08 Jun How entrance control can create a smoother, more secure visitor experience

The world is back, or at least closer than we’ve ever been to pre-pandemic times. Yet the pandemic has left its mark in the collective psyche, with people just a little more hesitant, a little more nervous.

Entrance control gates are just the reassurance folks need to return to work, moving them through efficiently and securely. They can also help create wow-factor and a lasting first impression for building visitors thanks to the wide range of stylish and bespoke options available.

Touchless operation is the modern way

There are many ways entrance control gates can improve the customer experience, but let’s start with the most obvious given the pandemic: touchless operation. Biometric scanners that use a person’s unique physical characteristics are becoming more and more common in corporate offices, with facial recognition and fingerprint scanners on the rise.

Now available in Australia and New Zealand, Entrance Control’s EasyGate SPT speedgate features an integrated IDEMIA MorphoWave biometric finger scanner, making it the right kind of control system for the right time. All a visitor needs to do to enter is wave their hand through a scanner, without ever needing to touch the scanner itself. This avoids obvious hygiene concerns but also negates the oftentimes problematic issue some scanners have of not working effectively in wet or humid environments.

Also new to the Australia and New Zealand markets is Entrance Control’s EasyAccess facial recognition add-on. The EasyAccess system offers state-of-the-art biometric security at an accessible price point, compared to competitors in the market. It can also be configured to scan if visitors are wearing masks, prohibiting entry to any who are not if mask wearing is part of your Covid-19 risk management protocol.

Biometrics are a premium option, doing away with the need for authorised personnel to carry access cards, while also reducing the risk of access cards being stolen and used by unauthorised visitors.

Slightly less high tech, but still effective, are traditional access control gates that swing open automatically on presentation of an access card. These are an excellent option over older more manually operated turnstiles, which require some form of contact to push and open.

Choose gates that make the visitor experience better

As with any entrance system, the balance lies between safety and convenience. Entry flow needs to be efficient and smooth yet still providing an adequate level of security.

At Entrance Control, we have worked to make our entry products as easy to use as possible, utilising synchronisation and automation to move visitors along and to their desired destination.

Entrance Control’s bi-directional speedgates boast a superior opening and closing speed compared to other gates on the market, and deliver outstanding mean operations per fault. Our gates can be linked with the building’s elevator system, so that when a guest scans their card at the gate, their pre-registered destination is selected for them and they are allocated a lift. This system optimises the post-gate, pre-destination experience, as it removes the need to make a mad dash to the elevators, with the resulting process entirely more orderly.

It’s important to make sure buildings can be accessed by everyone – including those in wheelchairs and people who are less mobile. Entrance Control gates come in both standard and wide options, and comply with the requirements of Australia’s Disability Discrimination Act.

Lastly, if your gates use key cards then make returning them simple. A common challenge with keycards is that once issued to an authorised visitor, that visitor can – if they are lost in thought or on a phone call as they exit the building – quite easily walk off without returning the card.

With Entrance Control’s optional Visitor Card Return System, however, visitor access cards must be returned, into either the turnstile as the visitor exits or a standalone card-return slot incorporated into an entrance control gate’s pedestals. This significantly reduces the security risk and financial cost of replacing unreturned cards, and also makes life easier for visitors by reducing the likelihood that they will have to make another trip across town to return a card they took home by mistake.

Integrate seamlessly with your Visitor Management System

Efficiency and security is a big part of building design these days, so it is essential that any entrance system is able to integrate seamlessly with a building’s existing visitor management system.

Our Entrance Control speedgates can be easily integrated with most visitor management systems in use today. This includes more advanced systems that allow visitors to pre-register their visits to receive a QR code on their phone once the visit is approved. The visitor can then scan the QR code using a QR code scanner that can be incorporated into our gate pedestals,, allowing them access within an approved time period.

Entrance gates can also improve the customer experience by integrating the gate system with the other alarms –such as the fire alarm system –and third-party security devices, efficiently linking all security aspects into one umbrella system. Again, this provides peace of mind for employees and visitors alike from knowing that all systems are being effectively managed for optimal security and system operations.

Select aesthetics that fit your building

Not only should a modern entry system be contactless, easy to use, and fully integrated with existing systems, it should also be unobtrusive –blending seamlessly into a building’s surroundings while also making a good first impression.

Our turnstiles can be painted to any colour requirement, and coated with either matte or glossy finish. We also have more sophisticated metal finishes, wooden cladding, stone, and a range of alternative options.

The low-iron glass used in the bi-directional gates is more transparent than standard glass, reducing the aesthetic impact of the gates, and can be sandblasted with a logo to align with a corporate brand if so desired.

With employees returning to work on a more regular basis, and buildings back to welcoming in-person visits the same, a secure entrance system is essential to ease visitor concerns. With Entrance Control gates, visitors alike will feel the peace of mind that comes from a secure entrance system –without even knowing where that feeling comes from. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.