Professional visitor management. Convincing, efficient and secure

For more than 25 years, ASTRUM IT has been offering innovative software technologies coupled with professional know-how – from system planning through software development to the ready-to-use system. In doing so, the major focus has always been on the development of customized IT products and IT services for medical engineering, healthcare and security sector. With its scalable visitor management system ‘VISIT.net’, the company serves the needs of medium-sized businesses and groups of companies alike. SECURITY insight discussed this issue with Ingo Kauffmann who is Head of Security Technologies Division.

SECURITY insight: What shall a state-of-the-art visitor management system be able to offer nowadays?

Ingo Kauffmann: What matters most is the first impression. Professional and friendly reception says it all about the corporate culture. At the same time, visitor management shall also address security aspects and efficiency criteria. In this range of various requirements, our visitor management system ‘VISIT.net’ is an ideal solution. With the help of our web-based software, enterprises can both reduce their risks and maintain the effort – as well as costs – at a low level for all processes in connection with visits.

What challenges are the customers of Astrum IT GmbH faced with every day?

It is a matter of course for large company sites that a great number of employees organize several hundred person and truck visits daily, which then have to be managed by the staff at the reception gate. This calls for visitor management systems with a high degree of suitability for daily use that are equally convincing for the staff, the site security, the IT and the management.

How does your company react to these demands?

The basic requirement for an efficient system is to cover the entire process of visitor management, from the appointment submitted by a staff member through registration at the reception gate to the end of the visit. Along with persons’ movement, car and truck traffic often plays an important role. Logical operation concepts allow our customers to intuitively use the system, and thus ensure the required degree of acceptance, so that the introduction to the responsible employees takes place smoothly.

Are there any issues that make the use of your solution indispensable?

Among other things, the module of sanction screening is worth mentioning. The sanctions lists of the United Nations form the basis for the majority of person- or organization-related sanctions lists. These include persons, companies and organizations with which business relationships or financial transaction are prohibited according to the UN. Our system automatically checks the visitors against these sanctions lists, and this solution is also integrated in the ‘VISIT.net’ visitor management. In practice, this may look like this: The visitor is added to the visitor management with all known data such as name, company and address via pre-registration. This information is already sufficient to conduct the check against a sanctions list. The visitor management sends out the data to the sanctions list software at the desired intervals to have them checked against the current terrorist list. If there are any matches, these will be displayed in the visitor management system and viewed by, for example, a security officer. They will then have an option to review the suspicion, and to either confirm or delete it in the system. Pre-registered but also expired visits are subject to review. Important for substantiation: Both the actual review procedure and the findings shall be documented.

Your system offers an extensive as well as individual catalog of functions: What are actually the most important modules and functions?

Let’s say, the smart reception gate that makes sense in a number of situations. Some companies are extremely frequented by visitors or a second reception gate to the premises would be appropriate; yet the necessary staff is not available. In all these cases, a smart reception gate for visit processing would be the right choice. The application cases as well as practical implementation are versatile. Even the biometric recognition can be integrated. Another function of the system is the online check-in: Visitors, truck drivers or contractor employees can self-register at the terminal for self-service, start a pre-registered visit, or end the visit when leaving the premises.

If it is about contractor management: What solutions does the system offer here?

With ‘VISIT.net’, safety instruction of contractors’ staff takes place directly on site. The reception desk is available as a contact in case of any queries as required by the DGUV regulations. Prior to commencing work, the general safety instruction is conducted, and access to the company is granted only after this safety instruction. For contractors from abroad, it is possible to cover several languages by means of electronic aids. If entire groups of contractor employees are commissioned, a contact can be specified in the system. And one of the question that frequently arises: Subcontractor handling is supported as well.

What do the customers say?

We have a lot of satisfied customers, some of whom have been using our system from the very first generation. We have published some customer comments on our website. Of course, we regularly offer new features and expand in line with the requirements of the market.