Pharmaceutical companies face various challenges when dealing with visitors. In this regard, a cloud-based visitor management system can come in handy.
Pharmaceutical companies face various challenges when dealing with visitors. Examples include the need to follow compliance requirements and standardize visitor management across different sites. In this regard, a cloud-based
visitor management system can come in handy.
A visitor management system or VMS has various advantages over the traditional paper and pen system, which can be exploited by people who misidentify themselves or write their names illegibly on purpose. From an operational standpoint, the staff may take more time checking and cross-referencing data in a traditional system. An electronic visitor management system addresses those challenges well. A VMS that is cloud-based has even more advantages, making visitor management smoother and more efficient.
The benefits of cloud-based VMS are increasingly realized by various industries, including the pharmaceutical sector. In fact, within the Big Pharma, the perception towards visitor management systems has shifted in favor of such systems, with a recent Acre Security (stylized as acre security) whitepaper citing 66 percent of
pharma businesses consider their VMS a crucial facet in their security and operational capabilities, and 60 percent agree that cloud-based systems have become more important in collecting and tracking visitor information.
Cloud VMS benefits
Indeed, a cloud-based VMS can empower pharma companies in numerous ways. Below are some of the visitor management objectives that pharma businesses want to achieve, and how a cloud-based VMS solution can deliver.
Standardization and customization
A major benefit cloud-based VMS can bring to pharma companies is it can help them with their visitor management standardization and customization efforts. In particular, the acre whitepaper finds the bigger the pharma company, the stronger the need to standardize visitor management across different sites. A cloud-based VMS can come in handy in this regard.
“Unlike on-premises visitor systems with a traditional IT infrastructure and data storage hosted locally, cloud architecture is virtual, and therefore more flexible. This improves the ability to handle increases in visitor numbers as an organization grows,” the whitepaper said. “Although implementing different systems across different sites may seem a more tailored approach, managing disparate systems is often costly, time-consuming and complex. Fortunately, cloud-based solutions are customizable too, meaning that unique local data policies can be implemented seamlessly into check-in procedures for a specific location, while maintaining the advantage of utilizing the same technology across global sites.”
Compliance
A cloud-based VMS can also help pharmaceutical companies stay compliant. Indeed, pharma companies are subject to various regulatory and compliance requirements when it comes to managing visitors and their
data. And in this regard, a cloud-based VMS can help, too.
“Managing the privacy and storage of data for a diversity of visitors is a critical element of staying compliant. Cloud-based systems provide digital and automatic sign-ins during check-in workflows to form solid audit trails for assessments. Unlike paper-based forms, previous visitor information is not visible either,” the whitepaper said.
Better visitor experience
According to the whitepaper, 34 percent of pharmaceutical companies believe enhancing the visitor experience is a motivator behind wanting a cloud-based visitor system. Indeed, a cloud-based VMS can help make the visit a more pleasant and enjoyable one. “Visitor systems hosted on the cloud enhance experiences for both hosts and visitors. For instance, the automatic notification feature immediately informs hosts of a visitor’s arrival via SMS or email. This opens a communication channel between the two parties with the hosts able to directly update visitors on their arrival time. It reduces waiting times and is a more engaging interaction for visitors,” the whitepaper said.
Work efficiency
Work efficiency can be improved with a cloud-based VMS, too. According to the whitepaper, most pharma companies spend up to 60 to 90 seconds processing a visitor. A cloud-based VMS can help shorten the processing time.
“Using a more customizable check-in with cloud technology creates a more efficient visitor process as visitors can be differentiated upon or before arrival. Pre-booking visitors means attendees can register their details in advance, making on-the-day checking-in swift and cutting processing times down to just a few seconds. Visitor types can be customized too, for example, interviewees can be prompted to provide name, address and host details, while suppliers can provide delivery and booking references,” the whitepaper said.
Creating a safer work environment
Finally, given the critical and sensitive nature of pharmaceutical companies, security remains their utmost priority A cloud-based VMS can play an effective role in this regard as well. According to the whitepaper, the technology is not only capable of coding ID badges to ensure access control areas are not available to everyone, but also able to provide detailed reports to spot visitor trends and support preventative safety measures being implemented.
“Real-time visitor tracking is also highly valuable in helping organizations ensure a safe workplace, and it seems those using it are comfortable with this aspect of their VMS, with only 8 percent of respondents reporting that they were not confident that their cloud-based VMS system for tracking visitors,” the whitepaper said.