The Complete Guide to Contactless Visitor Check-in Software

For those who manage property operations and security, a secure, efficient, and welcoming environment is the top priority. But the very tool meant to provide that, the visitor log, is often the weakest link in their physical access control strategy. For decades, we've relied on systems that create the illusion of security without delivering it. It's time for an upgrade.

This article breaks down why traditional methods are failing and how a modern, contactless visitor management solution doesn't just record visitors; it actively secures your property.

What Is Visitor Management?

At its core, visitor management is the process of tracking and managing anyone who is not a resident or employee entering a property. The goal is simple: enhance security, ensure accountability, and verify that only authorized individuals gain access. But traditional visitor management often stops there—it's a record book, not a lock. True security combines this process with access control: the physical act of securing the access point and granting entry only to verified individuals.

For years, this meant one of two things:

• A pen and paper logbook at the front desk.
• A clunky Excel spreadsheet managed by a receptionist.

This manual check in process was easily compromised by illegible handwriting, incomplete entries, or missing time stamped records. When an incident like theft or vandalism occurred, the logbook was more of a liability than a tool, leaving sensitive visitor data exposed and useless for investigation.

The Limits of Desktop Sign-Ins and Kiosks

Recognizing the limits of paper, the next step for many was moving the logbook to a computer—typically a basic Excel spreadsheet or a simple desktop sign-in program managed by front desk staff. While this seemed like progress, it often just digitized the same old problems. Eventually, self-service kiosks and callboxes were introduced, but they inherited many of the same core flaws, just with a higher price tag.

• Prone to Human Error: Visitors mistype names, staff enter incorrect details, and people often forget to sign out, leaving records incomplete.
• Inefficient for Staff and Guests: A single sign-in station—whether a desktop or a kiosk—creates bottlenecks and long lines during peak hours, frustrating visitors.
• Siloed Data and High Costs: Desktop software traps data on a single computer, making it useless in an emergency. Kiosks add significant costs for hardware, wiring, and ongoing maintenance.
• Lacks Granular Control & Accountability: These systems are passive record-keepers, not active security. They don't prevent unauthorized entry and, in the case of callboxes, often rely on static codes that can be easily shared, destroying any sense of who is *actually* on the property.

The bottom line is that a traditional access control system, whether paper or digital, is passive. It creates records but doesn't provide real, active security.

The Shift to a Smarter Solution: Contactless Visitor Management

The modern standard is contactless visitor management. It starts before the guest even arrives. A user sends their visitor a digital pass via text or email, complete with a unique access code. The guest can even add this pass to their Apple or Android Wallet for ultimate convenience, just like an airline boarding pass. Upon arrival, there are no apps to download or front desks to visit—just a simple, secure scan to gain entry.

Key Benefits of a Contactless System:

• Flawless, Searchable Records: Every entry is digitally logged with an accurate timestamp, creating a clean, searchable database of visitor data for quick incident investigation.
• Eliminates Human Error: By automating the check in process with unique codes, you prevent typos, illegible entries, and missing data.
• Unmatched Efficiency: Saving time for both staff and visitors, this method eliminates wait times and frees up your team for more important responsibilities.
• Enhanced Safety & Hygiene: Removing shared touchpoints like screens, pens, and keypads creates a safer, healthier environment for everyone.
• Infinitely Scalable: A single, durable QR code can manage access for hundreds of daily visitors without ever breaking down.

The True Power Move: Integrating Visitor Management with Access Control

This is the crucial difference. Visitor management is about knowing who is visiting. Access control is about physically securing the access point and actually letting people in the building. A paper log only knows a name; a true security system controls the lock on the door.

A modern system doesn't just take a visitor's name; it uses their verified check in to grant temporary, specific access. Implementing access control this way means you are actively controlling every entry point on your property in real time.

Sentry Solo: The All in One Contactless Solution

Sentry Solo replaces outdated, high maintenance hardware with a unified management software that combines contactless visitor management and integrated access control.

VirtualKey™ – Mobile Access for Residents and Staff

VirtualKey™ turns smartphones into secure digital keys. Residents, tenants, or employees can open gates and doors directly from an app. Eliminate the cost and hassle of physical key fobs, cards, and remotes forever

VirtualKeypad™ – QR Code Check In for Visitors

This is where the magic happens for guests. The process is simple, secure, and requires no app download for the visitor.

How it works:

1. Invite & Send Pass: A user adds a visitor in the Sentry Solo app, which instantly sends the guest a digital pass via text or email. This pass contains their unique, one time access code and can be added to their Apple or Android Wallet.
2. Scan the SentrySign™: Upon arrival, the guest scans the QR code on the posted SentrySign™ with their phone’s camera.
3. Use the VirtualKeypad™: A secure keypad—the VirtualKeypad™—automatically opens on their phone’s browser.
4. Enter Code & Access: The guest enters their unique access code, and the gate or door unlocks. The one time code expires after use, ensuring single entry security.

This entire process happens on the visitor's phone, eliminating the need for expensive callboxes, guards, or receptionists to manage guest entry.

SentrySign™ – Deploy Security Anywhere

The SentrySign™ is the simple, durable hardware that powers our system. It's a weather resistant sign displaying the unique QR code for an entry point.

• No Wires, No Power, No Maintenance: Unlike kiosks, it can be installed anywhere in minutes.
• Scalable Security: Place a SentrySign™ at any access point where you need to be restricting access.

The Future is Here: Make the Switch

Visitor management has evolved. While paper logs are unreliable and kiosks are a costly half measure, a truly modern system offers more security for less cost and zero hassle.

Sentry Solo's integrated platform provides:

• Reliable, error free digital visitor logs.
• Instant, searchable records for faster investigations.
• True access control at every door, gate, and room.
• A seamless, contactless experience that streamlines operations.

Stop relying on outdated systems that leave your property vulnerable. Upgrade to Sentry Solo and build a security framework that's truly built for the future.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is contactless visitor management?

Contactless visitor management is a system where visitors gain access without touching shared devices. With a solution like Sentry Solo, a resident sends a guest a digital pass with a unique code via text or email. Upon arrival, the guest scans a QR code at the entrance, a virtual keypad opens on their phone's browser, they enter their code, and the door unlocks. It requires no special app for the visitor to download.

Q2: How is a QR code system more secure than a callbox or keypad?

A QR code system offers far greater security and accountability than a shared keypad code or a traditional callbox. Unlike a static keypad code that can be easily shared and is rarely changed, Sentry Solo issues a unique, one-time-use code for each specific visitor. This means you have a precise, time-stamped digital log of exactly who entered and when. This eliminates the security risks of shared codes and provides a clear audit trail that callboxes cannot offer.

Q3: What types of properties can use Sentry Solo?

Sentry Solo is designed for any property needing to manage and control access, including apartment communities, gated neighborhoods, commercial office buildings, industrial facilities, and mixed use developments.

Q4: Is the SentrySign™ durable enough for outdoor use?

Yes. The SentrySign™ is engineered from weather resistant materials designed to withstand outdoor conditions, including rain, sun, and temperature changes, ensuring reliable performance without maintenance.

Q5: What's involved in implementing access control with Sentry Solo?

Implementing access control with Sentry Solo is designed for simplicity and universal compatibility. The only hardware required at the entry point is the weather-resistant SentrySign™ and a small relay, which can be easily added to any existing electronic door, gate, or lock. Because the sign itself requires no power or wiring, installation is fast and can be done anywhere, eliminating the complex and costly work associated with traditional systems.