Security around the world is being heightened to knew levels, In Australia this month The Australian newspaper reported on Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s announcement that he had accepted ASIO’s advice to raise the terror alert, automatically increasing security at football finals in Melbourne and Sydney with additional tightening of security at airports, ports, railway and bus stations. The following day the U.S Security Service increased security around the Whitehouse after a perimeter breach. Last month in the UK the terror threat level was raised from substantial to severe said Home Secretary Theresa May. The severe terror threat is the second highest for the UK.
I read recently about a train station sealing all garbage bins so no rubbish could be placed in the bins. The signs said the bins were no longer in use.
Security is tightening worldwide
Increased security issues around the world are flowing right down to visitor management systems where we are increasingly asked for the ability to scan a drivers license or passport on entry of unknown visitors and contractors into businesses. Earlier this year we had a run of inquiries from companies who had to report to customs the activity of all visitors and contractors monthly attending their location. By the time the 4th inquiry came in January 2014 it was clear that all of the companies had previously reported the information manually. Schools are also high on the list of places asking for drivers license registration of visitors, parent helpers and volunteer canteen staff.
Collecting personal information manually to report to customs
Before the end of February this year I had spoken to dozens of companies all looking for a better way to collect visitor and contractor information to replace the current manual system that was in place. Customs were asking for a lot more information, business did not have the structure or resources to collect and report on more information. The manual system that had been in place in many of these businesses for more than 25 years was no longer suitable to the needs of today.
The solution was to find an appropriate electronic method for collection of the required data.
The type of data requested to be collected for customs included
- drivers license number
- business or personal address
- How many minutes and hours the visitor or contractor was onsite
We started to research the world and workshop with our exiting global customer base
We needed more than what we had been asked for by these customers trying to satisfy customs. We need to satisfy the future demands of companies that at the time and now at the time of writing have not yet realized they will need a better data collection method for visitors and contractors onto their locations.
We needed to find a way to register thousands of people quickly collecting all the information required by companies to comply with customs. The end result is a visitor and contractor sign in process that includes the scanning of a drivers license or passport for the fastest collection of data. Taking instant reporting as required by customs to a whole new level.
- Improve the efficiency of your identity registration and on boarding mechanism with auto data capture.
- Reads all passports and ID-sized documents for over 90 countries and all 50 US States
- Image capture time is reduced to seconds with use of camera based technology.
- Compact design allows for a smaller footprint on coveted countertop space.
- Easily built into any visitor management kiosk application.
- RFID option offers authentication on Passport documents.
More recently general business is asking for a drivers license registration process for visitors. We have even had some companies ask for biometric finger registration of visitors.
Biometric finger V Drivers License visitor registration.
After working for more than 15 years with employee time clocks including biometric employee time clocks I know the issues that would be associated with biometric finger style of technology on a self serve visitor kiosk, it simply just will not work. Expecting a visitor or contractor to go through the manual registration process required to register a biometric fingerprint before visitor or working at a location would simply fail.
Scanning a drivers licence not only replaces the manual data entry completed when a visitor or contractor goes to sign into a visitor kiosk it actually enables the ability to capture more data when the person signs in including date of birth. The data is automatically populated into your data base making reporting a snap going forward. Additional questions can be asked once the drivers licence is scanned. Many customers need the ability to “ask a question” or two. Having the ability to create and ask questions of your visitors or contractors when signing in can be crucial for some business.
Recent questions I have seen from customers include
- Contractor – are you working alone?
- Contractor – How long do you expect to be on location?
- Visitor – Have you visited a farm overseas in the past 21 days?
- Visitors – Are you parked in the car park?
Improve your visitor and contractor security – try visitor management for free
