From Facility Executive
At its core, visitor management gives organizations the ability to see who is arriving at their doorstep. Like a troll that guards a drawbridge, instead of answering a riddle, employees must meet the security guard at the front desk to sign in, scan their badge to get through to the elevators, stand in front of a screen for biometric authentication, among other security checks.
Facility managers can learn valuable information by observing employee and guest sign-ins. Knowing who is in a building and when they arrived offers key insights about a building’s occupancy and employee attendance. This information is critical to know if an incident occurs—giving security teams a chance to react before an issue escalates. All facilities are on high alert for the potential of workplace violence. A report from ZeroEyes’ Gun Violence Research Center found that educational and retail facilities were some of the top targets for gun violence in 2024. Healthcare facilities have also had increasing rates of violent incidents surge over the past few years.
“Visitor management systems can help with workplace violence prevention strategies by offering a first line of defense for organizations to identify potential threats,” adds Terry Swanson, CEO and President of Singlewire Software. “In addition to running guest information against national sex offender databases and government watchlists, organizations also can create custom banned visitor lists to prevent unwanted guests like disgruntled ex-employees, partners, or other individuals who have been known to cause issues from receiving access. Furthermore, some systems allow organizations to keep the check-in experience in the vestibule area. This ensures the building stays locked until the guest has completed screening procedures, adding an extra layer of security and control.”