Leverage the Cloud for Event Security

Technology advances have made security and access management more efficient.

• By James Barbour
• Jan 08, 2020

The days of using a paper log and a lone security officer at your entrances as the only means of security are outdated and no longer effective. Advances in technology have made security and access management much more efficient. As a result, security practitioners, employees and visitors expect more. Visitor management is no longer just security, it is an amenity and its scope has expanded beyond letting people in and out. A robust system should encompass visitor, vehicle and vendor management and seamlessly handle day-to-day operations and special events.

So, a question that must be asked is: Are you doing everything that you can to leverage your existing systems for other facility management needs?

Visitor Management in the Cloud

Cloud-based visitor management gives users the control and flexibility needed to properly manage and protect an organization. Modern facilities are a complex ecosystem of different needs and workflows. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Leveraging the cloud for visitor management allows facilities to implement multiple workflows: by access point, visitor type, department, tenant and event. This is especially true for any multi-site and global organization. Companies need to be able to easily commission new sites without a complex deployment process.

These new sites need to have their own unique workflows and processes, and have certain levels of autonomy to run their day-to-day operations. At the same time, global standards and oversite should be controlled from one centralized location. A key aspect of this flexibility is ease of integration.

Security no longer sits in a silo and any system must be able to easily integrate into other business systems. Maybe a tenant wants unique, temporary Wi-Fi passwords printed on each badge, while facilities want each scheduled delivery to be tracked with RFID. Processes and software will constantly change; a cloud-based visitor system makes it possible to keep pace.

Visitor Management as Event Security

At a bare minimum, most organizations have some process in place for letting visitors in a lobby during working hours, but event security is often overlooked or done ad-hoc. This is a mistake.

Risk begins to accumulate prior to the event even taking place. Who is going to be on-site creating the sets? Who is delivering the food? Who will be there to entertain? Who will be doing pre-show cleanup? With each event, the security practitioner must begin a vetting process, a scheduling program, monitoring and controlling waves of traffic well before the show. Identifying verified vendors and issuing credentials in real-time to secure areas is a major challenge, but a must to support the concept of trusted access.

Operators need a security platform that manages everyday operations for vehicle-based and walk-in deliveries. For each event, resources must be scheduled and managed specifically for the event. Clipboards are not good enough. Pre-registration of vehicles, vendors and their staff can happen on portals. Leveraging license plate recognition systems will further enhance security and efficiency. Getting all of these elements ready to be vetted through smart mobile applications onsite, on game day, generates a coordinated, orchestrated, efficient and secure operation that can be integrated to access management. Controlling traffic and vetting through watch lists, notification programs and vehicle inspections are all best practices.

Long lines and queues forming in a crowded, loud lobby hamper a building facility’s production, but also create an increased security threat. Choosing to utilize a cloud-based visitor management solution that has self-check-in capabilities is the most streamlined way to manage event security. Those things can be eliminated with a cloud-based visitor management system, which, in many cases, can be fully integrated into a fully functional kiosk for self-registration and service.

Self-check-in kiosks enable facility security to be more efficient by giving visitors the ability to register their information to be stored in a specified system, scan their custom QR code for access into the building and automate the overall security process with the cloud’s digital logbook.

These cloud-based, self-check kiosks promote efficiency for visitors and security personnel, allowing users to cross-check vital visitor information and create watch lists and VIP lists. This can streamline the overall security process by making sure no one can get through without authorization from the kiosk. It even saves money on security personnel and damage costs that could stem from an attack by an unauthorized visitor.

Efficient check-in and check-out systems not only make the visitation process quicker, but they also minimize security risks. Having a visitor management system that prints photo ID badges, has a custom QR code for check-in and check-out and provides notifications to tenants or staff members helps ensure that no one is in the building, or attending the event, that is not supposed to be.

Implementing Event Security in the Cloud

Cloud solutions can easily be leveraged to accommodate any event management needs. Building Intelligence utilizes SV3 for large-scale, off-site client events, customizing the solution to send and manage the NDAs of some event initiations. Attendees could check in on tablets the day of the event or enroll as guests arrive on site. Essentially, the event is set up as its own building within the system.

This way it can have its own administrators, workflows, badge designs and directions. All that is needed is internet access or a data plan; something server-based solutions cannot offer. Building Intelligence provides their assistance through the entire process – from invitations and guest lists – to custom design and messaging. By leveraging a solution already in place, the client is able to save both time and money, as well as streamline the entire check-in process for their visitors.

With different NDAs in place and verified, the client could be sure that only authorized individuals are present. This is something that is simply not possible with outdated solutions, such as paper logs. If users have multiple locations with specialized needs, it is important to be able to leverage what is already in place, and to keep all solutions user-friendly, streamlined and customizable. The cloud gives users scalability, allowing for modifications in services as a client needs change.

The Future

While cloud solutions benefit end-users, they also provide many benefits to integrators. Customers turn to the cloud because they want to stay on the cutting edge of their market. By providing options that meet this demand, integrators are more likely to create lasting partnerships by providing both accessibility and cost savings. What business does not want to cut costs, but uphold security system integrity?

As users continue to demand the highest level of security at a reasonable price point, cloud-based solutions are likely to continue to gain traction. With scalability, flexibility and the ability to use existing solutions for other business functions, users save both time and money when choosing cloud solutions. Storing information in the cloud keeps things secure, streamlined and user-friendly, allowing for more efficient operations, while simultaneously providing the peace of mind that end-users want and deserve.