Picture this : You go to visit a friend’s apartment in a posh gated community. The guard politely stops you, takes a picture, asks you to enter your name, phone number, address, name of person you have come to visit, address of person you have come to visit on their tablet. A boat load of information given just to have a fun evening with your friend, isn’t it? Data privacy has been an evergreen talking point among the common mass since the world was introduced to Julian Assange and Edward Snowden. And hence the massive concern over digital visitor management systems used as part of housing society management.
Why A Digital Visitor Management System Over A Manual One?
Oh several reasons. As the urban landscape sees an increasing growth of population, the real estate industry notes an exponential demand for apartments. Space to live is less, but the amount of people needing a living space far exceeds the available land resource. The answer to that problem is obviously multi-storeyed high rise apartments. The more the residents, the more the visitors, the more security concerns. Manual methods are limited. Digitisation becomes an inevitable choice.
An average large sized gated community, easily records 100-200+ visitors per day. Making that many manual entries will consume ledgers after ledgers in a matter of days. Record storage for the Management Committee will become impossible. Not everyone signs in manual ledgers. It’s easy to miss. That leaves open a major security loophole. Also, data privacy here is not guaranteed either since ledgers are open and easily accessible to anyone. There is no distinct accountable party. Also, keeping track of vehicles moving in and out of the premises becomes difficult with just a manual system.
Visitor Management Systems & Data Privacy
Granted, it’s tricky to choose the right visitor management system that guarantees data privacy. So here are some points to keep in mind :
- Audit The Product
Your VMS is responsible for your security. Audit the various products in the market to understand which one becomes the most efficient technological system to enhance your housing society management. Check what details it asks for during visitor check-in/check out. Is it asking for too many unnecessary details? Or is it asking for too little? Both the cases imply the product is not serious. Any data in a non-serious product cannot be considered safe. Also check for enhancement history. A product that has a rich history of enhancement implies the makers have a clear vision and is most likely a customer oriented company, rather than a merely profit oriented one. Free products are not advisable. Ever thought if they don’t earn revenue from the product, then where else will they earn it from?
- Check Company News
One of the greatest advantages of data privacy becoming a part of the common man’s conversation is that the media takes data breaches by companies very seriously. Despite India, not having strong Data Privacy laws like the GDPR, the common man today is more aware of their right to have their data protected. So if a company has been found to share client data without proper permission or by hoodwinking the clients, granted it will be in the news. A simple Google search in this case should be enough.
- Ask Pointed Questions
Visitor management systems are no longer a new technology. There is enough material online to give you an idea how they work technically. Are they cloud based? Or offline? Where is the data stored? Is it stored in a central database? If not a central database, then where? Who has access to this data? What is the security protocol of the company? How often do they audit their cyber security? A company that is clear about its data privacy protocols will always have straightforward prompt answers, no matter how hard the questions get.
- Have An Ironclad Agreement
Insist on having a legal ironclad agreement with your service provider to ensure no resident or visitor data is given to third party concerns without your explicit permission.
One of the most failsafe ways to ensure the data of your residents and visitors is always kept safe is by choosing a product that cares about the security of your gate alone. A product whose priority is security, and not unnecessary convenience will also, by natural extension, be very protective about their client’s data as part of the entire holistic customer experience.
Do you have questions in mind about choosing the right housing society management software for security? Feel free to contact us. We will be happy to help you choose a safe, secure and hassle free product.
