In this featured piece by Facility Executive, the outlet examines how visitor management systems are evolving to help organizations identify potential threats and prevent workplace violence, drawing on perspectives from Terry Swanson, president and CEO of Singlewire Software, and Rob Druktenis, team lead for solutions acceleration at Axis Communications. The article cites a report from ZeroEyes’ Gun Violence Research Center finding that educational and retail facilities were among the top targets for gun violence in 2024, alongside rising violent incidents in healthcare settings. Swanson explains that visitor management systems can screen guests against national sex offender databases and government watchlists, support custom banned-visitor lists, and keep the check-in process contained to a building’s vestibule until screening is complete. The piece also looks ahead to emerging trends, including app-based check-in and facial recognition, which Swanson says reduce reliance on proprietary hardware and administrative burden on front-office staff.
Key Takeaways
- A report from ZeroEyes’ Gun Violence Research Center found that educational and retail facilities were among the top targets for gun violence in 2024.
- Terry Swanson, president and CEO of Singlewire Software, said visitor management systems can check guest information against national sex offender databases and government watchlists while also supporting custom banned-visitor lists.
- Some visitor management systems keep the check-in process contained to a building’s vestibule, ensuring the building stays locked until screening is complete.
- Swanson said healthcare facilities often have specialized visitor management needs, such as linking visitor access to specific patients and adjusting visitor limits based on a patient’s level of care.
- Swanson identified app-based check-in and facial recognition as the two biggest emerging technologies in visitor management, both aimed at reducing hardware requirements and easing the check-in process.
Original Story
At its core, visitor management gives organizations the ability to see who is arriving at their doorstep. Like a troll that guards a drawbridge, instead of answering a riddle, employees must meet the security guard at the front desk to sign in, scan their badge to get through to the elevators, stand in front of a screen for biometric authentication, among other security checks.
Facility managers can learn valuable information by observing employee and guest sign-ins. Knowing who is in a building and when they arrived offers key insights about a building’s occupancy and employee attendance. This information is critical to know if an incident occurs—giving security teams a chance to react before an issue escalates. All facilities are on high alert for the potential of workplace violence. A report from ZeroEyes’ Gun Violence Research Center found that educational and retail facilities were some of the top targets for gun violence in 2024. Healthcare facilities have also had increasing rates of violent incidents surge over the past few years.
“Visitor management systems can help with workplace violence prevention strategies by offering a first line of defense for organizations to identify potential threats,” adds Terry Swanson, CEO and President of Singlewire Software. “In addition to running guest information against national sex offender databases and government watchlists, organizations also can create custom banned visitor lists to prevent unwanted guests like disgruntled ex-employees, partners, or other individuals who have been known to cause issues from receiving access. Furthermore, some systems allow organizations to keep the check-in experience in the vestibule area. This ensures the building stays locked until the guest has completed screening procedures, adding an extra layer of security and control.”