Choosing a visitor management system for your business is an integral part of a strong security system. You need to know who is entering your buildings, and you need to be able to deny access when necessary.
From allowing visitors to open doors via links on their phones to checking visitors against criminal databases, the best visitor management systems have unique features. Visitor management companies create systems that only grant access to approved visitors, and they help keep building occupants more secure.
What is a Visitor Management System and How Does Visitor Management Work?
A visitor management system provides businesses and commercial property managers with a way to keep track of and grant access to visitors on their property. All systems work slightly differently, but in general, they work by authenticating visitors, granting or denying them access via visitor access control, and alerting system administrators to their presence.
In many cases, this takes place via technology on a phone or other device and includes visitor registration software and visitor badge software. Many management systems print temporary ID badges for visitors and keep a log for administrators to view when visitors have entered the building.
The Best Visitor Management System
The best visitor management system for office will vary based on the needs of your property. In general, you want to look for a system that can screen visitors and that alerts administrators of visitors in the building. It’s ideal when visitor management systems can integrate with other security software as well.
Three of the best visitors management systems in 2023 are Verkada Guest, Brivo Visitor Management, and Kisi Visitor and Temporary Access Management.
Verkada Guest
Verkada’s visitor management platform called Verkada Guest makes it easy for people to check in, and it’s an excellent security measure for properties that need to manage a lot of guests. The system works in conjunction with Verkada’s access control and visitor security, so you can have a thorough picture of who is in your building.
There are multiple ways for guests to check in with the platform: an email invite, an iPad kiosk, or a QR code. This allows for touchless check-in. When a visitor checks in, administrators can be notified so you can greet them, and so you’re aware they are in the building. You can also opt to print badges for visitors.
Verkada makes it easy to customize the experience for your visitors. Choose from premade templates or start completely from scratch when deciding how you want check-in to flow as well as what questions you want your visitors to answer. You are also able to create various check-in experiences for different visitor types.
Managing guests is simple and streamlined on Verkada’s Command platform. From here, you can view guest logs and linked video footage. You can also remotely unlock doors when necessary.
One major benefit of Verkada Guest for schools is that you have the ability to screen visitors against the national sex offender database when they present their ID. If the visitor is denied due to their sex offender status, the appropriate staff can be notified.
Brivo Visitor Management
Brivo Visitor Management is designed to control visitors and deliveries. The system automates sign-in for visitors, which can free up employees to do other tasks instead of manually signing in visitors. You can also print visitor badges to keep track of visitors within the building.
There are three different workflows you can customize for your visitors: visitor sign-in/sign-out, delivery notification, and help request. In addition to customizing these workflows, you can also create custom questions for your visitors to answer.
This visitors management software makes life easier for administrators; you can connect with the intercom, and you can grant visitors access with your phone. System administrators receive an email with any relevant information when visitors arrive. Visitor management is also integrated with the Brivo platform and Brivo access control.
Some of the features of Brivo Visitor Management include incorporating facility safety features such as Covid screening questions. You can also control visitor access.
The Brivo Visitor Management system is ideal for many types of commercial buildings, including multi-tenant properties, standalone offices, private businesses, and reception areas.
Kisi Visitor and Temporary Access Management
Kisi Visitor and Temporary Access Management grants visitors temporary access to areas within your property. Unlike some other visitor management platforms, it doesn’t just grant visitors access at the front door. It also grants visitors access to various locations within your property via temporary keys that visitors can use on their phones.
Rather than using temporary key cards or key fobs, Kisi’s temporary keys grant access with a temporary link. Visitors don’t need an app or account to use their link. Once they have their link, all they need to do is hold their phone up to a reader to open a door.
To grant access to a visitor, administrators simply need to add them like they would a new user. They can also add visitors to groups or teams. This gives them the same permissions as the group, but it doesn’t actually add them as a member of the organization. Adding visitors in this way makes it simple to assign which doors visitors have access to.
Administrators can complete all of this management remotely. When setting up a new visitor, you also have the option to set time limits on their access. This way, you don’t have to worry about forgetting to later revoke access.
Kisi Visitor and Temporary Access Management has less vetting of visitors when compared to Verkada and Brivo, and it also assumes visitors will need independent access to various areas within the property. For this reason, it’s a better system for businesses that only need to occasionally grant visitor access or that have visitors that need to move freely throughout a secure building.
