Learn why ALICE Receptionist is the leading Visitor Management Lobby Vendor for Manufacturing Companies in the World! Click to learn more
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Learn about the new ways ALICE Receptionist, with the latest 5.7 release, can keep your team informed, increase accessibility, and represent your organization.
Stay Informed with Check Out Notifications
Keeping your team informed of visitor activity helps them focus on the work contributing to your organization’s goals. In addition to check-in and security notifications, new check-out notifications inform hosts of check-out activity through email, text, or the ALICE mobile application.
Expand Accessibility Using New Language Options
Providing accessible, consistent, high-quality services ensures a consistent visitor experience for all guests. In addition to key languages such as Spanish and French, new Amharic, Korean, and Vietnamese language support for the ALICE interface and AI Receptionist further expands these benefits.
A New Face to Represent Your Organization
Your visitors’ first interaction with a team member should represent your organization’s culture to maximize trust in your organization. Vivienne is now available in addition to our existing six ALICE avatars.
Emergency TTY Support for Accessibility When It Matters Most
Accessibility matters beyond your visitors’ daily needs. Emergency Text Telephone (TTY) communications support connects deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors directly with 911 operators.
Enhance Security with Microsoft Single Sign-On (SSO)
Reducing the number of log-ins and user accounts helps enhance security and simplify user management. The ALICE Cloud Portal now supports Microsoft Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication, which lets your team members log in using their Microsoft account.
For the full details of the 5.7 release, please review the release notes on the ALICE Receptionist Portal.
Making visitor management cost-effective has been a challenge in recent years. Traffic to physical offices has decreased, but the expectations for a professional visitor experience are as high as ever. Providing consistent, high-quality, and accurate instructions can be challenging with receptionist turnover. Automating these processes has played a significant role in helping organizations address these problems. But are these tools cost-effective?
Choosing A Cost-Effective Visitor Management Solution
There are three major approaches to lobby solutions that don’t compromise professionalism.
The first is the traditional approach of maintaining your existing lobby staff. According to ZipRecruiter, the average Receptionist salary for 2024 is over $36,000. However, depending on your organization’s size and hours, multiple Receptionists may be needed to fill this role, easily doubling or tripling costs per office. That doesn’t include additional costs, such as training and onboarding.
The second option is partially automating your lobby using a simple tablet-based visitor management system. These systems can typically automate check-in-related processes. They are great tools for reducing pressure on front-desk staff and potentially even reducing the number of hires needed. However, the cost savings are restricted as simple tablet-based visitor management systems require at least one person to maintain a professional lobby with visitor greetings, provide guidance, and connect visitors with team members.
The third option is to utilize a fully automated visitor management system. These large-scale kiosks operate independently in your lobby, reducing or eliminating the need for lobby staff. An on-screen virtual receptionist greets visitors as they enter the building and provides consistent guidance on your visitor processes. These systems automate check-in and can quickly connect visitors to on-site or remote team members using face-to-face video calls. While these systems have a higher up-front cost than simple tablet-based visitor management systems, they offer the highest savings potential and value. Even if your team chooses to continue with dedicated front staff, your costs can be reduced significantly by allowing remote receptionists to service multiple locations.
Prioritizing Your Visitor Experience
Ultimately, the solution you choose needs to offer a professional lobby. Underserving your clients and understaffing your lobby can significantly impact their trust in your business, resulting in revenue loss.
Choosing the right solution is key to making visitor management cost-effective without compromise. Ensure your organization chooses a solution that prioritizes the visitor experience.
Visitor management systems for manufacturing facilities automate processes to enhance operations and reduce risk. In a rapidly evolving industry, automation lets teams focus on producing world-class products. These systems reliably process and inform visitors while ensuring compliance with facility policies and safety standards.
Automate Registration and Compliance
An effective visitor management system (VMS) is user-friendly and cost-effective. It can automate the check-in experience, eliminate paper records, manage badges, and standardize screenings and document reviews. Some systems work best alongside your existing receptionist staff, while others can provide additional services, fully automating your lobby experience.
There are two types of VMS: simple tablet-based systems and fully automated kiosk-based solutions.
Simple tablet-based systems typically use inexpensive consumer-grade devices, which makes them accessible entry-level systems for small businesses. These devices provide consistent visitor check-in processes with integrated forms, compliance documentation, and security screenings, freeing receptionist staff to focus on properly greeting and providing guidance.
Greet, Assist, and Connect Visitors
In addition to the above benefits, fully automated kiosk-based visitor management systems resolve key lobby challenges. They’re installed on large-scale enterprise kiosk hardware but have the most value and cost-saving potential.
A fully automated VMS utilizes AI-generated virtual receptionists customized to your team’s messaging. They proactively greet visitors, making each feel welcome. They also provide clear and consistent information on your most up-to-date policies and procedures, reducing risks and offering guests friendly and accurate guidance.
When questions arise, the virtual receptionist can quickly connect visitors to staff using a face-to-face video call. An employee accepts the call from a secure location on-site or remote, including from different offices. Connected facilities allow for front desk staff consolidation and consistent visitor practices across all locations.
Maximizing Your Visitor Management System’s Value
Both types of VMS reduce the burden on your team with consistent, automated visitor check-in. However, fully automated solutions solve common lobby staffing challenges, including understaffed locations, inconsistent messaging, and reducing or eliminating costs associated with front desk training and scheduling.
Simple visitor check-in systems are great for eliminating the cost of printing paper and freeing up your receptionist staff to focus on incoming clients. In contrast, fully automated kiosk-based solutions provide the most value and significantly reduce front desk staffing needs with a high-quality and consistent visitor experience.
Visitor management systems for manufacturing facilities automate and enhance operations, letting organizations focus on building world-class products for their clients.
For small businesses, efficiency and safety are vital. Are you wondering what one overlooked aspect of ensuring a secure and streamlined environment is? It’s the use of a robust visitor management system (VMS).
Are you unsure if it’s worth the investment? Keep reading to familiarize yourself with the seven undeniable advantages that come from adopting a visitor management system.
1. Enhanced Security
Visitor management systems are great for fortifying security measures. They far outshine the limitations of traditional sign-in sheets. Adopting advanced VMS features transforms the security landscape for small businesses. That way, you can enjoy a comprehensive and farsighted approach to reducing risks.
Traditional sign-in sheets were once the norm for visitor tracking. They’ve since become outdated in the face of modern security challenges. These old methods lack the sophistication needed to address today’s security concerns.
At the heart of VMS is the ability to track and monitor every person entering your business. Manual sign-in sheets are susceptible to human error and manipulation. Visitor management software leaves no room for oversight.
Every visitor’s entry is recorded. Doing this creates a real-time log. It serves as a digital trail of activities within the premises.
This detailed tracking capability reduces the risk of unauthorized access. Small businesses often have limited physical security. Instead, they can benefit from the watchful eye of a VMS.
The system ensures that only people with proper credentials gain entry. This is especially crucial for safeguarding sensitive areas within the business premises. Examples include confidential workspaces, storage rooms, and restricted zones.
The impact of enhanced security through VMS extends beyond protecting physical assets. It even encompasses the safety of employees and visitors. Knowing that every person within the premises is accounted for and verified contributes to a sense of security.
In emergency situations, having an accurate record of everyone present becomes invaluable. That way, you can have swift and efficient evacuation procedures.
The bold nature of VMS is a deterrent to potential security threats. The knowledge that every entry is watched acts as a strong deterrent. This preventive aspect is critical for maintaining a secure environment.
2. Streamlined Visitor Check-In
Gone are the days of manual sign-ins at the reception. Visitor management systems automate the check-in process. This allows for a swift and efficient entry.
Integration with a visitor management kiosk and virtual check-in platforms reduces waiting times. This also improves the visitor experience. The seamless check-in process reflects well on the business.
That way, you can create a favorable first impression.
3. Improved Lobby Check-In
Efficient lobby management is crucial for small businesses. It sets the tone for visitor interactions.
A visitor management system facilitates the organized flow of people through the lobby. This prevents congestion and chaos.
Features like pre-registration and appointment scheduling further optimize lobby management. This makes it easy to tend to any and all visitors.
4. Virtual Check-In Capabilities
In the digital era, businesses should use virtual solutions. Visitor management systems are no exception. The ability to offer virtual check-in options aligns with current technological trends. It also caters to the preferences of modern visitors.
Whether through mobile apps or web portals, virtual check-in provides convenience. This is true for both businesses and their guests.
5. Efficient Visitor Badge System
Visitor badges used to be generic and lacked sophistication. Visitor management systems introduce a modern approach to badge issuance.
Customizable badges can include relevant info and even QR codes. This enhances a business’s branding. At the same time, they’ll ensure that authorized personnel can identify visitors.
6. Business Safety Compliance
Compliance with safety regulations is non-negotiable for small businesses. A visitor management system helps with meeting these requirements.
It does this by providing a comprehensive record of people entering the premises. This documentation not only aids in compliance audits but also serves as a valuable resource during an emergency.
7. Data Insights for Better Decision-Making
Visitor management systems are not just a solution for enhancing security and efficiency. They also become a goldmine of valuable data insights. This can propel small businesses to greater heights.
A visitor management system can collect and analyze visitor data across the board. It does more than record who enters and exits the premises. VMS can delve deeper into visitor patterns and behaviors.
Businesses can learn about preferences and audience needs. You can do this by paying attention to the frequency and duration of visits.
Analyzing visitor patterns lets you know about peak times and periods of low activity. This information is invaluable for resource optimization.
For instance, a small business can allocate staff during busy hours. Doing this ensures a seamless visitor experience.
During slower periods, resources can be directed toward other essential tasks. Doing this boosts operational efficiency.
The data-driven approach also goes beyond immediate security concerns. Small businesses can use the collected data to enhance general operations.
For instance, if certain areas of the premises often attract a high volume of visitors, businesses can tailor their marketing or promotional efforts. This keen approach boosts the effectiveness of marketing strategies and enhances the customer experience.
In addition to optimizing resource allocation, VMS data can assist businesses in pinpointing trends and patterns. This larger perspective is invaluable for forecasting and planning.
Small businesses can make strategic decisions based on small business visitor data. This includes planning for events or promotions during periods of increased foot traffic.
The data-driven insights provided by VMS contribute to a continuous improvement cycle. Businesses can find areas that may need attention or enhancement. This is true whether it’s optimizing the flow of visitors through HQ or addressing specific pain points in the check-in process.
A Visitor Management System Is the Secret to Success
With a visitor management system, businesses can keep thorough and organized records at all times. This will surely be a game-changer for your day-to-day operations.
Everything starts with Alice Receptionist. Our solutions include modern hardware and pricing that can work within your business’s budget.
Are you ready for top-of-the-line visitor management? If so, don’t wait to speak with an Alice Receptionist team member today.
As a business, making the wrong first impression can be costly. You could deter potential customers and establish a poor reputation. This most often comes into play when visitors enter your facility for the first time.
Many companies outsource to virtual receptionists to ensure first impressions go as smoothly as possible. Not everybody understands how to take advantage of this business technology, though. So, what is a virtual receptionist?
We’ve written a brief guide with the key details you need to know. Let’s explore what to keep in mind.
As the name implies, a virtual receptionist can help you accommodate many of your front-office tasks. You can achieve this through automation, remote work, or a combination of both. To clarify, some companies outsource to remote employees to handle front-office tasks like scheduling meetings and taking calls.
It’s not uncommon for people to use virtual receptionists alongside in-house staff. Regardless of how you integrate a virtual receptionist, it’s sure to streamline your company’s responsibilities.
The Benefits
There are numerous benefits to be aware of when integrating virtual receptionist options. Leveraging these can help you run your company more efficiently and provide a better customer experience. Listed below are some of those notable.
Free Up Internal Resources
Automating key tasks allows you to free up internal resources and focus on other responsibilities. This is especially useful for small businesses that don’t have a ton of manpower to work with.
By extension, this can increase your company’s productivity. It can also prevent your employees from having to handle responsibilities outside of their roles.
For instance, let’s assume you run a small business with a team of five employees. You don’t have the budget to hire a front-office worker, so your team members take turns managing these obligations.
This will likely distract them from their primary tasks and decrease their overall happiness in the workplace. Using a visitor management solution will ensure everyone stays on track and reaches their full potential.
There’s also something to be said about the improvement in employee morale. If employees have to work outside of their roles for too long, they might begin looking for other jobs.
Improved Customer Experience
The faster you can handle front office tasks, the better experience you’ll provide. Visitor management software can help you manage these obligations faster than you otherwise would. You can schedule meetings, transfer calls, and answer questions with ease while minimizing interruptions in your customer service.
After-Hours Support
Consider the last time you needed support from a company outside of business hours. If you weren’t able to obtain it, it was likely a frustrating experience.
You may also have had trouble resolving your issue promptly. It’s become fairly commonplace for businesses to offer after-hours support.
If your company doesn’t follow suit, there’s a good chance your customers will choose another business that can accommodate their needs. Using a virtual receptionist is a cost-effective way to offer the support your customers need.
Professional Appearance
One of the most important benefits of using visitor management software options is establishing a professional appearance. Many companies incorporate this technology, and it’s become part of presenting a modern image. When people see that you’re willing to invest in contemporary technology, they’ll inherently trust your company more.
This conveys that you care about providing the best possible experience to your customers. In contrast, imagine if a single, inexperienced employee handled your front-office work. Visitors would likely leave and choose competitors instead.
Improved Security
Unauthorized personnel are safety concerns in many situations. Virtual receptionist software can help identify visitors and allow them to check in before providing access to your facility.
Depending on the provider you choose, you could potentially scan driver’s licenses and provide visitor badges. After granting access, your system can establish a log of everyone who enters the facility. If problems arise in the future, you can reference this list.
Virtual Receptionist Cost
The price you pay for virtual receptionist software will fluctuate depending on a variety of factors. For example, the number of features you need plays a large role in its overall cost. The same can be said about the provider you choose, as brands with high notoriety are typically more expensive.
The number of locations you integrate the software into can substantially raise your budget. For instance, companies that have 50 locations will pay significantly more than a business that has only five.
It’s worth noting that you often get what you pay for when choosing visitor management software. Avoid options on the lower end of the spectrum, as these often come with complications.
This doesn’t mean you need to buy the most expensive solution, though. Somewhere in the middle of the price range can likely meet your requirements.
Finding a Provider
When looking for a virtual receptionist provider, it’s crucial to check their reputation. This will provide valuable insight into what you can expect. See what other people have to say about attributes like accessibility, ease of use, and ongoing support.
Never work with a provider that’s not easy to get in touch with. If issues arise, dealing with problems on your own can be difficult or even impossible.
Ask if they often work with businesses like yours. Some solutions are meant for companies of certain sizes. You’ll want to avoid choosing a provider who can’t handle your needs.
It’s recommended to make a brief list of potential options and narrow down your decision from there. As long as you do your due diligence, you’ll be able to find suitable software.
Get Started ASAP
Leveraging this type of business technology is a great opportunity for many companies. Keep the above answer to “What is a virtual receptionist” in mind so you can make the most of the tools you encounter.
ALICE Receptionist helps you detect, greet, and connect with visitors at your facility. This allows your company to provide a much better customer experience while accommodating their needs. You can learn more about the benefits we provide by getting in touch with us today.
Not only does it improve efficiency, but it also helps to give a good first impression to your visitors. However, this only works if you choose the best visitor management system.
A visitor management system is often a tool or software that will help you manage who is in your building. You can have guests check in and out. This helps your staff and visitors, but it also protects your business from unauthorized visitors.
A visitor management system can also manage where your visitors can go in the building. You’ll be able to manage the flow of people in the building, and you can also optimize and improve their experience as well.
You’ll also have records of who visited your office and can review historical data as well. You can collect important information about your visitors in case you need anything, and you could even have pictures of your visitors on their profile to make it easier to identify them.
Some systems will allow guests to check in on their own through a kiosk, but some will only let employees manage this.
1. Identify Your Specific Needs
Before you start shopping for visitor management software, identify what your business’s needs are. If you don’t choose software that aligns with those needs, you’ll end up wasting resources and could actually create more inefficiencies.
First, you should identify how many people will be visiting your office and how often. Think about what information you’ll want to collect from those people.
If you have extra security protocols, you also want software that can accommodate that. For example, some software can connect to your security cameras to provide real-time tracking of your visitors.
2. Figure Out Who Will Be Using It
Are you going to allow your visitors to sign in and manage it on their own, or are you going to require an employee to check people in? Are both people going to be using it?
Think about all of the possibilities for who might use this tool because this will help you determine what features you need it to have. Some of them offer different packages to manage all types of visitors, and some of them have limited capabilities.
If you’re going to have visitors use it, you also want to ensure that it comes with a kiosk and a user-friendly interface.
3. Find Something User Friendly
Speaking of user-friendly, it’s best to find software that looks clean and is easy to navigate. This’ll make your staff’s job easier, but it’ll also leave a good impression on your visitors. If your visitors are frustrated with the system, you’ll be setting a bad impression for the rest of the visit.
Try to find a solution that comes with clear instructions and an interface that anyone could figure out how to use.
4. Ensure It’s Compliant
Data security should also be high on the list of priorities you consider while looking for the right solution. You need to ensure that the software is secure since you’ll be collecting important data and information from visitors.
You should check your area’s local legislation. For example, if you’re in the EU, you’ll have to follow GDPR regulations. You may also want to consider what data you’re going to be collecting from visitors if you don’t have a secure solution.
You’ll also have to consider how long you’re going to store the data and if it’ll be stored locally or in a cloud. Regardless, your solution needs to be secure so that it can’t be hacked and expose all your visitors’ important information. For example, the data should be encrypted in the system.
Consult with your compliance and IT teams as well to ensure that they’re on board with the software. They’ll be the ones who manage the backend of it, so you need to ensure it has an infrastructure that they can run.
5. Read the Reviews
Lastly, you can always read reviews of the company and its products before purchasing them. You can talk with a sales rep for the company and think the product looks amazing, but then once you put it into practice, you could have all kinds of issues with it.
This situation could be avoided if you do a little external research. You can look for reviews and testimonials on trusted sites like G2, or you could even check Reddit or Google Reviews.
You may find one or two bad reviews, but you shouldn’t be concerned unless there is a pattern or trend of bad reviews and issues. However, a well-working management solution should have plenty of positive reviews. Some companies may even offer their own client testimonials.
Alice Receptionist is one company that has plenty of positive reviews, but they also have case studies on their website to prove that their system works for other businesses. You can check them out here.
Find the Best Visitor Management System Today
If you’re looking for the best visitor management system, look no further.
Our visitor management system has all the features you need, like employee notifications, face mask verification, check-in and out capabilities, group check-ins, induction documents and videos, and temperature checks.
If you’re still not convinced, you can try it for a trial period! Sign up for your trial today.
According to some Salesforce research, 86% of employees believe that bad communication is one of the main causes of all workplace failures.
However, there are ways to minimize this lapse in communication, especially in a manufacturing business.
Keep reading to learn how a business communication solution can help improve your company’s communication and benefit your business overall.
What Is a Business Communication Solution?
A business communication solution is important in any business, but even more so for manufacturing. This solution is typically technology that will help make your communication more efficient.
You’re likely using a communication system already, but using new technology can help automate and streamline it all.
Why Is This Solution Important?
When working in manufacturing, having good business communication with remote clients and teams is even more important. While you likely have some people working at desks, they’ll need to communicate with everyone who’s not always at their desk. This communication ultimately helps the business run.
Your internal communication is important to running your business, but there are many challenges that break down communication. If this is happening, getting a manufacturing business solution can help.
Once you have this type of solution, you’ll be able to have all these employees communicate seamlessly with each other:
All of them will need to communicate with each other to convey important business information, but it might be harder to reach an engineer or a salesperson who is out on the job.
Some businesses will rely on managers for their business communications, but this can be a faulty system if you have bad managers or the managers are too busy to relay important information.
Secretaries and office workers will also need to be able to communicate with clients and customers to maintain these relationships. Without a good system to communicate, it’ll be harder to gain more customers and boost profits.
How to Implement Good Business Communication
One of the first steps you’ll need to take is to give your employees the tools and technology they need to have good communication skills. Take some time to ensure all employees know how to effectively communicate with or use any of the communication tools that you provide.
If you don’t have time to train all of your current employees, at least incorporate this training for your new employees during their onboarding. Effective communication is even more important during the training phase, so make sure that everyone makes this a priority.
Lastly, you want to ensure that people regularly have team meetings. This is a good chance to go over where communication is breaking down, give everyone a chance to catch up on what they missed, and allow people to ask questions about the new communication solutions.
Benefits of These Solutions
There are many benefits of using these types of communications, especially if you have remote teams. These benefits make it worth investing in this type of solution to keep your business running smoothly.
Use What You Have
With the right technology solution, you’ll be able to use the screens of computers, tablets, and phones that you already have. You won’t have to invest in any new devices or collateral, like signs and posters.
You can always search for a solution that is compatible with the devices and technology you currently have.
Communicate Lockdowns
When working in manufacturing, there could be times when the environment becomes hazardous or dangerous. If this happens, you need to notify all employees immediately.
With the right solution, you can send notifications to mobile phones or screens that everyone will see instead of relying on people telling each other. You can even request that employees acknowledge that they saw the notification on their phones so you can keep all your employees safe.
Even if there isn’t something dangerous in your warehouse or factory, there could still be other environmental factors that are dangerous. For example, if there is a large storm, active shooter, fire, or any other dangerous hazard, you can quickly let all of your employees know.
You can notify them of the emergency in seconds, which improves their reaction time and raises the chance that all of your employees will be able to get themselves to safety.
Provide Great Customer Service
One of the most important aspects of running your business is providing great customer service so that your customers keep coming back.
This solution helps by providing you with all the important information you need to know about a client to provide them with a personalized experience. Some solutions will also give you easier channels to communicate with customers, such as a live chat system.
How to Find the Right Solution
Finding the right solution for your business might be challenging because your business is unique, and some solutions are not one-size-fits-all.
There are some factors you may want to take into consideration when deciding which provider to go with:
• Size of your company
• Security and Compliance
• Reliability
• Cost-effectiveness
• Scalability
• Customer support
• Current technology
• Where communication breaks down
• Type of company (finding a provider that specializes in manufacturing can help)
Before you sign up for any of the providers, ask if you can see a demo of their solution. Take some time to ensure that this will be the right fit for your company.
Find a Business Communication Solution Today
These are some of the benefits of using a business communication solution for your manufacturing business, but you’ll only enjoy these benefits if you choose the right provider.
Thankfully, we’re here to help, so you don’t have to spend a lot of time searching for the right one.
Contact us today to learn about how our solutions can improve your business communication!
