In many countries across the globe, whenever you visit or drop-by any facility, building or a store (if you are lucky enough to be lockdown-free), you would have to register with your name and phone number for contact tracing purposes.
Like me, you have probably felt frustrated with the whole sign-in process. Sometimes we just want to grab a cuppa from a nearby cafe, and the sign-in process adds on 15 minutes. Well, thanks to COVID-19, this is the new normal.
While the need to check-in everywhere you go is frustrating; buildings and stores inevitably require a visitor management software in times like these. Regardless of the nature of industries, visitor management software is needed to ensure both the visitors’ and the staff’s safety.
With so much information about visitor management software all over the internet; let me take you through the purpose and reasoning for most different types of industries adopting and embracing visitor management software.
Education
Visitor management systems are a necessity in the education sector. This is because it contributes to the efficiency of running a school. With a visitor management system in place, school staff can have more time to spend on more critical tasks.
Not only does it help make schools run more efficiently, but it also allows receptionists in schools to monitor and track visitors. This can help in ensuring the safety of students and other staff members. For schools, security is a very important consideration in today’s environment.
School safety is a critically important consideration in today’s uncertain environment. With COVID-19 still lurking around, schools have to be extra careful. It is best for schools to limit the number of visitors into the school to limit contact between people. In the event where there is a COVID-19 outbreak in a school, they will be able to track and contain the spread; all with a visitor management software in place.
Having a reliable visitor management software can also help schools streamline the process of handling guests and visitors, which in turn helps relieve some of the stress faced by school staff. Especially with COVID-19, there is a pressing need for schools to assure parents and students that schools are COVID-safe.
Educational institutions in Australia face tremendous pressure to protect their staff and students. Specifically, educational institutions are obliged not to act negligently. Schools and teachers alike are responsible for exercising reasonable care to protect students from foreseeable harm while they are on the school premises.
Further, schools and teachers have to maintain other duties imposed by Australian legislation. Some of these duties include:
- Student discrimination and harassment prevention
- Notification of suspected or actual cases of child abuse
- Care for the health and safety of staff in the workplace
To ensure that education institutions comply with the above legislation, they can do so by using a quality visitor management software to keep an eye on anyone who enters and exits the premises, including parents, guardians, external contractors, students and ex-students.
With so many visitor management software out there in the market, I’d recommend one that offers ID badge printing so that visitors are easily identifiable. Also, schools’ visitor management software needs to be 100% compliant with the Australian legislation to ensure that schools are compliant.
Corporate
A large influx of visitors, staff and contractors are going in and out of corporate offices and building centres daily. Especially with COVID-19, managing a large crowd efficiently can be problematic. This is where visitor management software can help.
In the corporate world, branding and imaging matter a lot. The first impression that visitors will have begins when they step into the office or building. Having a visitor management software can help boost visitors’ impressions by portraying your company as safety-conscious and forward-thinking.
Many businesses and offices still rely on traditional methods of pen and paper as their visitor management solution. While the good ole visitor sign-in sheets have its perks, it burdens your team with more administrative work that could have been digitised. Visitor management software can help you be organised, ensure that your office or building is safe, and make a better first impression on your visitors.
A visitor management software is a helpful tool for screening visitors, staff and contractors after lockdown. The visitor management software can be used to find out about the visitor’s recent travel history, body temperature, and record and collect their contact information for contact tracing purposes.
Healthcare
While many industries have adopted visitor management software with the onset of COVID-19, few of these industries are more safety and security-conscious than the healthcare industry. The healthcare industry has many visitors every day.
Majority of these visitors are patients, family and friends, vendors, contractors and staff. With a massive influx of people going in and out of healthcare facilities every day, tracking visitors is particularly challenging.
To add to this challenge, healthcare facilities face more stringent restrictions and regulations than other industries as patients are coming in to seek medical help which also puts everyone in the facility at risk of COVID-19.
Although most healthcare facilities have their own security protocols, it is difficult for healthcare staff to track all visitors and patients. Regrettably, while many healthcare facilities utilise paper sign-in sheets or front desk receptionists to address this challenge, this is a manual and laborious process.
With so much to handle in their day-to-day jobs, healthcare professionals cannot stand to waste time doing administrative tasks. This is where visitor management software comes in!
A digital and automated visitor management software can solve the above challenges. With a visitor management software, healthcare facilities will be able to screen visitors, issue badges, collect check-in and out times and ensure that no visitors stay beyond the visiting hours stipulated. Moreover, a visitor management system can also help direct visitors to the healthcare facility’s right wings.
Hospitality
The hospitality industry includes hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, museums and theme parks. Managing this large number of visitors is a daunting task.
Reception desks of hotels and hostels are often busy and swamped with corwds. The crowd is always incoming, and this makes it difficult for the receptionists to maintain the security of the hostel or hotel while at the same time helping these people check-in.
Further, receptionists need to record guests’ details, especially their identification and travel documents. This is especially crucial with COVID-19 as hotels and hostels are among the biggest hotspots and vulnerable spots for a COVID-19 cluster.
Upon the loosening of restrictions, dining in is once again permissible. During peak hours, the influx of diners can make it difficult for restaurants to ensure that diners comply with safe distancing rules. Also, for the more popular restaurants, the long queues outside are a breeding ground for COVID-19.
With these challenges in mind, the industry is in a burning need for a visitor management software to help manage visitors and guests. With the hospitality industry being so people-facing, it is paramount to screen guests and have contact tracing information readily available.
For some states like Queensland, it is mandatory for all hospitality businesses to move away from paper-based record-keeping methods and collect and store contact details electronically. Therefore, these industry owners need to utilise a digital visitor management software to streamline and automate this contact tracing process.
The hospitality industry also places a lot of emphasis on customer satisfaction. Hospitality businesses need to use visitor management software that collects customer feedback on the whole sign-in process. With this feedback, businesses can further improve on their service.
Aged Care
Last but not least, visitor management software is also well needed in the aged care industry. The ageing population is one of the most vulnerable groups to COVID-19. Hence, they are vital to protect them from the spread of COVID-19.
Even with COVID-19, the aged care industry still welcomes visitors, albeit some restrictions from the Australian government. Visitors must be tracked and vaccinated against the flu. Before entering the facility, aged care facilities will also have to ensure that visitors have their temperature screened.
As the aged care industry, specifically residential aged care, received visitors every day, an automated visitor management software is recommended. A visitor management solution can also ensure that aged care facilities are compliant with ever-changing government regulations.
Aged care facilities should look for visitor management software specifically designed for the aged care industry. These systems cater to the needs and requirements of the industry in question. While mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 on the aged care industry is difficult, having a visitor management software will definitely make things easier.
In Summary
Regardless of which industry and where you go, you will have to spend an extra 10-15 minutes signing in. The next time you are faced with a visitor management system onsite, just have a bit of patience. It is for your own and everyone else’s sake. Get your cuppa safely!
With so many nuances in restrictions for different industries, it is important for industry owners to understand their own compliance requirements and go for visitor management software to automate the process.
