Creating a streamlined visitor management process is an increasingly high priority for manufacturers, which oftentimes stems from concerns relating to privacy, security, safety, and overall enhancing their guests’ experience. The experience visitors receive at your industrial facility directly influences their perception of your business, therefore, it’s imperative to make a world-class first impression as soon as they arrive at your facility.
For some manufacturing leaders, investments in the visitor experience at your facility may not be a high priority. However, there is much more involved in a great visitor experience than merely welcoming your guests and pointing to where they need to go inside your building. As visitors enter your facility, they should be required to provide basic identification information such as their name and address, the purpose of their visit, as well as the name of the person they’re scheduled to see. Some manufacturers also require visitors to complete an NDA or other legal documents in order to gain access to the facility for security, legal, or intellectual property reasons.
Moreover, guest ID badges are typically produced for each visitor once their basic information is collected. All of these steps can add up to an extraordinarily labor-intensive process that takes valuable time away from your administrative staff, and usually results in a need for additional personnel specifically for taking care of office visitors.
As you can see, creating a streamlined and efficient visitor management process comes with its own set of unique challenges that must be addressed. In this article, we take a closer look at some of the most important best practices that you should apply to achieve an optimal visitor management process at your facility.
Reception areas at your facility are the first introduction a guest has to your operation and, on many days, can be an area of congestion for your employees and visitors. For example, your reception area could receive traffic from employees, delivery services, vendors, customers, and other internal and external personnel.
Given the constant flow of traffic, the reception area at your facility needs a way to effectively track who is in your building and create a secure, privacy-protected experience for your guests from start-to-finish. Next-generation visitor management software by Transmission enables manufacturers and industrial organizations to offer a secure and organized experience with a customized sign-in process and branded engagement that provides your visitors with a seamless experience.
Visitor management software helps industrial organizations optimize their visitor check-in experience in multiple ways:
With Transmission’s industrial visitor management system, your facility will improve efficiency, privacy, and security in the lobby or reception area.
The location of the check-in kiosk within your reception area is an important consideration to take into account. Regardless of how effective your visitor management system is, if you place the kiosks in an awkward location or a location that isn’t noticeable, visitors are unlikely to undergo your check-in process without being told to do so.
For your overall visitor management procedure to be effective, it must be obvious to visitors what they should do when they enter your lobby. For these reasons, proper kiosk placement is vital. It gives your guests the visual cues they need to begin the sign-in process at your check-in kiosk. Here are some of the common locations you should consider to ensure your adherence to established best practices going forward:
Almost any guest is going to be turned off by a long wait time in a reception area. Even if a staff member at your facility is running behind, your reception personnel can personally greet these guests and see what they can do to make them comfortable while they wait.
Your reception staff should excel at being warm and friendly to your visitors. This makes guests feel truly welcomed to your facility rather than being a bother. Be sure to maintain an adequate supply of refreshments that your reception staff can offer to visitors while they wait. In terms of seating arrangements in the reception area, make sure you have enough space and comfortable furniture for guests to have a place to sit while awaiting their host.
Many industrial facilities overlook the opportunity to capitalize on the aesthetic of their lobbies in the form of branding and marketing opportunities. All too often, visitors enter an outdated and drab reception area.
Instead, manufacturers and industrial companies could consider hiring a professional interior designer or marketing firm to carefully plan the look and feel of their waiting areas. Doing so gives guests a meaningful and authentic experience of your brand and company culture.
Many manufacturers choose to build small exhibits in their lobbies that proudly and professionally display the company’s history and values. Additionally, some facilities will display the company’s mission, charity involvements, or even pictures of key members of the staff. All of these efforts to create a rich environment in your lobby lead to customers, vendors, and the community at large feeling that your brand is purposeful, organized, and a leader in your industry.