The old fashioned version of a visitor management system is the sign-in sheet -- a piece of paper usually kept on a clipboard or in a binder at the front desk. When a visitor arrives, they write down their name, who they’re there to see, and the time. Then the staff member sitting at the front desk notifies the host that their visitor is waiting in the lobby. At some point, that sign-in sheet gets filed away, or shredded, and a new sheet appears on the clipboard to record the next 10 or so visitors.

It’s not a particularly good visitor management system (and certainly not environmentally friendly). But it does work -- as long as you don’t need an easily searchable visitor log, visitor photos, and ID badges. And as long as you’re happy paying someone to sit at the front desk all day, just in case a visitor or delivery may arrive.

But that doesn’t hack it for most companies today.

Most companies can’t afford to pay someone just to man the front desk. Receptionist salaries can reach $36K, and that’s before taxes, benefits, and overhead! Businesses also need tighter security than a pen and paper can provide.

And -- let’s face it -- no company wants to look old-fashioned, especially when it comes to technology. You want to look innovative and modern. You want to show your customers, your job applicants, and the world that you’re on the cutting edge.