Have you ever been in a waiting room in an office where it seemed that you were there for hours before being called for your appointment or meeting?

Thoughts begin appearing in your head that they may have forgotten about you, and that your time is being wasted. So, you look for different ways to pass the time.

All of those magazines on the coffee table can do the trick, but most of them are from centuries ago and sit there collecting dust. So, you reach for your phone which you think is a great way to pass the time, but the Wi-Fi reception in the waiting area is pretty shoddy for their open network. So, you need a password to their VPN, but the receptionist cannot remember where she wrote this down at.

The wonderful experience does not end there though.

You are finally called into your appointment but dreadfully realize that they are still trying to get organized. The meeting was supposed to start an hour ago!

Imagine the guests at your business?

Is this a similar experience that you see on your Google Reviews or Yelp? Because if it is, you need a solution ASAP! E-word of mouth is essential in today’s online social world where bad reviews can leave more than just a small scratch to your business’ reputation but can have it shut down.

We are a licensed distributor within the smart card industry for large manufacturers such as ACS, HID and Identiv. We offer a wide variety of both contact and contactless readers and have a selection of NFC readers for NFC tag applications. In addition to hardware, we also offer software such as Open Domain Sphinx and Access Smart PowerLogOn.

We are a Platinum Partner of HID’s smart card readers and software solutions which include HID Digital Persona , HID ActivClient along with smart card readers such as the HID OMNIKEY 3021 and the 3121.

You can trust that we will do a fantastic job with implementing HID’s solutions into your workplace.

FEATURES:

After reading all those features, you may have been surprised to see that automated check-ins were an option!

We are so used to seeing someone behind the front desk that it would seem unusual if it were only a computer.

Self-service kiosks may seem futuristic, but in the restaurant industry, fast food chains such as McDonald’s and even Arby’s have allowed their customers to order for themselves by selecting menu options on the terminal screen.

McDonald’s rolled out their own self-kiosk stations way back in 2003 to enhance the delivery of their food to customers without needing to wait in a line for it. Most fast food restaurants strive for fast delivery as customers expect to go in and out without the wait of a sit-in restaurant. This is especially if they are on a lunch break from work where every second counts. So, by having a kiosk, it allows them to have an additional option from the lunch crowd.

An Arby’s franchise in Tulsa adopted self-ordering kiosk stations in 2009 to integrate EMN8 kiosks with their POS system. United States Beef Corp. decided to do so to strive for convenience, personalization while targeting customers from 18-34 who tend to be keen on new technology.

In addition, it allows for order accuracy with each individual ingredient being readily available to be seen by the customer and reduces the chance for a mistake because of miscommunication. For example, if someone was allergic to eggs and wanted to leave out mayonnaise or the Big Mac Sauce then they could do so without fear that the cashier had misheard their order or had forgotten to input it into the POS. They may end up leaving with hives!

Customers also hesitate to order items that are hard-to-pronounce or are wary of what the cashier may think of their mega meal. It all stems from social expectations. The kiosk allows the customer to feel a sense of confidentiality when making their lunch choices without the fear of being judged.

Overall, it will actually enhance their perception of the business as kiosks will make them feel that they are in control over their order. They may also want to come back to your place of business because of the experience that they had when coming in. These innovative ordering methods will provide a sense of fun for the initial adoption period.

The best part is that you also eliminate the chance for rude customer service.

Take for example, a waitress with a thick foreign accent or one that has a bit of a chip on her shoulder may treat customers rudely.

Both of these cases can ruin the experience of a diner thereby, increasing the potential for negative online reviews. For any of these cases, a negative review actually can do more damage than one can think. As an experiment, take a look at reviews on Yelp or Google Reviews and notice how many of them have to do with customer service experiences that were less than ideal. There are usually themes around rude employees completely ignoring customers or having an attitude.

Minimizing these situations is your best bet which Workforce ID’s Visitor Management kiosks can do while providing increased efficiency, faster check-in/check-out times and a reduced workforce for savings.

Apart from that, this solution eliminates the hassles of sign-in log books with illegible handwriting, unverified information and a lack of privacy.

No more needing to store these logbooks for future reference in a shelf or cabinet, already brimming with paperwork such as contact forms, ID card scans and other identification information.

This is all thanks to an online environment!

Visitor Management uses a cloud-based integrated system with programs such as Microsoft’s Outlook and Google Workspace to make it easier to establish within already functioning systems.

The benefit is that this system is always online thanks to its cloud-based foundation. It simply means that instead of updating your software from your own company servers, you can do so without needing a technician to come out and spend hours tinkering with the system.

So, updates are continual . This is similar to how Windows 10 was set up, so that instead of having to buy a new DVD with a service pack installed (Windows XP SP1, SP2 or SP3), you would only need to be connected to the internet to download new features.

Additional security features allow businesses to keep track of who is coming in and out of a building. This makes sense if your company is in charge of mission critical data or has confidential research that it is doing. As a visitor checks into your system, you will have the ability to see that in real-time and react accordingly.

MONITOR VISITORS:

Visitors can either be pre-registered or walk-in which both can be found through the web portal. You can include a check-in steps for both parties, you can make them mandatory, which can include badge issuance, image capture or an NDA signature.

*Walk-ins have to have a host for that visit.

In certain situations, this can ensure the safety of your employees. You would not want a disgruntled job applicant who got rejected to come waltzing in. With Workforce ID’s Visitor Management , you have the ability to set up workflows to determine what the proper security response would be if this were to happen.

The workflows do not have to be only for negative situations, they can actually be set up to best handle potential client appointments. This will make it much more efficient to try and meet their needs when they come in.

INTEGRATION:

This software solution has compliance with major security standards so you can rest assured that it will support the technology that you have within your system (FIDO security tokens and smart card readers). Both product types are sold by Tx Systems from well-known brands such as ACS, HID and Identiv.

MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION:

Workforce ID for Visitor Management is available on a monthly subscription basis for a set number of users. It comes in both Essential and Advanced packages depending on your businesses specific requirements.

IDENTITIES:

You can also add a new employee on the Identities Page which allows you to add relevant information similar to an address book.

*This is considered the default page of Workforce ID’s Visitor Management as the software centers around tracking active employees.

TAGS :

Tags are also present for easier organization in case of shared similarities such as employee type or department type. This will make bulk imports much easier as all those types can be selected at once.

CUSTOM FIELDS:

New custom fields can be added to provide more detail on that specific employee in case there are exceptions to the rule.

NEW LOCATIONS:

You also have the ability to add new locations to represent another office location that you have as part of the business. You can add new floors or rooms to support the real-time location services (RTLS) that are incorporated within the software.

ROLES:

Applications can also be created to determine for a new user when trying to obtain an ID card or badge which will be reviewed by the administrator for confirmation or denial. It can be specified as to the privileges and the roles to be determined.

*Requirements need to be fulfilled in order to actually be issued a badge/ID card which will then allow for approval to be made.

PRIVILEGES:

Privileges can also be expanded for employees if the need arises such as increased responsibilities in the job role which would require access to new rooms. This process can be done through the web portal software which will require a certain set of standards to be met before granting that.

SELF-SERVICE:

Self-service locations allow for you to host a visit such as an interview allowing for adding visitors who will be attending that have previously been added to the system. Requirements will include emails for contact to allow for a request to be sent for a visitor.

SCREENING QUESTIONS:

Screening questions are included to allow you to customize questions you might ask before a visit to the office. This could be related to meal preference if there is lunch to be served or for health reasons if they are sick.

RECURRING VISITS:

Recurring visits allow for future visits to be programmed in case it is a weekly meeting or custom amount meeting. Let us say that you are meeting to discuss a new project that requires the use of consultants. You want to meet weekly to increase the likelihood that all parties will be on the same page.

OPEN STANDARDS:

Thanks to HID’s commitment to open standards , this software solution will work with your existing systems such as your physical access card. We know that the trusty Prox card is not only cost-effective for you and reliable, so that is why HID has decided to keep supporting it.

TEMPORARY BADGES:

One of the benefits of Workforce ID is the fact that you can print out temporary access cards for visitors instead of giving them an all-access badge that would leave some of your most secure rooms at risk for theft. You are essentially giving a stranger a key to your safe. So, you have the ability to print out your own credentials using an HID badge printer whenever a visitor appears at your doorstep.

WALK-IN RESTRICTIONS:

Visitor Manager is part of the Workforce ID software which will allow you to restrict the walk-in visitors of all or just one of your locations. This would be essential if you are booked for appointments for the entire day or week and would allow for much needed work to be done.

*Make sure to provide as much information as possible when issuing a new ID badge through the use of the profile page.

LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME:

This badge could be programmed to only work during the period of time that they are expected to be in the building and can be based around established templates. This can all be done within the cloud-based web portal. You can also specify what is needed to be applied for that badge such as a government-issued ID. After they leave, they will give back their badge, so it can be destroyed.

FARGO CONNECT PRINTER CONNECTION :

These badges can be printed via an HID FARGO card printer which can be done remotely through the Workforce ID cloud portal. This can be done by registering for FARGO Connect Cloud-based ID Printing Account with proper access to the API Account Management Tab and the Organizations Tab.

You can use this with Badge Designer within the Fargo Connect account.

FARGO Connect allows for card printing to be done remotely via a web browser on an Android-based/iOS smartphone or tablet which means that it can be done in a different office rather than at the computer console for the printer itself.

These are network-connected ID badge printers which allows for flexibility and accountability that allow for information to be readily available for a new issuance of ID cards or keeping track of ink levels for the printers.

The software is readily updated and follows security protocols such as FERPA, HIPPA and GDPR .

This will be connected with a Badge Design Template for a Visitor Badge which will allow you to customize the badge for visitors for details such as name, type and status.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

There are many other features included in the cloud software such as Roles, Groups, Badge Designer, Email Configuration, SMS Configuration, Audit, Badge Types and Documents. Acknowledgements allow you to program actions to determine what happens when something occurs such as a badge return. This can be made as a checklist for an employee or visitor to acknowledge similar to if someone were to check a box that they had read the terms of service of a website or EULA of installed software.

So, if you want to take the next steps to securing both your office and its computers then you need HID’s Visitor Management to keep it in place.

Feel free to reach out to us for more information on HID’s Visitor Management by contacting us via email at sales@txsystems.com or at 858.622.2004.

If you are looking for more information on Workforce ID then take a look at HID Academy’s YouTube Channel which will walk you through crucial features of the program.