Visitor Management Systems: What Are They & How Do They Work?

When you have a steady flow of visitors entering and exiting your premises, you need the process to go smoothly. If it doesn’t, you risk queues at best and security breaches at worst.

So, how can your organization manage all of these comings and goings? A visitor management system can do it all.

By the end of this article, you’ll understand visitor management systems, why they matter, and how they work. We’ll look at what the different types offer and explain how you can choose the right system for your unique needs.

What is a visitor management system?

A visitor management system welcomes, signs in, tracks, and signs out every guest on your premises. In the past, this might have been done with a paper logbook in reception. The digital upgrade adds far more efficiency, traceability, and compliance.

Far more than a warm welcome, digital management systems can monitor a guest’s presence throughout their visit, which is a real boon for security.

Why are visitor management systems so important in 2025?

There are three key ways that visitor management systems add value to organizations.

Every business needs to be watchful of security threats, so that they can keep staff and assets safe. If you don’t know who is on-site and why, can you really say your premises are secure?

Modern visitor management systems can screen guests against internal or external watchlists, preventing unauthorized access and identifying potential threats immediately. This proactive approach safeguards your whole organization.

Most businesses have to meet data privacy and safety regulations (e.g. GDPR and OSHA, respectively). Certain sectors, like education or healthcare, have strict safeguarding protocols to consider, too.

Visitor management systems help meet these demands. As well as collecting and storing visitor data securely, they can also obtain digital consent for NDAs or safety briefings, as well as providing accurate audit trails.

Asking your reception team to manage every sign-in is a waste of resources, especially during peak hours.

Digital systems automate the repetitive parts of visitor management, freeing staff to focus on more valuable activities while keeping the personal touch with all guests.

Visitor management systems are a great investment, making your organization more efficient and safe. Avoiding costly fines and breaches offers a quantifiable ROI, but you can’t put a price on the peace of mind these systems offer.

The visitor management system options: paper to cloud-based solutions

Visitor management has evolved significantly from the sign-in sheets and name stickers. With that evolution has come variety, so there’s something to suit every organization.

Paper logbooks

If you prefer or can only afford an analogue system, a handwritten visitor logbook is better than nothing.

They’re simple to implement, but they offer little or no security, accuracy, or tracking. Privacy is a concern, too. Anyone can read and see the details of previous visitors.

These are best suited for low-risk or small-scale settings where digital solutions aren’t needed.

On-premise systems

These systems involve software and hardware installed and maintained on your own local servers and network.

They offer maximum data control and customization, making them suitable for medium to large organizations with specific requirements or regulatory pressures.

However, they typically need a higher upfront investment and dedicated IT resources for maintenance and updates.

Cloud-based systems

The most popular solution, cloud-based systems are web-accessible platforms hosted and managed by a third-party provider.

They are highly flexible, scalable, and offer remote access for easy management from anywhere. Other benefits include automatic updates, lower upfront costs, and easier general management.

For their accessibility and ease of use, cloud-based systems are a smart choice for businesses needing agility and cost efficiency.

Mobile-based systems

Often a component of cloud-based solutions, mobile systems use smartphone apps for pre-registration and check-in functions. Visitors can receive QR codes on their phones and scan them on arrival for contactless check-in.

This option is great for convenience and speed, but can come at an extra cost.

Integrated systems

The most advanced solutions link visitor management with other core security and operational systems. It might include integration with building access control, surveillance cameras, employee directories, and even HR systems.

These integrations allow visitor data to flow across teams and systems, enhancing security and simplifying operations.

How do visitor management systems work?

Modern visitor management systems give your guests a smooth and secure experience on your premises. The specifics depend on what your site looks like, but a generic flow will follow these steps:

1. Pre-registration: You pre-register your guest, adding their details, visit purpose, and appointment time. The system then sends an automated invitation to the visitor, often including a unique QR code, directions, and site information. 

2. Arrival and check-in: The visitor arrives and uses a check-in kiosk or tablet. They can use their pre-registration QR code or type in their name. The system guides them through the steps, which might include:

• Confirming their details
• Taking a photo for their badge
• Digitally completing documents like NDAs, health questionnaires, or waivers

3. Host Notification: Once the visitor is checked in, the system notifies you of their arrival via email, SMS, or messaging app. 

4. Badge printing: The system will also print a visitor badge, which typically includes their name, company, photo, date, and your name. This makes them easily identifiable throughout their visit. 

5. Access granting: In an integrated system, the visitor management platform communicates with the building's access control system. A printed badge or mobile credential grants temporary access to specific rooms or areas, so visitors can access only what they need. 

6. Data logging and record keeping: Every action, from check in to check out, is logged securely with timestamps and other details. This data creates a comprehensive audit trail for security, compliance, and emergencies. 

7. Check-out: When the visit ends, the guest checks out at the kiosk or by scanning their badge. They'll also return their visitor badge. This action updates the visitor log immediately for an accurate count of everyone on-site.

Key features of top visitor management systems in 2025

Just as your user process will be unique, so will the important features in any system you choose. Regardless, there are still some vital foundations of visitor management systems.

Usability and functionality

• Customizable check-in workflows: Tailor your sign-in experience for different visitor types, departments, or purposes. Collect only the necessary information and gather relevant signatures and forms.
• Real-time visitor notifications: Get instant alerts when a guest arrives, minimizing wait times and improving communication.
• Contactless sign-in: Create a hygienic and convenience touch-free check-in experience with QR codes, mobile apps, or even facial recognition.
• Badge printing: Automate printing of professional, customizable visitor badges for easy identification.

Security protocols

• ID verification and watchlist screening: Scan government-issued IDs for verification and automatically cross-reference visitors against internal or external watchlists for enhanced security.
• Digital document signing: Capture electronic signatures for NDAs, liability waivers, safety briefings, or other critical documents.
• Data logging, reporting and analytics: Automate detailed record-keeping and use search function and reporting tools to generate insights on visitor traffic, peak times, and compliance adherence.

Scalability

• Integration with existing systems: Create a unified security and operational system by integrating with your existing tech, like access control, cameras, HR directories, calendars, and emergency notification systems.
• Multi-location management: Manage visitor traffic across multiple sites from a centralized dashboard.

6 benefits of using a visitor management system for your business

It’s easy to think of visitor management as a simple administrative task and not worth much consideration. It’s far from simple, though, and can actually deliver some tangible benefits to your business and visitors.

1. Improved visitor experience and efficiency: Make a great first impression. Guests appreciate a swift, professional, and intuitive check-in process. For your staff, automating this initial admin will save them valuable time.
2. Enhanced security and accountability: Improve your physical security by knowing precisely who is in your building at all times. Prevent unauthorized access and reference critical information in the event of an incident.
3. Robust compliance and audit trails: Meet regulatory requirements for visitor data, privacy, and safety. Detailed, timestamped logs are readily available for all audits and investigations, ensuring transparency and accountability. Your compliance team will thank you!
4. Reduced administrative burden: Automating check-in tasks frees up reception staff to focus on guest services and all their other duties. Manual check-in procedures are rarely an efficient use of resources.
5. Better emergency preparedness: In an emergency, you have to know who is in the building and where. Having instant access to accurate visitor logs gives you one less issue to manage when in an emergency situation.
6. Data-driven decision making: The data from your system can provide insights into visitor traffic patterns, peak hours, and even host activity. Using this, you can optimize scheduling, lobby design, and highlight security weak spots.

Choosing the right visitor management system

When choosing a visitor management system, you should keep in mind:

• Average visitor volume
• Size and complexity of your site(s)
• Any specific security needs (industry or regional regulations)
• Budget for now and future (including costs for scaling up or down)
• Scalability, so you can choose a system that grows with your organization

Next, decide whether a locally installed system or a cloud-based system best fits your business and IT resources. Most modern businesses opt for cloud-based solutions for cost, simplicity, and ease of use, but local systems can offer more control and security.

Finally, ensure the system offers the essential features you need – some of which we’ve already covered in the section above.

How acre Security streamlines visitor management

Having delivered visitor management systems for companies including Google, we know how to design a system that’s both slick and robust.

We’re proud of how much customization we can offer, including deep integrations with multiple systems. There’s no one-size-fits-all with acre security, you’ll only ever get a tailored solution that’s uniquely right for your organization.

Whether you need to oversee hundreds of daily visitors or dozens of nationwide locations, we can help. If you’re interested, you can explore more about our visitor management systems.

First impressions count for a lot

A warm welcome goes a long way and so does a modern visitor management system. Not only can it provide your guests with a five-star experience, it also improves your security, compliance, and operations.

The right choice of system will start every visit on the right foot, as well as securing your premises and helping your staff.

Get in touch and let’s discuss how we can help with visitor management.