As an experienced advisor to organizations navigating workplace safety, compliance, and hybrid work challenges, I am frequently asked for guidance on visitor management systems. Visitor management has become mission-critical, so let me share insights that I hope you’ll find useful.
Surging Demand for Visitor Management Capabilities
Visitor management systems (VMS) have seen enormous demand growth in recent years. Why this surge?
Several factors are accelerating adoption of visitor management technology:
- Health and safety risks have climbed with infectious diseases, making tracking and screening visitors vital. VMS platforms facilitate needed protocols.
- Regulations like HIPAA, GDPR, and industry compliance mandates have also heightened, increasing needs to capture visitor data securely while managing complex screening rules.
- Positive visitor impressions have become a competitive advantage as expectations rise. VMS platforms smooth sign-ins and customize experiences.
Research cited by MarketsandMarkets found the global visitor management system market projected to grow from $1.1 billion in 2021 to $2.3 billion in 2026. So with needs scaling fast across sectors, let‘s break down what exactly these systems offer.
Capabilities Provided by Visitor Management Systems
Visitor management systems track and screen guests while capturing needed data to accelerate sign-ins and maintain safety protocols. Common visitors include:
- Job candidates
- Auditors
- Vendors
- Regulators
- Customers
- Delivery personnel
- Facility tours
Robust VMS platforms centralize tools to:
- CustomizeQUESTIONnaires to screen visitors
- Scan IDENTITY documents
- Print BADGES with visitor details
- Notify employee HOSTS of arrivals
- Create wATCH lists to flag persons of concern
- Manage SIGN-in flows tailored to visitor type
- Integrate with access controls and visitor databases
- Provide visibility into facility CAPACITY at all times
- Generate detailed audit/compliance REPORTS
- Analyze trends to improve operations
Why Invest in Visitor Management Software?
When assessing platforms, weigh key benefits against costs:
Key Benefits
- Smoother, more positive visitor impressions
- Automated regulatory and safety protocols
- Detailed visibility even after visits
- Analytics to improve operations
- Customized branding and messaging
Key Capabilities to Prioritize
- Simple for visitors
- Configurable sign-in flows
- Robust screening questions
- Useful real-time alerts and metrics
- Secure data storage
- Multi-site support
- Helpful customer support teams
Bottom line? Visitor management technology excelling across these vectors helps organizations provide hospitality and safety simultaneously. Let‘s explore top platform options that fit the bill.
Nine Leading Visitor Management Systems of 2023
While dozens of capable VMS platforms exist, these nine provide excellent reliability, customization, smooth scaling and value. Let‘s compare their strengths.
SwipedOn
Best For: Mid-sized companies needing ease of use, excellent support, highly polished experiences
Standout Capabilities: Exceptional simplicity, smooth integrations, real-time notifications, touchless sign-ins, fast implementation
I recommend SwipedOn most often due to its blend of sleek interfaces, transparent pricing, and incredibly helpful support teams. For professional services, healthcare, education, and technology firms, it‘s a go-to choice.
iLobby
Best For: Large enterprises managing extremely high visitor volumes across complex global operations
Standout Capabilities: Advanced identity verification, custom screenings, emergency alerts, auditor tools, unlimited locations
With extensive compliance protections, high-volume capacity, premium integrations, and multifactor identity checks, iLobby satisfies the most demanding safety requirements. But it also provides a polished visitor experience. Think major government agencies or companies like Boeing, PepsiCo, or PwC.
Envoy Visitors
Best For: Fast-scaling companies wanting extremely easy rollout
Standout Capabilities: Intuitive tools, iPad sign-ins, QR code access, host notifications, reasonably priced
For organizations needing visitor management capabilities immediately with little training, Envoy Visitors makes the process extremely straightforward. From headquarters to retail outlets to distribution centers, it onboards easily.
The Receptionist
Best For: Boutique and professional services firms wanting dedicated support staff
Standout Capabilities: Custom-branded iPad sign-ins, exceptionally friendly concierge staff, detailed notifications, compliance protections
The Receptionist literally provides a remote reception team to personally manage visitors with care at smaller growing companies. Its polished tools plus dedicated support staff create incredible hospitality.
Proxyclick
Best For: Global enterprises and highly regulated industries managing unprecedented visitor volumes
Standout Capabilities: Highly advanced customization, premium integrations, unmatched scalability, robust analytics
For the most complex global implementations spanning countless sites and visitor types, Proxyclick offers incredible configurability. Think elite management consultancies, Fortune 500 headquarters, and tier-one financial institutions.
Who‘s On Location
Best For: Budget-conscious organizations needing well-rounded capabilities
Standout Capabilities: Solid feature set at affordable pricing, self-service or manual options as backup
With tools for pre-registration, screenings, contact tracing, analytics, and manual roll calls if needed, Who‘s On Location consolidates lots of key capabilities at reasonable rates.
Greetly
Best For: Optimizing front desk workflows at professional services firms
Standout Capabilities: Easy iPad sign-ins, custom questionnaires for healthcare, smooth CRM integrations
Greetly provides tailored solutions explicitly designed around dental office, medical clinic, legal firm and other professional services workflows. With integrated oral health screens and branded iPad sign-in capabilities out of the box, it allows boutique firms to upgrade reception quickly.
Envoy Desk
Best For: Companies needing employee and meeting room scheduling alongside visitor management
Standout Capabilities: Smooth hybrid workforce management, easy integrations with Envoy Visitors
For organizations navigating flexible employee work sites, Envoy Desk couples simple meeting space booking with visitor management seamlessly. It provides one streamlined platform to handle the full spectrum of workplace experiences.
SwipedOn Desks
Best For: Companies wanting employee and desk scheduling with their visitor management
Standout Capabilities: Visual floor plans, straightforward employee self-scheduling, cost-effective add-on
Similarly, SwipedOn Desks adds employee and desk booking as an affordable package with SwipedOn’s excellent visitor tools highlighted above. It too consolidates logistics smoothly.
Evaluating Your Unique Needs
With an overview of leading solutions that balance strong capabilities, smooth experiences, and reasonable pricing, how do you select the right fit?
Beyond weighing the solutions above against your immediate tactical needs, also consider:
- Intended scale: How many locations and monthly visitors do you expect now and in coming years?
- Compliance considerations: Will you need verified identity checks or custom legal agreements?
- Training bandwidth: Can you accommodate a solution with a learning curve or do you need simple self-service?
- Visitor mix: Will you manage varying types of guests warranting tailored handling?
- Customization wants: How much do you prioritize tailoring signage, questionnaires and branding elements?
- Data security standards: Do you require advanced protections like SOC-2 audits or ISO certifications?
- Interoperability: What other workplace systems like access controls or intranet portals will need to integrate?
Thinking through questions like these around scale, compliance, ease of use, customization, security and integrations will help identify the ideal fit.
Most importantly, look for visitor management systems that balance strong first impressions with rigorous protections behind the scenes. Leading solutions ultimately allow organizations to elevate hospitality and safety in equal measure.
Final Thoughts
With risks and complexities heightening across sectors, smooth and secure visitor management is no longer nice-to-have. Thankfully, today‘s focused VMS solutions show how greater comfort and greater vigilance go hand-in-hand.
Automating tedious reception tasks allows staff to focus fully on visitor needs during precious in-person interactions. And capturing visitor details seamlessly even at departure provides reliable visibility when it matters most.
Bottom line? The finest visitor management platforms exemplify how hospitality and safety can accelerate, rather than inhibit, productivity for all involved. They allow organizations to forge the types of trusting relationships that underpin all thriving businesses.
With this overview of top solutions and evaluation criteria tailored to your priorities, I welcome connecting if any additional guidance on visitor management would be helpful. Here‘s to keeping great first impressions growing and flowing smoothly for many years ahead!
