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BluBØX Visitor/Vendor Credentials and Security System Integration

BluSKY software and BluBØX hardware offer the most comprehensive array of physical and digital Visitor/Vendor credentials and access control integration with portals, turnstiles, relay elevators, and destination dispatch elevators.

This document outlines the many considerations for integrating BluSKY visitor/vendor credentials with a BluBØX access control system of any type. They affect cost, what can be done operationally and the visitor and vendor experience. All should be considered in evaluating current capabilities, future expansion and building and technology trends.

Most facility owners will tell you they desire fast, frictionless and secure visitor and vendor processing requiring the least amount of manpower. But what does it take to achieve this, what are the variables to consider and what are the drivers of success? The list below provides the key drivers for each component. The BluBØX/BluSKY solution was specifically designed to deliver these key drivers. As a result, BluBØX/BluSKY provides the fastest, easiest and most secure visitor/vendor processing with the least amount of manpower for a large variety of facilities across many vertical markets.

Fast

  • Proper visitor/vendor policies and procedures
  • Simple, intuitive interface – preauthorization and processing
  • Host pre-authorization from any device, anywhere, anytime
  • Recurring visits, approved vendors, multiple visitors/vendors, spreadsheet upload
  • Pre-authorized visitors
  • Highest possible pre-authorization %
  • Pre-authorized visitor instructions
  • An appropriate number of visitor stations
  • Fast PCs/tablets with touchscreen monitors
  • License scanner
  • Credential scanner
  • Visitor badge preprinting
  • Group processing
  • Smart search and multiple search
  • Integrated visitor, vendor, and access control
  • Digital credentials delivered to a smartphone
  • Self-check-in, DIY processing

Frictionless

  • Host self-registration and online instructions
  • Host pre-authorization from any device, anywhere, anytime
  • Single database for access control and visitor/vendor management
  • Visitor/vendor calendar integration
  • Anyone in the facility can preauthorize – maximize
  • Pre-authorized visitor instructions and customizable notifications
  • Intelligence – automated preauthorization reminders
  • Visitor/vendor arrival notification
  • Vendor certificate of insurance integration
  • Minimal waiting
  • Multiple credentials, readers and ways to be processed
  • Intuitive credentials and access integration
  • Proximity credentials
  • Digital credentials
  • No credentials
  • Self-check-in, DIY processing
  • No check-in
  • Person Reader

Secure

  • Proper visitor/vendor policies and procedures
  • Host visitor/vendor pre-authorization
  • Preapproved vendors
  • Limited access
  • Host controlled access
  • Watchlist integration
  • No queueing
  • Mobile visitor processing
  • Integrated visitor, vendor, and access control
  • Electronic audit trail of visitors/vendors
  • Person Reader

Least

Manpower

  • Pre-authorized visitors
  • Integrated visitor, vendor, and access control
  • Digital credentials delivered to a smartphone
  • No credentials delivered to a smartphone
  • Pre-authorized visitor instructions
  • Self-check-in, DIY processing
  • Person Reader

Lastly, we know from experience that what we are doing today will not be what we are doing tomorrow. Threats, market conditions, technology changes. And they change now faster than ever. It is therefore important to have a fluid integrated access/visitor/vendor system that can easily adapt to changes over time.

Typical Number of Visitors and Vendors Based on Size of a Facility

The first thing to understand when evaluating visitor and vendor credential options and access control integration is the number of expected visitors and vendors per day in a facility. This drives the annual cost of credentials, the number and types of readers required, reader locations and what can be expected from a preauthorization and operational standpoint. The chart below provides the average number of daily visitors and vendors in a commercial or corporate facility in the US based upon the size of the facility. These numbers will vary based upon tenancy and type of facility but are good averages for the purpose of system design.

 

Facility (Sq Ft)

User

Visitors

Vendors

50,000

250

30

5

100,000

500

60

10

200,000

1,000

120

20

300,000

1,500

180

30

400,000

2,000

240

40

500,000

2,500

300

50

600,000

3,000

360

60

700,000

3,500

420

70

800,000

4,000

480

80

900,000

4,500

540

90

1,000,000

5,000

600

100

1,100,000

5,500

660

110

1,200,000

6,000

720

120

1,300,000

6,500

780

130

1,400,000

7,000

840

140

1,500,000

7,500

900

150

2,000,000

8,000

1,200

200

Credential Options and Costs

BluBØX supports the entire spectrum of credentials including:

  • Paper
  • Paper Barcode
  • MiFARE
  • Prox & iClass
  • Smartphone Barcode
  • Smartphone Bluetooth
  • Smartphone Remote
  • Biometric (Person Reader) 

Each type of credential provides a different type of visitor experience. It also drives access control integration, associated user and reader requirements and an optimal way of provisioning the credential. The best visitor and vendor system is one that uses MULTIPLE types of credentials to achieve the highest level of frictionless security.  

Credential Type

Cost

Reuse

Desk Req.

Reader

User Requirement/ Interaction

Paper – 1 ply B&W

$0.15

N

Y

None

S/O release

Paper – 1 ply Color

$0.25

N

Y

None

S/O release

Paper – 2 ply B&W

$0.20

N

Y

None

S/O release

Paper – 2 ply Color

$0.30

N

Y

None

S/O release

Self-Expiring Add

$0.05

N

Y

None

S/O release

Paper – 1 ply B&W -Barcode

$0.20

N

Y

Barcode

Paper badge presented to reader

Paper – 2 ply Color -Barcode

$0.30

N

Y

Barcode

Paper badge presented to reader

MiFARE

$0.50

Y

Y

iClass, SE, SEOS or equal

MiFARE card presented to reader

MiFARE w/ Photo-ID

$0.70

N

Y

iClass, SE, SEOS or equal

MiFARE card presented to reader

Prox or iClass

$4.00

Y

Y

iClass, SE, SEOS or equal

Prox card presented to reader

Prox or iClass w/ Photo-ID

$4.25

N

Y

iClass, SE, SEOS or equal

Prox card presented to reader

BluPASS Barcode

$0.50

N

N

Barcode

Smartphone w/ barcode presented to reader

BluPASS Bluetooth (HID Credential)

$0.50

N

N

iClass SE, SEOS or equal

Download HID app, download HID credential, Smartphone twist at reader (Bluetooth on)

BluPASS Remote

$0.50

N

N

None

Smartphone button releases portal or floor

Face / Name

$0.50

N

Y

Person Reader

Person presents themselves to Person Reader

Annual Credential Costs Based on Credential Type and Facility Size

Visitor Preauthorization and Ad-Hoc Visitors

There are two types of visitors that arrive; preauthorized by a host and ones that have not (ad-hoc). The time to process each type of visitor is significantly different.

Average time to process a preauthorized visitor = 15-20 sec

Average time to process an ad-hoc visitor = 2 min +

The amount of time it takes to process an ad-hoc visitor is so much greater than a pre-authorized visitor because their information needs to be entered into the system and they need to be approved by someone. In addition to being a much less secure transaction, ad-hoc visitors distract security personnel from watching the facility. Ad-hoc visitors also increase the time other visitors have to wait to be processed. Having too high a count of ad-hoc visitors also leads to queueing in the lobby/reception area. The visitor experience for an ad-hoc visitor is not nearly as nice as a pre-authorized visitor. In short, a facilities goal should be to increase the number of pre-authorized visitors and decrease the number of ad-hoc visitors. It is impossible to eliminate all ad-hoc visitors, but they can be reduced significantly. The best-run facilities achieve a pre-authorization rate of 85%-90%. Only 10-15% ad-hoc unannounced visitors.

 

Rating

Pre-authorization Rate

Excellent

85% +

Average

45% - 75%

Poor

< 45%

Visitor Preauthorization and What to Expect

Pre-Authorization %

% Email/SMS

% Receive Digital Credential

% Desk

85%

33%

28%

72%

55%

33%

18%

82%

35%

33%

12%

88%

Preauthorization rate is also VERY IMPORTANT when it comes to the type of credential and access control integration. Digital credentials do well in high pre-authorization rate facilities but do poorly when the rate is low. Even in the best-run facilities only 28% of the visitors use the barcode or QR code on their smartphone. This is mainly due to the combination that not all visitors are pre-authorized and only 33% of the hosts include an email or mobile number for their guest. They either don’t know it or can’t be bothered to include it. This results in the majority of the visitors still needing to go to the Security desk.

Technology, Strategies, and Policies that Achieve the Highest Preauthorization Rate

A high visitors/vendor preauthorization rate is the single biggest contributor to fast, frictionless and secure visitor/vendor admissions. The highest rates are achieved by doing the following

  • Good visitor/vendor policies and procedures
  • Maximize the number of hosts that can preauthorize
  • Easy host self-registration and online instructions
  • Simple, intuitive pre-authorization interface
  • Host pre-authorization from any device, anywhere, anytime
  • Preapproved vendor list
  • Always finding the visitor if they have been entered into the system – even incorrectly
  • Reminder email when the host doesn’t pre-authorize their visitors/vendors
  • Reinforcing good behavior

Good Visitor/Vendor Policies and Procedures

Good visitor/vendor policies and procedures have a significant impact on achieving fast, frictionless and secure visitor/vendor admissions. In particular they can drive and maintain high preauthorization rates even as a people in the facility change. It’s always a balancing act between convenience and security but the best policies and procedures to achieve the results are:

  • All visitors and vendors must be preauthorized by a host, even if they show up unannounced
  • Security officers will not enter visitors on behalf their hosts
  • Security officers will not provide host contact information to a visitor
  • Security officers will use the driver’s license scanner for processing visitors/vendors
  • Large groups of visitors will use pre-printed credentials
  • Large groups of visitors will be identified to Security and Operations
  • Visitors/vendors will receive digital credentials and/or admission instructions when host preauthorizes with visitor email or mobile number
  • Visitors/vendors that arrive unannounced will generate a reminder email to the host to preauthorize their visitors/vendors along with instructions
  • Visitors/vendor will be announced to the host via email when the check-in
  • Everyone in a facility will have the ability to preauthorize their own visitors/vendors
  • Vendors will be facility approved and carry the proper insurance
  • Vendor Certificate of Insurance expiration/remittance reminders will be automatically sent 3, 2, 1 month and 2 weeks before expiration
  • Companies will administer their own hosts and who has permission to preauthorize visitors/vendors
  • Companies will run their own visitor/vendor preauthorization and admissions reports

Simple, intuitive interface – Pre-authorization and processing

Like most things in life, the easier something is to do, the more likely people will do it or accept it. The same is true for visitor pre-authorization. A simple intuitive interface goes a long way to gaining pre-authorization adoption. The easier it is to preauthorize your visitors the more visitors are preauthorized. For this reason, the BluSKY interface is very simple and intuitive. Most users just looking at it and adding their visitor(s).

The same can also be said for the security officers or reception that uses BluSKY to processes visitors. The interface is simple, intuitive and the process is streamlined to maximize speed. BluSKY uses:

  • Credential Scanners
  • Intelligent Search
  • Touchscreen Devices
  • Built-in Web Cams
  • Card enrollment Readers
  • Group Search
  • Mobile Visitor Processing

Features and techniques to reduce the visitor processing speed to 15-20 sec/pre-authorized visitor

• Host pre-authorization from any device, anywhere, anytime

• Recurring visits, approved vendors, multiple visitors/vendors, spreadsheet upload

• Pre-authorized visitors

• Pre-authorized visitor instructions

• An appropriate number of visitor stations

• Fast PCs/tablets with touchscreen monitors

• License scanner

• Credential scanner

• Visitor badge preprinting

• Group processing

• Smart search and multiple search

• Integrated visitor, vendor, and access control

• Digital credentials delivered to a smartphone

• Self-check-in, DIY processing

• Host self-registration and online instructions

• Host pre-authorization from any device, anywhere, anytime

• Single database for access control and visitor/vendor management

• Visitor/vendor calendar integration

• Anyone in the facility can preauthorize – maximize

• Pre-authorized visitor instructions and customizable notifications

• Intelligence – automated preauthorization reminders

• Visitor/vendor arrival notification

• Vendor certificate of insurance integration

• Minimal waiting

• Multiple credentials, readers and ways to be processed

• Intuitive credentials and access integration

• Proximity credentials

• Digital credentials

• No credentials

• Self-check-in, DIY processing

• No check-in

• Person Reader

• Proper visitor/vendor policies and procedures

• Host visitor/vendor pre-authorization

• Preapproved vendors

• Limited access

• Host controlled access

• Watchlist integration

• No queueing

• Mobile visitor processing

• Integrated visitor, vendor, and access control

• Electronic audit trail of visitors/vendors

• Person Reader

• Pre-authorized visitors

• Integrated visitor, vendor, and access control

• Digital credentials delivered to a smartphone

• No credentials delivered to a smartphone

• Pre-authorized visitor instructions

• Self-check-in, DIY processing

• Person Reader

Visitors Bypassing the Security Desk

BluREMOTE
Preprinting Paper or Proximity Badges
Driver’s License Scanners
Taking Visitor or Vendor Photos
Credential Scanners
Mobile Check In
Perimeter Check In
License Plate Capture
Self-Serve Kiosks

Limited Space and Multiple Readers

One of the big challenges of integrating visitor and vendor credentials with access control is the limited space available

Printers

Types, Costs, Pros, Cons, Best Use

  • Inkjet
  • Thermal
  • Dye Sub
  • Laser

Paper Badges

BluBØX recommends Color, Fan Fold, Two-Ply paper badges for the following reasons:

Color

Black & White

  • Looks nicer overall, more polished presentation and site specific control over printed graphics
  • Looks low budget but can be used with preprinted color badges to achieve a polished presentation
  • Guest photos are discernable and look better
  • Guest photos are difficult to discern and not always appreciated by guests
  • More opportunity for branding
  • Pseudo-grayscale palette
  • More expensive printers and supplies
  • Less expensive printers and supplies
  • Slower printing – 7s
  • Fast printing – 1s

Recommend: Color

Fan Fold

Roll

Badges are straight out of the printer making it easier while scanning or inserting badges into barcode readers

Badges curl out of the printer making it more difficult while scanning or inserting badges into barcode readers

More expensive

Less expensive

Recommend: Fan Fold

Two Ply

One Ply

  • Able to print on the back of the badge –barcodes or life safety information
  • No opportunity to print on the back of the badge - barcodes or life safety information
  • Single barcode assemblies can be used if printing on both sides of the badge still resulting in a fool proof user experience
  • Requires more expensive dual barcode assemblies for in and out readers to make the user experience fool proof
  • Stiffer badge remains straight and is easier to scan or insert
  • More flimsy, bends easier, more difficult to keep straight while inserting or scanning
  • More expensive
  • Less expensive

Recommend: Two Ply

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