Today’s businesses need protection. Organisations are increasingly adopting cybersecurity measures to protect their expanding digital infrastructure – but what about the security of their on-site resources?
Visitor management systems (VMS) are vital in many business settings as they ensure your physical assets are monitored and secure. What’s more is that VMS technology is constantly evolving to include versatile QR code technologies that can perform a variety of efficiency-increasing functions.
This article will examine how the protection of your in-office assets and resources needs to be observed, and showcase the security-enhancing functionality of QR code technology.
Challenges facing visitor management systems
A visitor management system (VMS) is a critical process in order to save time for visitors and business operators alike. Whether they’re customers, delivery personnel, contractors or potential employees, your business may attract numerous visitors daily. With this in mind, what security does your organisation use to observe visitor movement on-site? Customers, delivery personnel, contractors and potential employees are requesting entrance to your physical premises daily – with what degree of security is your organisation observing their comings-and-goings?
Today’s VMS platforms have come a long way from pen-and-paper logs. Traditionally when a visitor arrives, their name is recorded in a paper guest book, along with information regarding who they’ve come to see and the arrival time. An employee then notifies the host of the visitor’s arrival. The sign-in sheet is eventually filed, shredded or replaced, thus impacting the traceability of the verification efforts.
In the event of an audit or compliance check, tracking these log sheets can be time-consuming – if not impossible – due to outdated filing systems, misplaced sheets, or destruction of physical records.
Some security verification processes integrate with a VMS so that a ‘visitor’ sticker is produced, while others digitise visitor data, with little else to differentiate a guest from a member of the authorised workforce.
A cloud-based VMS can integrate with your existing architecture in order to avoid a complete overhaul of your current systems. This efficient integration allows you to move your customers and visitors through processes that verify and log their identities faster.
The QR code solution
Scannable QR codes are providing enhanced efficiency and connectivity for today’s visitor management platforms. Capable of containing over 7,000 characters on one easily created barcode, QR solutions offer instant access to a wealth of data.
Beaconstac reports that, while the adoption of this technology had a relatively slow start in Australia – with as many as 62% of surveyed retailers unaware of QR codes in 2012. Fast forward ten years, and the disruption caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the term ‘QR code’ searched over 60,000 times in the past twelve months, with many searches related to contact tracing.
Creating a QR code is a quick and easy process. Once created, your QR codes can be applied to scannable visitor ID cards in order to digitally capture any relevant visitor information. Once scanned, the information is securely registered on your connected cloud-based architecture, where it remains easily accessible in the event of an audit or compliance check.
How QR codes can transform the visitor experience
QR code technology has benefits beyond increased visibility and security for your workforce – it provides a host of valuable information for your visitors as well. The benefits of a QR-powered visitor management system include:
- Increased automation: With a QR-integrated platform, you’ll be able to send pre-appointment parking directions and allow touchless sign-in upon customer arrival. Visitors to your location can access information beforehand that tells them precisely how to locate their destination or points them to additional on-premises resources or services they may be interested in. This insight can improve the quality of their experience by offering additional details – something as simple as where to find a nearby cup of coffee can elevate customer experience outcomes
- Simplified processes: Automated workflows aid in increasing customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. By updating manual processes, your staff can still assist when necessary or allow visitors to enter uninterrupted via automated checkpoints. Customised visitor paths can be created, guiding your guests via specific instructions as to how they can navigate your premises
- Improved security: By scanning a QR code in your lobby – or en route to your location – your visitors can fill out any non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) or waivers prior to their appointment, saving time and boosting productivity. ID verification portals can be accessed via QR codes to verify government-issued ID quickly and reliably
- Touchless authentication: QR codes allow you to screen visitors and employees with health-related questions in order to ensure workplace safety. Creating a touchless VMS makes your staff and visitors feel safe when on-premises
- Real-time watchlists and alerts: A QR enabled VMS allows you to screen all visitors against databases containing watchlists, and provide alerts to security personnel in the event of a threat. This system can be used to notify the right staff of a visitor or appointment arrival
Brother professional label printers like the QL-700 enables simplified functionality for your streamlined QR workflows, ensuring your staff are readily equipped to deploy your latest information or data processes from anywhere in the building.
What you should look for when implementing your visitor management system
Brother offers comprehensive visitor management systems designed to provide professional service for your clients while augmenting the security of your workplace. Your customised VMS solution will combine the latest hardware and software applications in order to provide seamless check-in and monitoring procedures for your guests and staff.
Upgrade your paper-based processes with a mounted iPad or Android tablet, programmed with a sign-in interface app to ease visitor registration. Your label printer will handle visitor identification badges – integration with P-touch Editor software can even allow you to print QR codes on models like the QL 800 – which link directly to smartphone apps that notify staff when guests have arrived.
Devices like the Brother TD-4 thermal printer series offer direct thermal and thermal transfer high-speed printing, at up to 300 dpi resolution. Connected software supports QR printing, embellish font programming for highlighting specific words, and also allows you to import graphics and date formats that enable you to brand your QR codes.
An integrated Brother solution offers an all-in-one VMS tailored to the precise needs of your on-premises security demands. The benefits of updated access control systems include:
- Advanced analytics and reporting: Easily capture, trace and record all visitors and guests to your location
- Automatic badge printing and updated control measures: Maintain line-of-sight into visit duration, ping precise visitor location and access detailed reporting in order to identify vulnerabilities in your VMS strategy
- Cohesive branding: QR codes can improve brand loyalty and awareness for your visitors by providing incentives ranging from parking validation to discounts on products or services. The amount of information able to be stored on scannable QR codes can educate and inform visitors of your sustainability efforts, community support initiatives and business history. Integrating QR codes into your VMS unifies the information visitors have access to about your business – from parking details to location maps – with on-sites= processes like check-in and location mapping.
Thanks to advances in VMS platforms – and strengthened by the data storage capabilities of today’s QR code solutions – paper-based security processes are gradually becoming a relic of the past. If your organisation can benefit from the cohesive architecture and end-to-end visibility of a cloud-based security and monitoring solution, it’s time to embrace the digital future.
Ready to streamline your visitor management system with the latest QR code technology? Contact Brother today.
