Why use a visitor log? Challenges and context

In a context where security, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency are critical issues for businesses, managing visitor flow is an essential yet often overlooked link. While many establishments continue to rely on paper sign-in/sign-out logs, this traditional practice has many drawbacks: errors, oversights, limited traceability, etc.

With a digital tool like Deemply, paper is simply replaced by a modern, intuitive, and secure solution that complies with GDPR requirements.

Discover the digital visitor log

Visitor log: Challenges and context

A highly recommended practice

Technically, a visitor log, also known as a sign-in/sign-out sheet, is not mandatory for all companies. However, it is highly recommended in many contexts, particularly for public-access buildings (ERP), industrial sites, or restricted-access premises.

Despite the lack of a strict legal requirement, a well-maintained visitor log helps strengthen security and increase responsiveness in the event of an incident, as external visitor flows are tracked.

In a real-world scenario, such as a fire, you must act quickly to evacuate everyone. It is vital to know exactly how many visitors are on the premises to ensure no one is left behind. With a visitor log, you have all the information needed to act quickly and keep everyone safe.

The limitations of traditional paper visitor logs

Paper visitor logs remain widely used, but they have significant flaws:

• Omissions or oversights: The log is often misplaced, and visitors fail to sign in or out. Pages are poorly maintained, leading to inaccurate or missing information.
• Poor traceability: Dates are not always accurate, and information can sometimes be illegible.
• No real-time visibility: Generally, you only find out who is still on the premises after the fact.
• Heavy manual management: Following up with visitors to ensure they sign out is complicated. During audits, the visitor log is often found to be out of date.
• Privacy risks: Anyone can see the information of other visitors recorded on the same page or in the logbook. This does not meet GDPR compliance obligations.

Regulatory requirements and the GDPR framework

Even if a visitor log is not explicitly mandated, as soon as personal data is collected, compliance with the GDPR is mandatory. As a reminder, personal data includes items such as: first and last names, entry times, reasons for visiting, etc.

The core GDPR principles to follow are:

• Minimization: only data that is strictly necessary should be collected.
• Transparency: visitors must be informed of the purpose for which their data is being collected.
• Retention period: data cannot be kept indefinitely, so you must plan for its regular deletion.
• Security and confidentiality: all data must be secured and stored with enhanced protection.

The visitor log by Deemply

How the visitor log module works and its benefits

In this section, we will introduce all the benefits of the visitor log by Deemply.

Intuitive visitor log configuration

One of the key strengths of the entire Deemply ecosystem is its ease of use. The visitor log, like all the modules we offer, is very simple to set up. In just a few clicks, you can configure all the key elements of your log, namely:

• The types of visitors (client, contractor, guest, supplier, etc.)
• The reasons for visiting
• The zones and locations involved
• The items deposited
• The safety instructions to follow

Thanks to the various categories created, you can tailor the visitor log to your needs and the specific requirements of your facility.

Simplified visitor registration

With Deemply, you benefit from several options for registering your visitors:

• On the web ecosystem: this allows you to pre-register visitors when you already know their visit date. You can also register visitors on the spot if you have a computer available.
• Via the mobile app: this option gives you complete mobility for registrations. Anyone in your company with a Deemply account can easily add visitors using their phone or tablet.
• Using the QR code displayed at your facility's entrance, which allows visitors to check in independently on their own phones, without needing any assistance from your team.

This flexibility allows you to adapt to any situation or organizational structure.

Exit management and reminders

One of the challenges of a visitor log is ensuring that visitors or staff members actually record when the visitor has left. At Deemply, we have integrated an automatic reminder system that prompts visitors to record their departure. You set the parameters for these reminders in advance, and they are triggered once the scheduled visit time has passed.

With these reminders, you ensure your log remains compliant and that you have accurate information in real time.

Real-time information visualization

Information regarding your visitors is accessible in real time on your phone and via your web ecosystem. Key information includes:

• A list of visitors currently on-site
• A list of upcoming visitors
• A list of visitors who have overstayed their visit
• A list of visitors who have left the premises

To make the information easier to read, we have chosen to use a clear color-coding system that allows you to understand a visitor's status in seconds.

With the real-time view, you are prepared to take action in the event of an incident.

Built-in GDPR compliance

Our visitor log features are designed to meet GDPR requirements:

• All information is securely hosted
• Access to information is restricted to the user accounts you create
• All data can be deleted very easily in just a few clicks

With Deemply, compliance is simple.

Visitor log paper vs. digital

Traceability

Missed check-outs

Real-time visibility

Exports / Reporting

Data security

Visitor experience

Paper

Excel files, loose sheets, or notebooks

❌ Low

Frequent

❌ Complicated

Manual & tedious

❌ Low

Manual and sometimes tedious entry

Digital

Deemply ecosystem with its two environments

✅ Total

Automatic reminders

✅ Yes

Instant

✅ Total

Fast and intuitive registration

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