How To Tell If Your Visitor Management System Is Outdated

In 1999, Microsoft unveiled the first active directory, and it was an industry-wide godsend. The system allowed enterprises to juggle a growing need for complex permissions in one consolidated space. Active directories expanded with businesses, allowing them to efficiently manage everything from employee program permissions to the computers allowed to connect to the network. However, one area lagged behind these active directories because it was typically a separate device ecosystem. That critical component was access control.

Visitor management systems may not make use of active directories, instead working off a different database. These isolated systems create outdated visitor management programs which can open your enterprise up to significant risks. Integrated security systems which make use of your existing active directory are the most effective for controlling building ingress and egress.   

Signs of an Ineffective Visitor Management System

Today’s enterprises must manage more complex active directories than they have in the past. Temporary, telecommuting and traveling employees are a growing part of the workforce who require permission database profiles. The need to use a company network may not include the need to access the building, so enterprises often keep access permissions segregated.  Enterprises with an outdated visitor management system will notice the following signs:

• Task redundancy. Individuals need to track visitor information in two different databases in what should be a one-step process. As this adds unnecessary tasks, it increases the risk of mistakes.  
• Database bloat. Without active management, databases become filled with data which does not reflect current authorized users. Excess data makes the system difficult to navigate and overwhelming to fix.
• Security breaches. Individuals who shouldn’t have permission—like temporary employees or former vendors—may have working credentials. Cards reported as lost or stolen may still be active, meaning anyone could use them to access the enterprise.

If these issues sound familiar, it’s probably time to update your system. With the active directory, an enterprise will immediately revoke all system permissions with the press of a button. Without this kind of active directory, access control may be less dynamic. The HR rep may take back a keycard with the intention of voiding it later but never get around to it. The best solution is to bridge the gap by connecting access control databases to the active directory.

Integrating Access Control with Active Directories

Permissions for employees can be incredibly complex. Active directories track everything from sign-ins on company networks, to individual file access within programs. Through integration, these complex permissions translate to the physical space and simplify the process considerably. Your enterprise can easily assign full building access or break it down to specific building zones tied to employee roles. The steps break down in this way:

1. HR adds a temporary employee to the active directory, with permissions set to expire in one week.
2. The new assignment transfers to the visitor management program. The temporary employee receives a permission profile assignment for their role.
3. A keycard gives them access to the front door, as well as the door to their office.  
4. After one week, they finish their assignment but forget to return their pass.
5. Their active directory permission expires and that transfers to visitor management. Their card is shut down remotely, revoking building access in only seconds.

Integrating visitor management systems with the active directory is the best way to eliminate database bloat and redundancies which lead to security breaches. Such programs take the burden off employees to manage permissions and put it on existing processes. It’s an automatic visitor management system which is scalable, dynamic and cost-effective. Your enterprise should turn to integration to reduce the risk of outdated visitor management and improve their overall security.