Electronic visitor log – full control over visitor visits

An electronic visitor log is the first solution that comes to mind when a paper notebook isn’t enough. A line forms at the reception desk, security guards transcribe data by hand, visitors write illegibly, and in an emergency, there is no certainty as to who is actually on company premises. In a manufacturing plant, warehouse, or facility with controlled access, such a situation poses a significant risk.

How can you streamline visitor registration at your company? How does a digital visitor log support the reception desk? And how can you use HRcode to make the electronic visitor log the most convenient tool for managing visits, health and safety training, and reporting?

What is an electronic logbook?

An electronic visitor log is a system for digitally recording people entering company premises. It replaces the paper visitor log or Excel spreadsheet maintained by the reception desk at the entrance.

Such a visitor registration system works particularly well if various groups of external visitors come to the company every day: job applicants, business partners, service technicians, auditors, couriers, employees of external companies, or subcontractors.

Thanks to the digital entry and exit log, you know who entered, why, to see whom, whether they have the required authorization, and whether they have already left the premises. This will be particularly appreciated by manufacturing plants, construction sites, warehouses, and logistics centers.

Paper logbook vs. electronic logbook

A paper logbook works well until you need to find specific information in it, such as:

• Has the service technician already left the premises?
• Did a specific person complete the required health and safety training for visitors?
• Who approved the subcontractor’s entry?

With paper records, finding the answer requires flipping through the logbook, comparing entries, and manually reconstructing events. With an electronic entry and exit log, the data is immediately available. A brief comparison of how both solutions work in different areas:

What does the process of a guest’s visit look like, from the invitation to departure?

Let’s go through the whole process step by step.

How can you maintain control over safety and occupational health and safety?

If a company receives visitors with different profiles (e.g., potential business partners, service technicians, etc.), a simple visitor logbook is not enough. A formal process is required. That is why an electronic visitor logbook supports both reception and occupational safety and health.

Health and Safety Training for Visitors

Before entering, some visitors should complete a brief online health and safety training session. This may include:

• rules for moving around the facility,
• the requirement to wear personal protective equipment,
• restrictions on access to certain areas,
• emergency procedures,
• rules for reporting incidents,
• evacuation instructions.

After the training, the system may require confirmation that the rules have been reviewed or completion of a short knowledge test.

Verification of training status upon entry

The system should display one of the following statuses:

• training completed,
• training incomplete,
• training expired,
• additional confirmation required,
• entry permitted only with a supervisor.

This provides the security desk with specific information so they can follow procedure, and in the event of an incident, the company can easily demonstrate that the visitor was aware of the safety rules.

Incidents and chronology of events

A well-designed system can also support online incident reporting. An employee or security officer can add:

• a description of the incident,
• a photo,
• a video,
• the location,
• the date and time,
• the person reporting the incident.

This allows the company to build a history of events that can be analyzed and used for preventive measures.

How do work permits work, and why are they important?

Not every visit to a company follows the same procedure. In the case of subcontractors, maintenance, and high-risk work, work permits will also be required. These may apply to, among other things:

• work at heights,
• electrical work,
• hot work,
• access to restricted areas,
• machine maintenance,
• maintenance work,
• activities requiring additional certifications.

What reports should a good electronic logbook include?

An electronic visitor log that allows you to quickly retrieve data isn’t the only reason why it’s worth bringing your business into the 21st century. A good digital visitor log should enable you to analyze several areas, such as:

• Attendance report – shows who is on company premises.
• Evacuation list – in an emergency, there is no time to flip through a paper notebook. The evacuation list should be up-to-date and immediately accessible, ideally broken down by location, building, zone, or floor.
• Visit history – allows you to check who visited the company during a specific time period, who they came to see, when they entered, and when they left.
• Health and safety report – shows the status of training, tests, and required certifications.
• Work permit report – allows you to analyze what work was performed, by whom, and on what basis.
• Incident report – displays reported incidents, location, people involved, photo or video documentation, and response status.
• Audit report – should include activity logs, status changes, time adjustments, and entry approval decisions. Such a report reduces pre-audit stress, as the company does not have to compile data from multiple sources.

What are the most common mistakes that compromise visit records?

Most often, the problem lies in a poorly designed process or a lack of functionality. An example? A lack of information about people on company premises is one of the most serious security lapses. If the system doesn’t show real-time occupancy, you won’t know who to include in the evacuation procedure.

Furthermore, if the registration form is too long, visitors get frustrated, the reception desk gets overwhelmed, and the data is often entered carelessly anyway. Therefore, collect only the information that is truly necessary for handling the visit, security, and compliance with procedures.

Another issue is the lack of a standard for data collection. After all, the same purpose of a visit can be described as “meeting,” “service,” “to see Mr. Mark,” or “other.” This issue can be streamlined by using dictionaries, drop-down lists, and pre-agreed statuses.

What makes work particularly difficult in the event of an inspection or accident is the inability to prove completion of health and safety training. If confirmations of these courses and work permits are outside the system, the front desk does not have a complete picture of the situation.

And since we’ve touched on safety and regulations, it’s worth mentioning one more thing. After all, entry and exit logs contain personal data. It is therefore necessary to clearly define who has access to them, how long they are stored, and when they should be deleted.

What does the implementation of HRcode’s electronic visitor log look like?

In HRcode, you can design different scenarios for different groups of visitors. A candidate’s visit is handled differently than a business partner’s, and a service technician’s visit is handled differently still.

The system may include:

• registration forms,
• entry and exit statuses,
• notifications,
• visitor passes,
• health and safety training,
• knowledge tests,
• work permits,
• reports, and evacuation lists.

If your organization uses Microsoft Outlook, it’s a good idea to link the guest invitation process to the calendar. This will help you avoid the risk of duplicate bookings, incorrect dates, or visits that the front desk only learns about when the guest arrives.

For international companies, the system’s availability in 41 language versions may also be significant, as it facilitates the handling of guests, external employees, and subcontractors from various countries.

The implementation itself doesn’t have to be a months-long project. In the case of the HRcode Visits implementation at Bunge in Karczew, the system rollout took about half a week, even though it was initially expected to take much longer. This is a good example of how a well-designed process can quickly become standard practice.

Do you feel your organization needs this? Write to us – let’s talk about how we can simplify access control at your company.