to be collecting from visitors if you don’t have a secure solution.

You’ll also have to consider how long you’re going to store the data and if it’ll be stored locally or in a cloud. Regardless, your solution needs to be secure so that it can’t be hacked and expose all your visitors’ important information. For example, the data should be encrypted in the system.

Consult with your compliance and IT teams as well to ensure that they’re on board with the software. They’ll be the ones who manage the backend of it, so you need to ensure it has an infrastructure that they can run.

5. Read the Reviews

Lastly, you can always read reviews of the company and its products before purchasing them. You can talk with a sales rep for the company and think the product looks amazing, but then once you put it into practice, you could have all kinds of issues with it.

This situation could be avoided if you do a little external research. You can look for reviews and testimonials on trusted sites like G2, or you could even check Reddit or Google Reviews.

You may find one or two bad reviews, but you shouldn’t be concerned unless there is a pattern or trend of bad reviews and issues. However, a well-working management solution should have plenty of positive reviews. Some companies may even offer their own client testimonials.

Alice Receptionist is one company that has plenty of positive reviews, but they also have case studies on their website to prove that their system works for other businesses. You can check them out here.

Find the Best Visitor Management System Today

If you’re looking for the best visitor management system, look no further.

Our visitor management system has all the features you need, like employee notifications, face mask verification, check-in and out capabilities, group check-ins, induction documents and videos, and temperature checks.

If you’re still not convinced, you can try it for a trial period! Sign up for your trial today.