Your reception area is the first line of defence and also speaks volumes about the way your company does business and their overall professionalism.

What does your lobby say about you? Is it disorganised with staff who are always on the phone and too busy to sign visitors in correctly with an open entrance which leads directly into the main office? Or, is it organised with an integrated VSM system such as PassagePoint that comprises of physical and electronic entry elements as well as clear procedures which convey your companies professionalism?

A complete VMS system needs to be able to efficiently:

Your visitors will instantly be impressed by the lengths you go to to secure your facility, and will be reassured that they are dealing with a company that is professional and serious. Your VMS will convey an instant trust and instill in your clients and suppliers knowledge that their information and details are safe, that any products and concepts they discuss remain confidential and that there is limited access to their intellectual property.
An integrated VMS will also instill a feeling of safety amongst workers, reassuring them that visitors on site are legitimate. And the additional security measures will work to deter workplace theft and staff misconduct as well as manage attendance.

Staff, intellectual property, machinery and buildings are the backbone of any company. With increasing incidents of workplace violence, industrial espionage and terrorism threatening the security of personnel and property - critical points of entry such as reception areas must be secure to minimise a facilities vulnerability and liability!

Consider these examples:

Integration is the key to a successful VMS system and must include high visibility ID cards, appropriate and user-friendly software tools along with a physical barrier.

Additional security measures such as custom lanyards and badge holders also help to identify people from a distance. This means that authorised people will be allowed access quickly and efficiently to the facility while unauthorised ones don’t have to stand in queues and will also be processed promptly.

Logbooks may seem like a cheaper option compared to the upfront cost of a complete VMS system, but they pose significant risks to a buildings OHS responsibility and a threat to sensitive information.
A logbook system relies on a number factors, and if any of them are neglected then the system falls downs. A simple example is that the information written in a logbook can be illegible or even false if the visitor is left to fill it in themselves without showing any identification.

Another potential breach of privacy is that competitors and suppliers can read your logbooks and easily discover confidential information regarding your business.

Other examples of where a log book system can fall over, includes:

• Visitors can neglect to sign out
• Temporary and casual reception staff may not be vigilant in controlling access and asking visitors to sign in a log book.
• Visitors can forget to return temporary badges and use them at a later date to gain access to restricted areas.
• If your reception area is ever unattended – say during an fire drill or staff shortages – you can not assure that visitors have signed in.

One of the most important and life-saving features of a VMS is the ability to automatically track who is in a building – and not only track staff but visitors too. In case of an emergency, a report can be printed out instantaneously allowing for accurate head counts during fire and emergency evacuations and identifying suspects in the event of a terrorist attack.

4. Facilities like yours already use a visitor management system

VMS systems are not new and have been integrated into many facilities – including ones similar to yours. Consider these examples of the PassagePoint VMS that has been installed in Australia and internationally:

• A global financial institution has employed PassagePoint in all current facilities in Australia and the South Asian Pacific.
• A leading American company installed PassagePoint to maintain security at its Canadian facility to verify contractors’ identities, tracks staff, and alert who has undergone safety training.
• At an offsite warehouse in Sydney, PassagePoint streamlines entry for employees, contractors and others, while recognising unwelcome visitors.
• A major European train station upgraded its system from logbook-based to PassagePoint to help manage the consultants, contractors and vendors and keeps the airport secure.
• Australia’s second largest construction and development company has employed PassagePoint to manage visitors across multiple construction sites.

A fully integrated security management system does more then just provide security for your facility. There are a number of additional benefits including:

Aiding in emergency response – If a building has to be evacuated, the system can accurately report on the visitors within a facility.

Allowing staff to be responsible for their visitors – PassagePoint can be integrated with Microsoft Outlook to allow for electronic scheduling of visitors as well as to set up meetings and attendee lists.

Improving the experience of visitors – Visitors are made to feel expected and welcome if they are pre-registered and custom badges issued quickly.

Protecting assets – If assets are vandalised or damaged then reports on who had access to that particular area can be accurately and promptly generated.