How to Request Documents During Visitor Sign-In

Piles of paperwork, signature upon signature, orientation information, and questionnaires. Collecting visitor documents can be an absolute pain. In complex facilities, however, security and compliance are often necessary.   

This documentation includes anything from scanning government-issued IDs to signed liability waivers. Having receptionists or security personnel sign people in and request these documents is unbearably slow. Especially with visitors like contractors, who often have long lists of contracts and documents. Manual collection also leads to errors, disorganization, and lost documents. It's a recipe for disaster if you face audits or need to conduct an investigation.  

No wonder enterprises with high visitor volumes consider automated solutions a necessity. Using self-guided sign-in kiosks, guests sign themselves in, provide esignatures, validate IDs, and complete safety videos or quizzes. The process is quick, easy and makes it impossible to sign in without correctly providing all the required info. Moreover, the kiosk is part of a cloud-based visitor management platform that creates a digital paper trail for organized, instant reporting.  

In this article, we explore how to request and collect documents in an efficient, customer experience-boosting manner. 

5 Tips for Fast, Secure Visitor Document Collection

Enterprise facilities and complex workplaces are plagued with slow check-ins and lobby traffic. The bigger and more secure the facility, the more documentation and validation required – compounding the problems. Employing smart document collection procedures helps issue passes faster, reduce lobby traffic, and boosts customer experience.  

Here are some guidelines for requesting documents from visitors more accurately, efficiently, and securely. 

1. Use a Visitor Management Platform

Many businesses now use visitor management platforms for more complete, efficient facility management. Automatically manage visitors' IDs, documents, and streamline complex processes.  

Enjoy a host of visitor management system (VMS) features that empower fast, accurate document collection and organization: 

• Self-sign-in kiosks 
• ID verification 

• Access Control 
• On-demand reports 
• Badge printing 
• Security checks 

Moreover, this software provides digital security and safeguards important documents. Protect private and sensitive data such as civil documents, contracts, or non-public records with encrypted software.  

VMS software saves time, automatically gathering requested documents and organizing them. Suppose you have a visitor list that varies widely in size or complexity. In that case, visitor management software can also help to streamline the process by organizing the document requests according to visitor types.  

Automating these processes ensures guests have a positive experience and arrive with the information you need. 

Learn more about VMS with: The Ultimate Guide to Visitor Management >  

2. Know What Types of Documents Matter During Check In

Create unique workflows for each visitor type. Each visitor receives a different experience based on their reason for visiting the site. This allows you to request only the most relevant documents and information. As a result, sign-ins are smooth, personalized, and efficient,  

A guest who is coming in for a job interview, for example, you may not need to collect much information other than their name. Whereas a vendor coming to a secure facility may need to provide more documentation.  

Take the time to determine what documents and validation are required for your facility processes' most common visitor types. Setting this up in advance improves visitor flow and standardizes document collection. 

3. Streamline Documents & Visitor Validation

Manually inspecting and validating visitor documents takes a long time and lends itself to errors. Sign-in kiosks automate visitor induction and verifies credentials. The ability to validate IDs and documents during induction not only saves time for the visitor but also for future audits and investigations. All information is stored on a secure visitor management dashboard, making it possible to generate comprehensive reports in seconds.  

Automated reporting makes it easier than ever to meet compliance goals. The digital sign-in process can also include visitor screening with custom or existing watchlists. Integrating visitor screening helps secure facilities meet ITAR compliance requirements and other regulations.  

You can also add custom lists to identify VIP guests. On check-in, the system identifies priority visitors, notifying hosts and assigning escorts. 

4. Use Pre-Registration Tools

Prevent lobby traffic from building up by having guests complete their sign-ins online. Even with digital sign-in kiosks, collecting multiple visitor documents slows down check-ins and can create a line. For document-heavy visitor types, you can streamline the process with pre-registration software.  

Use visitor pre-registration tools for maximum efficiency. The host sends out an email at a click, prompting the visitor to complete their sign-in on their smartphone. Visitors upload all required critical documents digitally and receive a QR code on completion. When the guest arrives, they scan the QR code at the kiosk; just like that, they're signed in.   

In addition to receiving critical visitor information and storing it in a secure dashboard, the email also sends key visit information. This same email provides data like: 

• Meeting time and link. 
• Interactive map and directions. 
• QR code for automatic sign-in. 

5. Set Custom Parameters and Protect Visitor Privacy

Whenever requesting visitor records, set custom parameters to ensure that your system handles the requests securely and efficiently. Your visitor-type settings automatically select which documents to request, or you can include custom requests. This allows relevant document requests at a click, only asking guests to provide what is needed. While this is important for visitor experience, it also identifies the compliance types and policies you must follow.  

For all personal data collected, privacy concerns are important. Most facilities will require GDPR-compliant software to avoid fines and penalties. Encrypted data protects sensitive visitor data.  

It's important to store sensitive information, such as passwords, in a secure location separate from the parameter file to ensure privacy. Additionally, by setting these parameters ahead of time, you can prevent the chances of errors or missing information in visitor data. 

Invest in a Complete Screening Solution for Visitors 

Accurate visitor document collection is just as important as efficient collection. Your VMS system ensures guests complete all required information and documents for their visitor type.  

iLobby is a game-changing automation tool designed to enhance workplace safety, security, and compliance for businesses with mission-critical facilities and infrastructure.   

Book your demo now and secure your work environment with our all-inclusive solution — provide a seamless, automated experience for all your guests.