sonofsanta Posted October 2, 2019 Posted October 2, 2019 The new Head has spoken: we need to do something more about site security. So begins a big project of great fun. One of the things he wants is photo visitor passes. I know there are various systems out there for taking a photo of someone on a webcam and printing it out, but, well, I don't know any of them. I figured you lot would have opinions (or at least, more recent than the last thread I saw on the topic). What we (I) want: Paper passes, not card, to keep costs low Simple software to take the photo via webcam/connected digital camera, and with a few fields for name, company, datetime etc., print out an appropriately sized pass to go in a lanyard Logging functionality so we have a copy of the photo on file against the details for six months or so (whatever is GDPR friendly) just in case Mr Plod would like a copy. Simple database would be fine. It's the kind of thing that I could probably kludge together myself with a bit of Visual Studio work, but honestly, it'd be more cost effective to just buy it in. Someone must have solved this problem already, right? And as a bonus point, if anyone has any recommendations for where to get decent branded lanyards, that'd save me some Googling too 1
TomFreeman Posted October 2, 2019 Posted October 2, 2019 We've had demos of loads as it's something we're looking into, it's not the cheapest but by far in my opinion it seems the best. https://inventry.co.uk/ We've had our lanyards from SafetyNet Solutions for a long time, quality has been great! 2
sonofsanta Posted October 2, 2019 Author Posted October 2, 2019 We've had demos of loads as it's something we're looking into, it's not the cheapest but by far in my opinion it seems the best. https://inventry.co.uk/ We've had our lanyards from SafetyNet Solutions for a long time, quality has been great! I've seen that at another school but that feels like overkill for what we want here--we don't need people to tap through a sign-in system and say who they're here for, and have notifications go out to staff that their visitor has arrived and all that jazz. We're happy for (would prefer to still have) Reception staff to do all that stuff still, we just want an easy way to get the photo pass printed, and while we're entering that data to be printed, it may as well get saved somewhere to. Inventry would do everything we needed, but we'd use about 20% of it and end up paying 5x more than we need to for our purposes :/
pete Posted October 2, 2019 Posted October 2, 2019 We use Castlemount for custom lanyards (and ID Badges) and they've been decent over the years. https://www.castlemount.co.uk/id-card-accessories/lanyards/ I've no idea on pricing (finance handle lanyards and ID badge ordering, I just make sure they've specced a card that works with Paxton) beyond finance are happy enough not to have shopped around. 1
LukeRowberry Posted October 2, 2019 Posted October 2, 2019 sign-in app on an ipad with a little label printer 1
Jamman960 Posted October 2, 2019 Posted October 2, 2019 We use Signinapp via a few iPads at main entrances, it still does many of the extra bits but you can choose how much of that you enable anyway. Its £295/site (ex vat) per year Its worked well as we have a few old ipads knocking around anyway, it can link in to the MIS for a little extra to handle late pupils etc although we're not doing that as yet. James 1
DrBeaker Posted October 2, 2019 Posted October 2, 2019 Not a massive fan but Inventry is what we have. * It works * I don't have to get involved with it - Yay! * Any issues are Inventry's problem as they supplied the hardware including computer and printer. * Can email staff to say their visitor has arrived - dependent on the fact that staff member has to be waiting at the computer/device for their email however. I've yet to see this feature being used. * Supports photos, logs etc. All staff have a badge with their name on it, photo, school logo etc and a barcode for scanning in and out of the system. 1
sonofsanta Posted October 2, 2019 Author Posted October 2, 2019 We use SG World here Looks like the only thing they have now is--unsurprisingly--a full-fat overpriced-tablet carded-doorways-everywhere-for-everyone solution. This is becoming a bit of a theme--no-one does the simple thing I need because they're all doing the all-singing-all-dancing solution instead! Starting to look more and more like I'll be coding up a simple thing myself and connecting a label printer at this rate--just a screen laid out like the pass, a button to take the photo, some simple fields for Name/Company/Visiting/Date/Car Reg, and save it all to a database that I can robocopy to a server at the end of the day. Cos looking at pricing on some of these fancy pants systems, that could easily save £1200 a year...
caffrey Posted October 2, 2019 Posted October 2, 2019 I built one in VB, central SQL DB and connects to AD, been solid for over a year - only thing it doesn't do is photos as it wasn't a requirement. It uses computesticks attached to touchscreen monitors and brother label printers
TechMonkey Posted October 2, 2019 Posted October 2, 2019 We use Inventry but wanted Pupil sign in as well so it didn't seem like it wasn't doing too much. You'd be looking at the best part of £4k although I would say the time saving for your staff not to have to input the details would probably even out the cost but that's just my thoughts. I think all the systems we have seen have self entry, even the basic ones that just used an iPad in a stand connected to a printer. If you want to keep it bargain basement why not hook up a webcam to the reception PC and get the staff to insert a capture into a template that they then print to a label printer but at that point I'm not sure what benefit you are getting apart from it isn't a handwritten book. You could jazz it up by making an Access database but then you start making a rod for your own back and the staff are doing more work than when it was just a book on the desk. Alternative systems are Osborne, Visipoint, Vpass and Ofec. Logging functionality so we have a copy of the photo on file against the details for six months or so (whatever is GDPR friendly) just in case Mr Plod would like a copy. Simple database would be fine. Careful, you need to have a valid reason, not just incase the police ask. 1
CamelMan Posted October 2, 2019 Posted October 2, 2019 Another one for https://signinapp.com/ Cheap, does the job expandable if needed. We bought just the software from them and did the rest ourselves. 1
DrBeaker Posted October 2, 2019 Posted October 2, 2019 Looks like the only thing they have now is--unsurprisingly--a full-fat overpriced-tablet carded-doorways-everywhere-for-everyone solution. This is becoming a bit of a theme--no-one does the simple thing I need because they're all doing the all-singing-all-dancing solution instead! Starting to look more and more like I'll be coding up a simple thing myself and connecting a label printer at this rate--just a screen laid out like the pass, a button to take the photo, some simple fields for Name/Company/Visiting/Date/Car Reg, and save it all to a database that I can robocopy to a server at the end of the day. Cos looking at pricing on some of these fancy pants systems, that could easily save £1200 a year... I built one in VB, central SQL DB and connects to AD, been solid for over a year - only thing it doesn't do is photos as it wasn't a requirement. It uses computesticks attached to touchscreen monitors and brother label printers Kudos to all who can do this, but what would happen if you leave or something happens and they need the system updating etc? Your replacement might not have the skills necessary or even want to keep a home-brew system in place?
sonofsanta Posted October 3, 2019 Author Posted October 3, 2019 Another one for https://signinapp.com/ Cheap, does the job expandable if needed. We bought just the software from them and did the rest ourselves. That looks the most promising option so far--I can live with £300 a year, and I really don't want to faff about coding my own! 1
simonw Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 I've been tasked with the same project! Solutions I have looked at: SignInApp Passtab Mediabase Direct Swipedon I'm leaning towards Passtab at the moment, as its £200 p.a. with a £120 set-up fee. Price does change depending on pupil head count. 1
sonofsanta Posted October 3, 2019 Author Posted October 3, 2019 I think all the systems we have seen have self entry, even the basic ones that just used an iPad in a stand connected to a printer. If you want to keep it bargain basement why not hook up a webcam to the reception PC and get the staff to insert a capture into a template that they then print to a label printer but at that point I'm not sure what benefit you are getting apart from it isn't a handwritten book. You could jazz it up by making an Access database but then you start making a rod for your own back and the staff are doing more work than when it was just a book on the desk. Alternative systems are Osborne, Visipoint, Vpass and Ofec. Careful, you need to have a valid reason, not just incase the police ask. Main purpose is safeguarding on site--all visitors will have a different coloured lanyard and have a photo on their pass so you can see it's legitimately them and not a borrowed/stolen pass. It could be done with a webcam + the Win10 camera app and dragging the photo over and typing details into a template... but that's starting to get too involved for busy Reception staff to do multiple times a day. If it were us doing it for the occasional staff badge I'd be happy doing that, but I want to keep it as simple as possible for office staff for all our sakes'. tbh. Fair warning about the police--and cheers for the list of options
PotNoodleTech Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 Been looking at these too but the funny thing is the school wants to have an all singing all dancing system that can sign staff and pupils in and out and link with sims and do fire registers etc and yet they want it for free. Thus we're still using paper. 1
caffrey Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 I'd recommend not doing your own as you always get that one person that wants a change that should've been in the original spec and would be far too much work to add. It's one thing here I regret is admitting that I can do a bit of programming 2
MkII Posted October 14, 2019 Posted October 14, 2019 (edited) We just got Signinapp. Is there a way to automate the sign in when your mobile sees the WiFi SSID, launch the app and sign in. Ditto when you go out of range? Serial non clocker here. Used to be fine using a system that you could record times on afterwards via a web interface. Documentation on this app seems limited at best. Edited October 16, 2019 by MkII
sonofsanta Posted November 1, 2019 Author Posted November 1, 2019 Thank you all for your responses! PO for SignIn App is going in today after an impressive phone call and web demo; it seems very flexible for us and straightforward for end users, and the price is eminently reasonable. And it turns out that the paper sheets we use for visitor passes cost an arm and a bloody leg, so at £295pa we'll actually be saving money every year, and now I wish I'd done it sooner. As for the lanyards, I ran off a simple Visitor design in Illustrator and had them printed by https://www.idcardcentre.co.uk/ who were the cheapest on price, and they've turned out pretty bloomin' nice tbh. The company tweaked the artwork to make sure it only printed once per side (i.e. left/right) rather than ending up cut off in a weird place, which I appreciate, the print quality was bright and the lanyard feels decent, and delivery was as timely as promised. Happy with that, so when the time comes to print staff/student etc. I'll re-use them.
Jamman960 Posted November 1, 2019 Posted November 1, 2019 I’d recommend armourdog mounts if you haven’t already chosen any, we have the desk mounted ones for main office desks and have just put in some wall mounted ones for staff sign in/ out For the wall mounted ones I’ve also been using Poe splitters to provide power where power sockets aren’t convenient - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B073P7J1KR?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
mavhc Posted November 2, 2019 Posted November 2, 2019 I'd recommend not doing your own as you always get that one person that wants a change that should've been in the original spec and would be far too much work to add. It's one thing here I regret is admitting that I can do a bit of programming I just say "Yes, I can add that, when I get 2 weeks with no interruptions" 1
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