Are You Prepared for the Future of the Front Office?

New software, devices, and technology have been changing offices for the better, even before the pandemic. Now COVID-19 has introduced new logistical challenges and will likely change technology’s role in workplace visitor management for years to come.

As a business leader, you may be wondering how to reopen safely and what steps your organization should take to facilitate the process. To make that transition as smooth as possible, it’s important to support the health and well-being of every person who comes into your office.

Visitor management systems offer a seamless, safe entry experience that simplifies check-in and mitigates potential health risks, so your visitors and workforce feel more comfortable entering your facilities.

Before welcoming back employees and guests, it might be time to rethink how your reception desk operates. Here are five reasons visitor management systems are the next item to consider adding to your tech stack.

Benefits of a visitor management system at reception

1. Increase and demonstrate commitment to health and safety

Visitor management software with digital displays removes the need for paper visitor logs, and limits touching of common surfaces to defined areas that you can ensure are frequently sanitized. There are also touchless check-in systems that function by scanning QR codes and allow guests to use their own mobile devices to reduce contact with fixed surfaces and minimize the potential to spread germs.

Visitor management systems enable companies to easily keep track of who’s visiting your workplace, exactly when they check in and out, and any associated paperwork such as signed NDAs, and watch lists. It also may allow leaders to create wellness checklists or self-screening surveys for their employees. By securely centralizing critical information on the people moving throughout your facilities, you can greatly simplify contact tracing.

This software is a safe and efficient way to minimize the time spent in common areas and get guests where they need to go. It can also guide visitors through completing relevant forms and can integrate with badge printers to seamlessly and touchlessly provide guest identification in real time.

2. Save time and decrease administrative tasks

With a visitor management system in place, employees save time. Upon check-in, the software automatically sends a message to the employee the guest is visiting, making the process more efficient for both staff and guests.

It also means that you can avoid crowded waiting areas by expediting check in. Having a digital system at the front desk frees up your receptionists to work on needs that are more pressing to the company and reduces the amount of contact they have with visitors.

3. Enhance security

Not only will you know who’s in your business and why, you can also set up alerts and a visitor watchlist so that you can easily and discreetly perform security checks. You can preload software with previous visitor data so it will know what to do when specific people arrive and to make the process quicker for frequent, trusted visitors. By registering and tracking who is in the office, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your employees, guests, contractors, and business are protected.

4. Maintain visibility

In the event that a guest reports a positive case of COVID-19, you can quickly trace important data to mitigate potential exposure and protect others in the facility. You can verify where they were in the office, what times they came in and left, and notify anyone who may have been exposed to the virus. You will also need to consider any federal, state, and local reporting requirements. With visitor management software you can leverage your technology to create a safer working environment.

5. Integrate seamlessly

A great visitor management software offers flexibility so you can connect with your existing systems and any tools you may use in the future. When your systems don’t communicate, you’re stuck managing everything separately.

That is frustrating for you and also for guests. Visitors expect a positive, seamless experience when they’re in your workplace. You can help make that a reality by integrating with a wayfinding solution, offering a more comprehensive experience as visitors navigate through your space. With the addition of sensor integrations, you can also track aggregate movement of both visitors and employees throughout the workplace, making it easier for FM and real estate teams to plan space and adjust leases, and for IT teams and A/V techs to equip highly used spaces with the right tech.

Another way to add value: Automatically print out visitor badges when guests check in by integrating with wireless printers. Your lobby will run more efficiently and the check-in process will be simplified. Plus, it’s an easy way to improve office security while making your visitors feel welcome right from the get-go.

Getting all of your systems to work together smoothly shouldn’t be a difficult — or expensive — process. Look for a visitor management system that makes integration simple. An easy install will be key to removing the barriers between your systems with speed.

What follows visitor management?

In addition to implementing a safer entry experience, you can also leverage software to keep your employees and visitors protected once they’re in the office. You will need to reduce density, distance the seating arrangements, enact stronger cleaning procedures, and be able to shift your office configuration as quickly as circumstances change.

Innovative technology, such as iOFFICE’s newly added Space-Right™ safe distancing software, offers a powerful solution for agile space planning. Using your floor plan map, you can view how to reconfigure workspaces based on selected distance parameters with a simple slider tool to map scenarios and reassign desks. Having the ability to instantly reconfigure floor plans will be vital for complying with physical distance protocols, protecting the health and safety of everyone in the office, and reassuring the confidence of your visitors and employees.

Sign up with Teem to start your free trial and experience firsthand the benefits of having visitor management software at your company’s front desk. A visitor management system will not only bring your business into the digital age, but it will also help your business be a safe environment and get guests where they are going safely and more efficiently.