Visitor Management Overview Guide

Visitor management refers to the policies, processes, and systems an organization uses to manage its visitor flow. This includes how visitors check in, how their presence is logged, how hosts are notified, and how access to physical spaces is handled.

Even though visitor management is most often discussed in the context of offices, it applies to any environment where people who are not employees need to enter a space (e.g. schools, healthcare facilities, corporate building, etc). Before going into use cases and features, it might be helpful to start with what a visitor is, why visitor management is important, and how visitor management systems work.

What is a visitor?

This question might sound rhetorical, but it is important to define who is and is not a visitor before installing or upgrading your visitor management system. In a visitor management context, a visitor can be defined as any individual who is not an employee of the organization but needs temporary or conditional access to a facility.

This definition, while slightly broad, gives a pretty easy explanation of who goes through a visitor management system before arriving at your office door. That’s mainly because we are working in the context of employment status, not how often someone visits or how much access they receive.

As a result, visitors can include people who come once, as well as people who return regularly. Some recurring contractors may receive access badges, but they’re still handled as visitors from a system and compliance standpoint.

Naturally, when we think about visitors, we think in terms of how they interact with a facility. Common visitor categories include:

• Planned guests: These can be business partners, job candidates, and any clients that typically arrive by invitation and at a scheduled time. These visitors may be pre-registered before arrival, for example through an email invitation or a QR-based check-in process.
• Scheduled contractors: These are usually maintenance crews, consultants, or cleaning personnel who visit facilities regularly but are still external to the organization. They are considered visitors from an administrative perspective, but sometimes require recurring, time-restricted access to specific areas.
• Unannounced visitors: These can be couriers, delivery drivers, or normal walk-in visitors. These cases typically require real-time verification, through a self check-in flow at the entrance or direct communication with a host before access is granted.

The key distinction in these categories is not how trusted a person is or how often they visit, but if they are formally part of the organization. Visitor management systems are designed to handle this group separately from employees and maintain the same level of visibility and security.

Why is visitor management important?

Depending on the use case, visitor management assumes different levels of importance. In general, it is always useful to have a clear overview of how external individuals interact with your facility. This, in fact, can help out in case of security breaches and add an extra layer of security in terms of visitor screening.

In office environments, visitor management supports a broader set of needs. It helps prevent unauthorized access and reduces the risk of former employees or unknown individuals entering secured areas. It also provides valuable context during incident investigations. When something goes wrong (let’s say, a forced door, a missing asset, or a security alert) being able to review accurate visitor records can significantly speed up response and resolution.

For any other facilities (educational, healthcare, etc), the importance of visitor management is heightened in the screening part of the process. Only authorized individuals can enter the premises, and that staff has to always know who is on-site during the day. For instance, keeping unwanted visitors away from the kids is the priority of every school, and that’s how VMSs contribute to school security.

Beyond individual incidents, visitor management systems also contribute to long-term accountability. Digital visitor logs create a traceable record of presence that can be reviewed internally or shared during audits, insurance reviews, or security assessments.

Now that we have talked about visitor management and why it is important, we can dedicate some time to explaining how most visitor management systems work. Although some companies may use manual visitor management procedures that do not include digital technology, we won’t focus on those, as they are getting obsolete and are rarely adopted.

Modern visitor management systems are designed to digitize and standardize how visitors are identified, logged, and guided through a facility. Most digital visitor management systems support a common sequence of actions that can be adapted to different visitor types and scenarios, which we will break down below.

1. Visitor identification and check-in

Authenticating the visitor is the first step in the process. With the authentication process, the company or organization verifies an individual’s identity. The process typically begins when a visitor arrives at a facility and identifies themselves. This can happen in several ways, depending on the setup:

• Signing in on a tablet or kiosk at the entrance
• Using a QR code or link received in advance
• Initiating contact at the entrance in unstaffed or after-hours scenarios

During this step, visitors are usually asked to provide basic information such as their name, the purpose of the visit, and who they are meeting. In many cases, this is also where required policies or agreements, such as NDAs or safety acknowledgements, are presented for acceptance.

The goal at this stage is not extensive background screening, but establishing clear accountability for who is entering the facility and under what conditions. Once the visitor is cleared, they can eventually move to the next step.

2. Host notification (optional)

Notification happens when a visitor needs to meet with or has a dependency on an employee within the company. In this case, after check-in, the system can notify the appropriate person that a visitor has arrived, allowing them to confirm the visit, provide instructions, or meet the visitor in person.

Not all visits require host involvement. Some visitors, such as delivery personnel or scheduled contractors, may complete their visit without direct interaction, depending on the organization’s policies.

3. On-site presence and exit logging

In all scenarios, every visitor in any situation is located at your facility to fulfill a task. The task can be operational, the delivery of a product, a meeting, or just to leave a resume at reception. In each of these cases, the visitor management process finishes when the person fulfills their task and leaves the company/facility.

Once checked in, the visitor management system maintains a time-stamped record of arrival and departure, creating a clear log of when external individuals were in the facility. The process concludes when the visitor checks out or leaves the premises, either manually or automatically, depending on the system configuration. These records can later be reviewed for operational, security, or audit purposes.

What are the components of a visitor management system?

Most visitor management systems consist of a small number of core components, with the exact setup varying by organization. When talking about VMS components, the most important factor to keep into account is the visitor management software. It stores visitor data, manages check-in workflows, enforces required acknowledgements, and maintains visitor logs. In many cases, it also integrates with other systems such as access control platforms or communication tools.You can see it as the brain of the whole operation. Without this component, nothing else can function properly.

Many organizations also use a tablet or kiosk at the entrance for visitor check-in, as it provides a clear, guided experience. These steps are, for example, adding credentials, e-signing documents, and taking pictures of the visitor. A tablet is the perfect choice as it offers a broad screen and allows for touch features. It also usually comes with a camera, and all of these features make this solution preferable compared to a laptop, for example. It is not unusual, however, to see laptops or even mobile phones instead of tablets for this type of operation.

The third (and highly optional) set of elements of a visitor management system include badge printers for physical identification, while others rely entirely on digital records. Additional integrations (such as access control systems, communication tools, or intercoms) can extend visitor management beyond the front desk and support remote or unmanned entry scenarios.

The combination of these components allows organizations to tailor visitor management workflows to their specific security, operational, and experience requirements.

Now that you understand how a VMS works, we can talk about the features you should look for when choosing a visitor management system. While exact requirements vary by industry and environment, most organizations look for a set of core capabilities that support security, accountability, and ease of use such as:

• Visitor logs and audit trails: At the foundation of any visitor management system is a visitor log. This log records who entered the facility, when they arrived, who they were visiting, and when they left. These records are essential for incident investigation, internal reviews, and audit purposes.
• Policy and agreement acknowledgements: Many organizations require visitors to acknowledge policies such as non-disclosure agreements, safety rules, or site-specific guidelines before entering. A visitor management system should support presenting these documents digitally and recording acceptance as part of the check-in process.
• Visitor identification and basic data capture: Visitor management systems typically collect basic information such as name, visit purpose, and host. Some systems may also capture additional details (depending, of course, on organizational policies) to ensure clear accountability for everyone on-site.
• Time-stamped check-in and check-out: Accurate arrival and departure times allow organizations to maintain a clear picture of on-site presence at any moment. This becomes particularly important during emergencies, security reviews, or compliance assessments.

Beyond these core capabilities, many organizations also evaluate how efficiently a visitor management system supports everyday workflows. You can do that through features such as pre-registration, QR-based sign-in, or guided kiosk experiences.

Some systems also support visual identification through badge creation or visitor photos, which can be useful in larger facilities where staff may not recognize every guest. Others allow organizations to tailor workflows based on visitor type.

Finally, we’re able to take a look at the best solutions that the market has to offer. There is no single “best” visitor management system for every organization. The right choice depends on things like company size or security requirements, plus visitor volumes.That said, a few platforms are consistently referenced Although we do have a more specific article about the best visitor management software, we can briefly dive into the most searched-for brands.

Envoy

Envoy is the obvious name that comes up whenever you’re looking for a visitor management software. The company is one of the most widely recognized visitor management platforms and is often used in office environments that prioritize ease of use and visitor experience. Its interface is designed to keep the sign-in process simple and fast, with support for features such as pre-registration, host notifications, and digital visitor logs. Envoy and Kisi also have a long-standing relationship, consolidated with one of the most requested integrations on our platform.

Eden Workplace

Eden is an example of a company that does not sell visitor management as a core business but as part of a bigger solution. In addition to handling visitor sign-in and notifications, the platform focuses on unifying multiple workplace functions (such as facilities, IT requests, and employee services) under a single interface. Its capabilities are seen as part of a wider, all-in-one approach rather than as a standalone system. Eden can also be integrated with Kisi to connect visitor check-in workflows with physical access control.

Eptura Visitor

Eptura Visitor is a dedicated visitor management platform that evolved from the Proxyclick product. It is typically positioned for organizations that require structured visitor workflows, detailed logging, and support for more complex environments, such as multi-site offices or regulated facilities. The platform is known for its configurability and reporting and is a common choice in enterprise or security-conscious settings.

Other visitor management platforms

There are other companies that sell visitor management solutions, often as a secondary product (which does not mean lower quality). If you want an overview of more VMS brands, with indications on pricing and features, visit our article dedicated to the best visitor management software.

Hopefully, if you’ve taken a look at the previous chapters of this guide and checked out our linked resources, you now have a good overview of what a visitor management system is, what it is composed of, and which are the best brands. You already know the essential features and you’re only looking for the last details about installation and setup.

In order to set up a visitor management system you must start with the software that you’ve chosen. Different software requires different setups and hardware depending on their features and compatibility. While the exact steps vary by platform, most deployments follow a similar sequence.

1. Define visitor types and workflows

In the beginning you need to identify the types of visitors you may expect (guests, contractors, or delivery personnel) and what each group should be allowed to do. You need to decide whether visits should be pre-registered or if a host needs to be notified, and whether access should be restricted to specific areas or times.

2. Configure check-in methods and policies

Next, choose how visitors will check in. Depending on the system and environment, this may involve a front-desk tablet or kiosk, QR-based self check-in, or a remote or unmanned entry flow. Many organizations use different methods for different visitor categories.

If your organization requires visitors to acknowledge policies or agreements, such as NDAs or safety rules, these should be configured as part of the check-in process.

3. Add optional hardware and peripherals

Some setups include physical devices such as tablets, kiosks, or badge printers, particularly in staffed reception areas. Others rely entirely on digital check-in and mobile workflows. Hardware requirements depend on the level of on-site interaction and visual identification your organization needs.

5. Integrate with existing security and workplace systems

In the end, many organizations connect their visitor management system with other tools, such as access control or communication platforms. These integrations help visitor information stay consistent across systems and can simplify tasks like granting or revoking temporary access.

A good relationship between visitor management and access control is vital for the well-being of your company. As a matter of fact, if you have both solutions but the two do not communicate with each other, this might very easily lead to security breaches.

Imagine a visitor is not granted access by the visitor management system but still enters the building because your office door lock is being held open. Or worse, an investor or business partner that can’t get in the building because the visitor management system did not grant them access. Modern visitor systems integrate with access control to automatically issue temporary QR codes or credentials. These are tied to the visitor’s check-in status and expire upon checkout, ensuring that no visitor retains access beyond their authorized time.

We understood the importance of this integration a very long time ago, and that’s why we can offer a visitor access solution and multiple integrations with visitor management system brands. Kisi is often used alongside dedicated visitor management systems to bridge the gap between visitor workflows and physical entry. By integrating visitor check-in tools with access control, organizations can ensure that visitor access is time-limited, traceable, and aligned with internal security policies.