Keeping track of all your visitors can be a time-consuming process that piles into your staff’s workload. Moreover, it can also inconvenience your visitors. Make the process easier and more convenient for both sides by shifting to a digital visitor management process.
According to Reportlinker, the demands for such a system will reach $2 billion by 2026. More and more businesses are starting to see the various digital visitor management system benefits. It eliminates manual labor and speeds up the entire process. Likewise, it gives you better control over who goes in and out of your office.
With that, here’s how you can successfully introduce a digital visitor management system to your business.
1. Find the right software
The first step is to find the right software for your business. But in this digital age, you might get overwhelmed by the countless options out there. Without proper planning and research, you might end up with software that does not suit your staff’s workflows.
You must first determine your business needs. For example, what types of visitors do you usually have? What are your building’s policies regarding visitors? Do you have your own reception area and staff to accommodate them?
These are just some of the questions you need to answer. By answering these, you get an idea of what kind of software you need. You can check out this list of visitor management software examples to find which one might suit you best.
2. Provide training for your staff
The success of your implementation doesn’t rest solely on the software itself. Your staff must also do their part in making sure that it goes smoothly. Unfortunately, not everyone in your workforce can be tech-savvy. Some might need some assistance in learning how to navigate the new system.
You can hold training sessions with your staff regarding how the new system works. This is especially important for those who operate your lobby desk. You can also take this opportunity to explain to them the purpose behind its implementation and how it can create a hassle-free office environment for both employees and visitors.
Highlight important features such as self-check ins/outs, QR code scanning, instant ID printing, and centralized database. This way, your employees can see how it can benefit them as well.
3. Guide visitors with the new process
You will also need to guide your visitors throughout your digital visitor management process. But unlike your staff, they won’t have time to attend training sessions with you. You will need a different method in familiarizing them with your newest system.
For example, you can assign a contact person who can guide your visitors throughout the entire process. Or if you are planning to go full contactless with the whole process, you can choose a software that offers assistive features in the form of pop-up messages or voice-assistance. You can also take advantage of its automation functions such as ID badge printing, host notification, and QR code scanning.
4. Ensure accessibility
Before installing a software, you must make sure that you can fully access its functions and features. This means having the right hardware to run it. Otherwise, you might have a hard time incorporating it into your current digital ecosystem.
To make sure that the software is fully accessible, you should consider getting a cloud visitor management system. For one, having a cloud-based system means you can access it on any type of device—from laptops, smartphones, and tablets. With it, you can create a centralized admin dashboard where you and authorized staff can manage accounts and visitor data in real-time.
5. Integrate with your current systems
Like all businesses, you might have an entire system of other software solutions. Introducing a new one in your current digital ecosystem can impact your workflows. Thus, it is best to consider your visitor management system’s compatibility with the rest of your business software.
Take this, for example. If you currently have a reputation management software, you can integrate it into your visitor management system. This way, your visitors can leave their feedback or impressions of your business right after checking out. You can also connect it to an analytics software so that you can gain insights from the visitor data gathered by the system. And if you have sales or lead generation software, you can also use this data to increase your sales.
Through integrations, you’re not only enhancing your visitor management system features but aligning it with the rest of your workflows.
Hassle-free process for visitors and staff
Thanks to the digital age, visitor management drastically evolved. You can do away with paper sign-ins and reduce the manpower needed to accommodate visitors. With the right software, you can fully automate the entire process while also saving up on cost and reducing your staff’s workload.
So go ahead and try investing in a digital visitor management system. To start, you can check out SmartLobby. This might just be what you need to create a hassle-free process for your visitors and staff.