Viscon Group
Background
Viscon Group, a leader in agricultural innovation, pioneers technologies that make food and agriculture processes sustainably profitable, scalable, and user-friendly. With headquarters bustling with over 300 employees and operations spanning 77 countries, Viscon Group is globally recognised for its innovation in machine automation and integrated solutions. As the Information Officer, Marcel Bul spearheads a range of IT initiatives that drive both internal operations and customer interactions.
The Challenge: Pen-and-Paper Logbooks
Upon joining Viscon Group, Marcel was met with a traditional paper-and-pen sign-in system at the reception. This method, while functional, made it possible for each visitor to see who had previously signed in, prompting them to seek a solution that better supports privacy and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) standards. He stressed the importance of a proactive overhaul: "Companies are liable for up to 10% of their annual turnover if they are found to breach the privacy and data security of their staff, customers, and visitors.”
Outside of GDPR, additional considerations included potential data losses during emergencies like fires and challenges with group sign-ins, where only one person would register and leave the rest unaccounted for. This led Viscon to adopt a modern cloud-based solution for visitor management, helping ensure accurate and private registration for every individual – regardless of group size.
The Solution: Migrating Visitor Management to the Cloud
“Our mantra is ‘cloud unless’—which means everything we adopt must be cloud-compatible unless absolutely impractical,” Marcel explains, “Verkada Guest was a natural fit, bringing both flexibility and the level of customisation we needed."
The move towards a fully integrated cloud-based system aligns with Marcel’s IT strategy. This approach not only helps future-proof their infrastructure, but also simplifies the management of systems across international borders. With Verkada Guest, Viscon Group is able to:
Centralise and digitise visitor logs to a cloud-based platform.
Tailor check-in experiences to individual visitor needs.
Collect necessary information for different types of guests.
Present important documents for guests to review independently and sign upon arrival.
Automatically notify hosts via SMS, email, Slack, or Teams when visitors arrive, eliminating the need for physical check-in sheets or paper documents.
The Impact
“Verkada offered us a platform that could evolve with our needs,” says Marcel, “Beyond enhanced security and privacy, we gained a level of operational insight we didn't have before."
Verkada Guest helps digitise every visitor interaction, creating a streamlined process from arrival to departure. The system accurately registers each visitor, moving away from unreliable group logs to precise individual tracking. Internally, the integration with Microsoft Teams and email notifications about customer arrivals has automated communication and accelerated response times. Plans to expand the use of Verkada’s cameras would consolidate disparate systems into one cohesive security operation.
“We’re looking to bring all our video security under Verkada’s umbrella, giving us unparalleled control and insight across our facilities,” Marcel notes.
A Seamless Customer Experience
"The customer experience begins the moment they enter our facility. With Verkada Guest, we've improved this process to make it efficient, secure, and welcoming."
From the moment they arrive, a visiting customer is met with a smooth sign-in experience designed for efficiency and ease of use:
Customised Check-In: Customers are met with a tailored check-in experience with personalised templates for different visitor types, including questionnaires.
Touchless Entry: Customers can check in via QR code, speeding up the process and reducing physical contact in case of social distancing protocols.
Custom Welcome Instructions: Customers are provided with personalised welcome messages and directions, sent directly to their mobile devices upon signing in.
Through Guest, Viscon facilitates a smooth entry and registration process while retaining a digital log of each visitor, eliminating the reliance on outdated paper logs.
Streamlined Administrative Workflows
"Verkada Guest simplifies our administrative processes, allowing us to manage everything from a centralised dashboard.”
In addition to customer experiences, Viscon Group has also simplified administrative tasks associated with managing visitors:
Centralised Management: All visitor interactions are managed through a centralised dashboard that allows for real-time updates and monitoring.
Automated Notifications: Hosts are automatically notified of a customer's arrival through SMS, email, Slack, or Teams, ensuring immediate attention.
Scalability: Marcel can easily expand the system across multiple locations without increasing complexity, thanks to cloud-based technology.
Document Management: Digitally signed documents are automatically stored and easily retrieved from the cloud, supporting compliance and easy access.
These features align with Viscon’s approach to infrastructure modernisation, allowing greater control and remote management from virtually anywhere.
A Privacy-Sensitive Approach to a Modern Security System
Verkada's cloud-based solutions empower Viscon to manage multiple locations from a single platform. The seamless integration of Guest with Verkada's broader product suite enhances control over access points, helping ensure secure and authorised entry. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities – including automated alerts, trajectory analysis, and occupancy trends – provides actionable insights that enable early detection of potential threats, allowing for swift responses.
As Marcel looks to add Verkada's camera system across Viscon's facilities, he also emphasises the importance of privacy in their operational protocols. For instance, features such as live face blur and customisable privacy regions are key to maintaining personal privacy along with security. “With Verkada, we have the tools to help ensure that our security measures respect and protect individual privacy.”
Looking Ahead: Cloud Migration and Infrastructure Modernisation
As Viscon progresses with its digital transformation, Marcel highlights the strategic shift towards a fully integrated, cloud-based infrastructure. "We’re not just prepared for current demands but also poised for future challenges, helping our infrastructure remains as innovative, scalable, and user-friendly as our agricultural solutions," he concludes. With Verkada, Viscon is well-positioned to leverage future advancements in physical security technology.
Request a live demo to see the products in action.