Does Your Business Need Better Visitor Management?

As your small business gets busier and busier, visitor access can become a significant point of risk. While many companies monitor employees and their access, strangers may move around the same property unimpeded. Why should this concern you, and how can you reduce the risks of unattended nonemployees? Read on to learn a few key things you should know about visitor management.



Why Are Unattended Visitors a Risk?

Risks from people on your property come in several forms, some of which are obvious and some are subtle. 

The first risk is the possibility of theft, intentional damage, or even injury to employees or clients. The more activity there is on and around your business, the more likely it is that someone with bad intentions will wander in.

Inventory might disappear unnoticed, for instance, or a physical breach could cause a cybersecurity breach. And because employees don't know who should or shouldn't be there, they rarely confront anyone. 

In addition, any time a person is on your property, your company can be held liable if anyone is injured. Visitors ranging from customers to suppliers to service personnel can get injured, suffer damage to their property, or even be harassed. How much legal — and financial — responsibility you bear depends on many factors, but even if the person were not authorized to be there, you would likely still be liable. 

Finally, unattended visitors can cause productivity and morale issues. Friends or family members who regularly visit employees on-site reduce efficiency. Salespersons or vendors spending inordinate time on the property get in the way of good operations. And domestic or personal disputes can spill over into the workplace. Even a small business owner who isn't militant about productivity does well to identify ways to improve. 

What Is Visitor Management?

So, how can you lower the risks of unattended visitors? The most important method is through a visitor management program. This program consists of several different security elements that work together to prevent unwanted trespassers, provide convenient access for authorized persons, and change with the needs of the company.

First, visitor management starts with good security features at the perimeter and throughout the facility. Access control at the gate or front door ensures people identify themselves before entering. Cameras capture who comes and goes — including from little-used side or rear entrances. Motion sensors keep areas well lit in the morning or evening so there is less chance of people wandering in unnoticed. 

Visitor management then uses identification badges and check-in procedures to mark those who have been authorized to be on-site. These badges can be generic visitor badges that simply alert employees that the person has gone through proper check-in. They can also be unique badges granted to repeat visitors. Some companies program ID cards with access to open specific doors or to track the location of visitors.

Your employees can help with visitor management by learning how it works and how they should respond to anyone who appears unauthorized. Having an easy way to identify if a person is supposed to be there increases the chances that employees will pay more attention and say something when they notice suspicious activity. 

And finally, visitor management often provides reports about who is accessing your property, when, and where. Leadership can then use these to refine visitor policies, locate weak points of security, and keep people out of hazardous areas. 

Where to Start

Could your small company improve in its management of visitors, both authorized and unauthorized? Start by learning more about modern access control choices and technology. Phoenix Access Control provides a wide array of security and management services tailored to any size business. Call today to make an appointment or get answers to your security questions.