Visitor Management Systems and why your community scheme needs one

Visitor management is critical to community schemes’ (sectional title complexes, apartment blocks, residential estates and retirement villages) security and operations. A Visitor Management Solution (VMS) allows community schemes to streamline the visitor management process through pre-registration, ID verification, visitor/vehicle identification and customisable notifications for hosts and security personnel. The technology has moved beyond simply digitising old processes – like paper logbooks and manual security checks – to a newly heightened focus on security, convenience, data integrity and data compliance. If you want to know who is on-site across all your locations, visitor management technologies have become an operational necessity.

Sectional Title Solutions (STS) in partnership with VOX is pleased to present another innovative Smart Technology solution to Community Schemes: The Visitor Management Solution.

Are manual visitor logbooks compliant with POPIA?

In terms of condition 7 (sections 19 to 22) of the POPIA, a community scheme must have security safeguards in place to protect the personal information of its residents, staff, owners and/or visitors. The security measures must specifically secure the integrity and confidentiality of the personal information the community scheme has in its possession or under its control.

Section 19 (1) of POPIA specifically states:

19. Security measures on integrity and confidentiality of personal information

1. A responsible party must secure the integrity and confidentiality of personal information in its possession or under its control by taking appropriate, reasonable technical and organisational measures to prevent—

          (a) loss of, damage to or unauthorised destruction of personal information; and

          (b) unlawful access to or processing of personal information.

On the basis that manual visitor logbooks are:

• passed to multiple residents, staff, owners and/or visitors to complete (making other people’s personal information visible to the person completing the logbook); and
• sometimes left on the counter of the guardhouse for anyone to see,

the personal information recorded therein is not secured and therefore does not comply with condition 7 of POPIA.

With an online visitor logbook, the community scheme complies with the above-mentioned condition of POPIA in that they have taken appropriate, reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the personal information they have under their control (in this case in terms of the visitor logbook).

Thus, personal information must be collected, stored, secured and shared according to strict regulations as set out in POPIA and as mentioned above. Our VMS solution digitally collects this data, securely storing it in the cloud. This reduces on-premise hardware and maintenance costs while ensuring POPIA compliance.

The digital solution also enhances health and safety as we continue to limit the spread of Covid-19 and other diseases. Physical contact at access points is reduced, while the online admin tool facilitates easy reporting and tracing of visitors. Community schemes have a real-time view of how many people are on their premises.

The VMS for community schemes is a cost-effective and user-friendly security solution that enables our clients to manage and control visitor access to their community schemes via a smartphone app or online portal. Our smart offering includes various other features such as:

• panic button alerts for unit owners;
• video and license plate integration;
• push and PIN access notifications;
• scanning options;
• and online and mobile apps.

Flexible implementation – Our complete turnkey solution is fully customisable to your community’s requirements and budget. Whether you require the multi-functional app, handheld identity scanners, no-touch mobile QR scanners or traditional PIN keypads. We have the solution to suit your safety and security needs.

Advanced visitor booking system – Visitors can be pre-registered by the host, security personnel, or the receptionist, and all the visitors’ pertinent details can be added to the system ahead of time. A confirmation email with a map, safety instructions, and other meeting details can automatically be sent to any visitors. Our solution also allows you to send real-time welcome messages to visitors, which improves their overall experience of your community scheme.

Multiple-channel communication options – With our solution, you can manage your visits online via a web portal or mobile application. You will also receive notifications via email and SMS, which are also sent to relevant staff or security personnel when visitors arrive.

Fully interactive – Visitors receive a welcome SMS or email notification when they arrive at your community scheme. You can also authenticate visitors via their license plates or ID numbers through our solution.

With so much to offer, a VMS gears your community scheme for the future and the new normal.

For more information, download the VMS brochure below or connect with us!