Manufacturing front office automation system : How is it streamlining visitor entries across workplaces

Several modern technology innovations are spreading across different industries. Gone are the days of manual operations, where pens and paper were used to tackle the majority of front desk processes. As operational activities begin to scale, legacy systems often tend to lag and struggle to keep pace with the changing demands. Manufacturing facilities are very different from corporate offices as they operate on various heavy machinery, hazardous chemicals, and limited access areas every other day. Besides being risky, manufacturing facilities have to maintain operational efficiency on every level proving the intricacies of the work process. Still, several manufacturing facilities are using manual visitor logs and paper registers to manage visitors' entry at the front desk. This strategy is now outdated, resulting in security gaps, delays and inefficiencies disrupting operations. In this blogpost, we are going to elaborate on front office automation and how it is revolutionizing visitors' and vendors' entry across a manufacturing facility. ​

How are manual entry systems falling short in manufacturing?

The various traditional front desk processes can appear simple and easy to handle; however, they come with a lot of challenges. These challenges involve longer wait times with manual check-ins slowing down the overall peak hours, and a lack of real-time tracking that is unable to prevent unauthorised access. Similarly, manual visitor logs are incomplete and filled with illegible records that don't accord with regulations, making it challenging to track. With zero real-time visibility, authorities find it difficult to spot whoever is inside the facility. ​

What is the front office visitor check-in system in manufacturing?

A manufacturing visitor management system can be defined as the utilization of digital systems for managing visitors and vendors' entry seamlessly. It has proved effective in replacing manual processes with advanced workflows, including digital visitor registration, ID verification & badge printing, pre-scheduled visitor appointments, real-time host notifications, and automated logs.

Top challenges in the manufacturing industry

Legacy systems in manufacturing industries have been relied on for years, and now it's high time to replace them with effective visitor management systems. Today, demands are changing, and with them, facilities should keep pace to remain competitive. Herein, take a look at the top challenges that the industry deals with in manual management.

Restricted flexibility

There are times when your company is growing, and the legacy systems are unable to serve accordingly. In manual records management, it is nearly impossible to update instantly across different sites and different locations.

Poor data security

Still relying on manual visitor logs? It becomes quite challenging for authorities to keep track of whoever is working on onsite or accessing secure zones. It can create security gaps and make access difficult. Having poor data security weakens the core safety of the infrastructure.

Error-prone & manual

When it comes to manual entry of visitors and vendors, mistakes and errors are quite unavoidable. A single mistake in data can delay an entire shipment. Manual processes can leave staff hustling with paperwork instead of concentrating on the floor.

Peak of visitors

A medium size facility can have more than 200 visitors, and with shift based operations, bring workers at odd hours. Different vendors' entries every day and daily peak hours can be a real menace when it comes to the pen and paper model of log entry.

Multi-gate/location complexity

Several large plants have multiple entry points for employees, trucks and vendors. The process of managing these entry points is not at all challenging, but also requires a centralized platform to manage them efficiently. Leveraging a centralised platform offers full visibility across all locations.

Emergency management & evacuation tracking

During the time of emergency situations like fire or hazardous chemical spills, the accurate acknowledgement of the total number of visitors present inside the facility is important. The absence of an effective front office automation system may miss out on generating real-time headcounts. Manual systems can never provide such efficacy. ​

Popular benefits of modern visitor management systems in the manufacturing industry

A modern visitor management system, Khayash, is designed specially to simplify and streamline reception operations within a manufacturing facility. It directly addresses the challenges and provides a wide range of benefits tailored to manufacturing environments.

Real-time dashboard & monitoring

Leveraging visitor management software for manufacturing helps authorities to have a real-time visitor tracking dashboard. It displays whoever is present on-site, the sectors of the facility they are visiting and the time span they are inside the facility. It creates proper department-wise reports and audit-ready logs.

Pre-registration & appointment scheduling

Having an ideal manufacturing VMS enables vendors to pre-register online prior to their arrival. It implies approvals during the process of digital pre-registration, lowering queue times and making things automated.

Digital ID capture & visitor badge printing

Adopting the visitor sign-in system helps in the digital ID capture of documents and images of visitors. It seamlessly verifies identity and prints an automated visitor badge printing instantly.

Faster & contactless check-in

Traditional systems mostly involve manual handling of visitor and vendor entries. Contrarily, modern digital VMS allows automated badge printing, QR code, kiosk-based check-ins, pre registration prior to the arrival of vendors or visitors.

Real-time visitor tracking

While in a manufacturing environment, it is important to have a proper acknowledgement of individuals inside the premises. Manual systems could never provide real-time dashboards of visitor presence. The digital visitor sign-in system is empowered to provide live dashboards of visitor presence, accurate vendor movement tracking within the facility, and real-time visitor logs. Likewise, it improves monitoring and decision-making in real time.

Regulatory compliance

Several manufacturing industries follow strict standards, abiding by the safety norms. And for an industry that deals with hazardous machinery should always follow safety norms at all intervals. With the implementation of a front office automation for manufacturing, authorities can maintain digital records and audit trails, ensuring that all visitors sign NDAs and other safety policies. Likewise, it generates compliance reports instantly.

Better emergency management

At the time of emergency situations like fire events or earthquakes, where immediate evacuation is key to safety, an automated lobby check-in software for industrial facilities is important. During critical events, the platform instantly sends the total headcount of individuals present inside the facility. From sending emergency alerts to ensuring complete headcounts, the visitor management system is empowered to elevate safety standards in a manufacturing infrastructure. ​

Industry applications of visitor management software

Manufacturing and heavy machinery plants

Several manufacturing facilities that deal with high-tech electronics operate under heavy security too. Around this environment, a visitor sign-in system is influential in enforcing clearance checks for every visitor or vendor entering the facility.

Pharmaceutical production

Different processing plants and pharmaceutical manufacturing businesses have hygiene and contamination control. For these industries, visitor management is connected closely to good manufacturing practices. Within a pharmaceutical production plant, visitor management systems play a major role in encompassing hairnet use, keeping an eye on hand washing, and others. PPE compliance is important to keep a close look on the safety gears that are the priorities of a pharmaceutical plant.

Chemical and energy plants

Energy facilities often require a strong front office automation system, as these sites often carry a broader risk of sabotage and terrorism. Therefore, a digital VMS is beneficial in coordinating with background checks for preventing any kind of high-risk chemical works. ​

Final conclusion

In a workplace environment where everything is all about safety, compliance and operational efficiency, solely relying on manual visitor and vendor management may result in inefficiency. With the process of digitising check-ins and check-outs and automating approvals, manufacturing businesses often transform their front desk into a smart reception.
Gone are the days of a manual visitor management process where everything used to remain stuck to the pen and paper model of visitor entry. Modern visitor management systems offer a professional and automated way to track visitors without compromising on safety and productivity. Khayash is an excellent visitor management system designed to specialise in front office automation and digital transformation. With manufacturing industries continuing to embrace digital transformation, front office automation has stood out as a powerful tool towards building safer facilities, optimizing workflows and delivering a seamless experience for every visitor, vendor, and employees.