How visitor lobby software can help enable a more efficient workplace

Visitor lobby software is becoming a more relevant and familiar term across workplaces of different sizes and within varying industries . Visitor lobby software, or lobby kiosk software, provides a platform that helps enable workplaces to streamline their visitor check-in procedures and enhance safety and security – all within the confines of their reception entrance area.

Below, we delve into what lobby software is, how it is used within buildings, and how it can help workplaces become more efficient.

What is visitor lobby software?

Visitor lobby software, or visitor management software, is software that digitizes and automates the front desk sign in process by eliminating paper-based sign in books.

It allows for various visitor management practices such as visitor registration and invitations, check-in and out, name badge printing, visitor log maintenance, and visitor data capturing to be automated and digitized.

It can consist of software found in lobbies, reception areas, front desks and workplace entrances, helping to facilitate more seamless visitor entrance and departure.

How is lobby sign in software utilized in buildings?

Visitor lobby software can be utilized uniquely depending on your industry, your visitor policies and your level of security requirements. For some workplaces, they may simply need this software to perform the duties of checking visitors in and out and maintaining a digital visitor log.

Other workplaces, such as commercial real estate buildings or logistics and manufacturing sites, may need to go beyond this and collect important workplace compliance documents from visitors, contractors, and suppliers. They may also require lobby check in software that can help keep tenant data secure and private without compromising on convenience or cost.

Regardless, this software can be employed in workplaces across various industries with unique security requirements in a number of ways. For instance:

• Facilitate digital visitor check-in and out through iPad kiosks and mobile phones
• Enable staff to leverage the ability to invite guests and pre-fill essential information
• Provide a single place where visitors can review and comply with check-in requirements, such as reading and acknowledging NDAs, emergency evacuation maps, and workplace policies upon entrance
• Present visitors with check-out instructions such as the reporting of any site incidents or feedback surveys
• Expedite visitor badge printing by initiating this workplace requirement upon check-in and by capturing a visitors photo ID
• Notify relevant hosts upon visitor arrival, and provide hosts with abilities to accept or reject check-in attempts
• Enhance workplace oversight with a live visitor activity log paired with site reporting and analytics
• Digitize and automate the collection and approval of important documentation from visitors, contractors, and suppliers prior to check-in

What makes an efficient workplace?

An efficient workplace may not have one single definition – as different organizations have different productivity expectations and goals. This means there are unique factors that can make a workplace more efficient.

But, in essence, an efficient workplace utilizes resources effectively while reducing the likelihood of overusing or wasting them. A more efficient workplace may also involve empowering employees and managers to be able to achieve higher levels of output and productivity without the need to waste resources, time or money.

How can visitor lobby software help workplaces become more effecient?

Lobby kiosk software can help facilitate workplace and digital efficiency in a number of ways:

Enable more seamless people movements

Effective people flow enables visitors to move confidently and seamlessly throughout your workplace while also being able to uphold site security. Visitor lobby software may be able to help you enable this by offering a variety of solutions to help visitors easily and securely check-in to your site.

By leveraging these solutions and enabling more seamless people movements, you can enable your workplace to:

• Become more efficient in managing its visitors
• Identify building navigational weaknesses
• More easily exchange and collect information between visitors and staff.

Help reduce clunky administration overhead, automate processes, and allow staff to focus more on important tasks

The elimination of insecure paper sign-in sheets thanks to the introduction of visitor lobby software can help free up time for front desk staff that would otherwise be spent manually processing visitor check-ins and collection of documents, signatures, and forms.

Adding on, being interrupted to facilitate a visitors arrival, locate and contact the relevant host alongside upholding site security can be an extremely inefficient approach without the assistant of this software.

Electronic lobby software can also help you embrace convenience through its automated and characteristically more secure collection of key visitor information. This may help save time and effort wasted on manually sifting through paper documents to locate important information. It can also help reduce the need for physical storage space used to house paper copies of compliance documents. 

Bridge communication gaps between visitors and hosts

Top performing visitor lobby software will notify elected hosts when visitors check in. Not only can this help bridge communication gaps between staff and visitors, but it can also help create a more welcoming, less-confusing arrival experience – especially for first time guests. It may also allow for hosts and facilities to gain a clearer insight into when designated guests arrive so they can greet them on time and structure their calendar accordingly.

By enabling easier and more automated communication capabilities between visitors and staff, this software can help produce an array of benefits to assist in creating a more efficient business and arrival experience:

• Visitors are more likely to know where to go and what is expected of them when they arrive on site
• Visitors are reassured and met with a positive first impression that they are being taken care of
• Hosts and facility managers spend less time on manual work such as trying to locate the visitor or trace their contact details should the need arise
• Hosts and facility managers can automate various communication capabilities such as emergency evacuation announcements or general updates to visitors.

Add an extra layer of security and workplace compliance throughout site entrances

Upon entry, visitor lobby software may be enabled to display key site information such as NDAs, health and safety procedures, visitor policies, site evacuation diagrams and any other important content which can be viewed and acknowledged by visitors. This can all be done through the convenience of a self-serve iPad kiosk or mobile app – no need for printing out sheets and sheets of sensitive documents or scheduling in-person visitor onboarding.

Modern lobby kiosk software with Honeywell Forge Visitor and Contractor Management

By utilizing visitor lobby software, it can help you create a more efficient workplace. Book a demo with our sales team today to discover how Honeywell Forge Visitor and Contractor Management can help your workplace enhance efficiency, safety, and workplace compliance.