Today’s workplaces are always changing. With decentralized offices, increasing visitor numbers, and constant security worries, facilities managers have their hands full. Manual processes and old-school security systems just can’t keep up, leading to vulnerabilities and bottlenecks. Traditional tools create blind spots in data and security, limit space optimization, and hinder effective resource planning.

Thankfully, technological advancements are stepping up to the plate. Envoy recently surveyed workplace and security leaders across various industries to get a handle on the current state of affairs and what’s coming next. While the future might seem uncertain, having the right tools can make all the difference in protecting your business and your employees.

Security Blind Spots: The Big Risk

As companies shift to flexible work models, keeping security tight across multiple locations is a top concern. According to the survey results, nearly half of all businesses see this as their biggest challenge.

Dealing with fluctuating visitor numbers and unpredictable employee traffic using manual methods is a disaster waiting to happen. These methods not only eat up time but also miss important access data trends. It’s clear why 47% of businesses see adapting to new tech and digital transformation as their top issue, just behind security and compliance.

Consolidating visitor and employee data across various locations can be problematic. This approach can introduce security and compliance gaps, ultimately hindering effective visitor management and increasing the burden on IT to address these compliance issues.

AI: Changing the Game, But Not Without Challenges

With a focus on enhancing security and efficiency, workplace leaders are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) and automation solutions to optimize their operations. Tools like facial recognition and fingerprint scanning, once sci-fi, are becoming mainstream. Many businesses are looking to invest in new workplace tech, with more than half expecting to adopt advanced biometric security features in the next five years.

AI’s draw is its efficiency and accuracy. Imagine a workplace where visitors are instantly identified and granted access through facial recognition, cutting down wait times and human error. However, despite the excitement, implementing these tools isn’t always smooth. Lack of infrastructure, especially for cloud-based solutions, can be a major hurdle. Plus, if your workforce isn’t ready, adoption can be slow.

Businesses often get dazzled by AI’s potential and overlook practical issues like system integration and employee training. This can lead to frustration and reduce the return on investment for these advanced security solutions.

Smoothing the Way with Smart Visitor Management

A robust, well-implemented visitor management system can be your secret weapon. Ditch the paper sign-in sheets and fragmented access control systems. A streamlined system brings together visitor registration, compliance tracking, and emergency notifications in one easy-to-use platform. This makes workflows smoother and gives facilities managers valuable data insights.

Automated solutions streamline data collection, ensuring accuracy and reducing the burden of preparing for audits. A good system can:

• Automate processes: Eliminate the hassle of manually signing in visitors and creating badges. Automation handles these tasks, allowing employees and security staff to focus on more important work. Additionally, it can sync with other systems to notify employees when their visitors arrive.
• Reduce redundancy: Visitor management solutions can streamline technology by reducing the need for various security systems. Many platforms offer integrated features like ID scanning and background checks, which replace the need for multiple separate tools. This approach not only cuts costs on software and hardware but also simplifies overall security management.
• Lighten the IT load: Cloud-based solutions are straightforward to implement and require minimal IT assistance, making them ideal for businesses with limited resources. These systems are scalable, growing alongside a company as it expands to new locations. They can also accommodate various management styles and access control protocols across multiple offices.

What’s in Store for Workplace Security

While AI has massive potential for workplace security, effective visitor management tools offer practical solutions for today’s challenges. By streamlining processes, cutting down redundancies, and simplifying security, businesses can create a more secure and efficient work environment. This lets companies focus on what really matters: their core mission, without the constant worry of security breaches or access control problems.

Cormac Twomey is the chief technology officer of Envoy, an integrated workplace platform that connects people, spaces, and data. The company’s “State of Workplace Security” report is available for download here.

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