It’s bizarre that many companies still operate the same way they have for years regarding meeting room booking. Whether it’s people block-booking rooms weeks in advance, bosses waltzing in and claiming supremacy, or shared Google Calendars being tampered with (it happens), getting the right meeting room at the right time can be a dog-eat-dog experience.
All these issues can be easily resolved with a proper, professional visitor management system (VMS) that prepares your business for flexible work.
What is visitor management?
Visitor management software delivers the right space at the right time to your visitors and your workforce. This would have been done on paper in the past, with guests signing in on a physical log and room bookings recorded in a file.
While online calendars have been a popular tool for organizing meetings and spaces, they often lack the specialized functions required for effective visitor management. This is where custom-built software and apps designed specifically for visitor management step in to provide a more comprehensive solution.
How do visitor management systems work?
Not all systems work the same way, but let’s look at an example using Eptura’s visitor management solution. Through an easy-to-use app, individuals can quickly book a workplace or meeting room on their phone.
- Book the space
The app provides a floor plan and allows you to book conference rooms and desks. With one press of your finger, it’s done. - Arrange to meet colleagues
You can search for colleagues’ workspaces, book a nearby workspace, and set up everything you need to start collaborating in minutes. - Manage the schedule
All bookings can be seen in list form so the individual knows where they’re going and when. It’s simple to make changes or cancellations to bookings. - Signing in
Our VMS software supports four ways to seamlessly check-in: interactive screens, QR codes, RFID cards, or automatic sign-in that recognizes who you are through your phone.
How can a visitor management system help your business
The best visitor management systems are flexible enough to work the way you work. So whether you want your colleagues to have the freedom to book directly or you still want an admin to handle requests and allocate appropriate rooms, the choice is yours.
When your system is up and running, why not add digital screens displaying bookings by each meeting room door? Your business can look more organized, dynamic, and professional. In a competitive world where the little things often matter, these extra touches give you a better chance of impressing clients, turning interest into leads, and even converting leads into sales.
How a visitor management system benefits your employees
Having a visitor management system removes some of the stress that can arise from the meeting room booking process. It also gives every employee a simple, unified means to make bookings at any time — and if the system incorporates a mobile app or Outlook integration like Eptura, they can book from anywhere.
And it’s not just those employees booking the meetings who benefit—think about your administrative and front-of-house staff, too.
According to our research, 35% of people still use a receptionist or personal assistant to book meeting spaces. Don’t they have enough to do without trying to squeeze meetings into times and places that suit everyone involved?
A visitor management system not only relieves them of this burden but makes it far easier for them to check visitors in and out, print visitor passes, and oversee who is or isn’t in the building at any given time.
How a visitor management system benefits your meetings
VMS removes the possibility of room clashes and double bookings. If you or your workforce need a meeting room at 10 a.m., it’ll be ready at 10 a.m. It can also allocate the right size room to suit the nature of the meeting and the number of employees attending. This helps guarantee that big conference rooms aren’t scheduled for two or three people.
The most integrated systems also incorporate the ability to book special requirements for individual meetings. For example, if you need video conferencing to talk to remote colleagues or catering for a lunchtime meeting, those requests are part of your booking on the system.
The visitor management system features to look out for
As you shop for the right visitor management software, there are some essential features you’ll want to make sure are included:
- Simple sign-in process
- Digital visitor log
- Host notifications
- Digital legal documents
- Badge printing
- Custom branding
- Integration with existing workflows
Condeco by Eptura offers all these tools to ensure your workplace is equipped with everything you need.
VMS helps create smooth operations
Create a seamless experience when people visit your offices. An effective visitor management system can maximize facilities through more accessible and efficient management. This clarifies the booking and scheduling processes and makes visitors’ experiences run smoothly from arrival to departure.
Get in touch with Eptura to find out how easy all this is to achieve.
