Schools are expected to be a safe environment for children to learn and grow. Therefore, school management should be extremely cautious when it comes to managing visitors to the premises. The standard practice is to only allow visitors on the school premises who have a valid purpose for being there. Their presence should not pose any danger to the children or else, the school can be held liable for carelessly admitting individuals onto the school premise.

Intelligent visitor management systems for schools can help school authorities efficiently manage visitors and ensure that both the staff and students are protected at all times. ATT Systems Visitor Management System is one good example.

However, with several school security solutions available in the market, it is important to ask yourself the following questions to narrow down your options and decide on the best system for your school.

What information is needed for visitors to the school?
The type of information required to be collected by the school varies accordingly. The visitor management system should collect all the relevant information about visitors and hold this data securely in accordance with the law. Having a system that does not comply legally may potentially expose the school to further liability. Furthermore, visitor information can be cross-checked against criminal offence databases, adding an extra layer of security. Also, having a more elaborate system is necessary given the number of visitors you can expect in a given time period.

Can the staff use the system?
It is worthwhile to consider if existing staff members can operate and run the system independently. Choose a system that will offer customized services based on the needs of the school. If the school’s IT department can help maintain the system, that will also be an advantage.

How much will it cost?
Schools run on predetermined budgets that can be inflexible for a given academic year. Planning and budgeting for a system that will help meet all the legal and security needs are important. Considering a different visitor strategy for regular visitors to the school like the part-time staff will help keep costs in check. Using technology like smartcards might be more expensive initially, but it tends to pay off in the long-term.
Visitor management system can help provide organized and secure visitor management solutions.