Simplify compliance with a visitor management system

You already know the compliance burden is greater than ever. Whether it’s an internal or independent audit, for internal controls or to meet regulatory requirements, operations and IT leaders must navigate ever-changing laws, requirements, standards, and policies. 

Failing an audit could be catastrophic for firms as they might be subject to penalties, fines, bad publicity, and increased insurance premiums. It can also impact careers. Traditionally, passing an audit was time-consuming. Many team members might be involved in gathering relevant information, entering it, tabulating the data, and generating reports.

Today, that is no longer the case. Learn how Greetly can be used to help your organization remain compliant. Our cloud-based visitor logbook aggregates all visitor information and produces reports in a matter of moments.

Why compliance is harder than its ever been

Regulations aren’t just increasing – they’re evolving. From GDPR and HIPAA to SOC 2 and ISO certifications, organizations face a growing number of legal, industry-specific, and internal compliance mandates.

Compounding the challenge, audits can now cover everything from data privacy to physical security. And with hybrid workplaces and multiple locations, collecting and validating visitor data manually is inefficient and risky.

With the cost of noncompliance—including fines, lost trust, and reputational damage—at an all-time high, operations leaders need modern tools to stay ahead of the curve. That’s where digital visitor management becomes a compliance essential.

How a visitor management system simplifies audits and compliance

Modern visitor management systems do far more than sign people in. They create a secure, automated record of everyone who enters your workplace, making compliance reporting faster and more accurate.

Here are some of the key ways a VMS like Greetly streamlines the process:

Automated Visitor Documentation

From timestamping arrivals and departures to capturing visitor photos, IDs, and host details, a VMS ensures every visitor interaction is securely logged. Customised check-in workflows mean you can collect exactly the compliance data you need — whether it’s ID verification, safety training, or health questionnaires.

Digital Signatures on Legal Documents

Need visitors to sign NDAs, waivers, or safety forms? With electronic signature capture, documents are stored automatically as secure, timestamped PDFs. This reduces manual paperwork and ensures compliance records are always ready for review.

Documents with eSignatures are immediately converted into PDFs, stamped with the signature date, time, and location, and securely stored in your cloud-based visitor log. You can also automate pushing signed forms into the cloud-based storage of your choice.

Visitor Badges and Access Control

Visitor badges — complete with names, photos, and host information — make it easy to identify guests and limit access to secure areas. Options like expiring badges add an extra layer of protection for workplaces handling sensitive data or equipment.

With the visitors’ name, photo, host, and more, employees can identify a security or compliance risk at a glance.

Screening and Watchlists

Compliance is also about keeping the wrong people out. Features like driver’s licence scanning and watchlists help verify visitor identities and flag unauthorised entries.

Visitor sign-in doesn’t just connect guests with hosts, it also prevents the wrong people from entering your workplace.

Accurate Check-In and Check-Out Logs

A complete visitor record requires knowing not just when someone arrived, but when they left. Digital check-out options — via kiosk, smartphone, or admin portal — ensure accurate logs. If guests forget, admins can confirm departures manually or use automated rules.

Documenting your visitors and knowing when they arrive is valuable.

Data Analytics and Reporting

Paper logbooks expose personal data and make compliance reporting a nightmare. A VMS stores information securely and lets you run custom reports in seconds. Filter by date, location, or visitor type, then export or schedule recurring reports — perfect for upcoming audits.

Depending on a user’s role they can see visitor information for just themselves, for their workplace, or across a global organization. The entire process of responding to an audit just went from hundreds of manhours to minutes.

Emergency Evacuation Logging

In emergencies, compliance also means safety. Digital evacuation features allow you to send instant alerts, track who has marked themselves safe, and give responders real-time data on who may still be inside.

While we hope you never use it, should an evacuation be required, our visitor management system software can instantly send text and email notifications to all employees and visitors that are on the premises when the evacuation is triggered.

Why this matters for compliance

With a visitor management system, audit preparation shifts from hundreds of manual hours to just minutes. Instead of gathering paper logs and spreadsheets, compliance officers can generate the required reports instantly from a secure, cloud-based platform.

In other words, digital visitor management isn’t just about front desk automation — it’s a critical tool for meeting regulations, passing audits, and protecting both people and data.

Frequently asked questions