Visitor/Student/Staff sign in systems - Inventry or SignIn or EntrySign?

[MSGT]

We currently have an outdated biometrix system for 6th form and one inventry log in stand for late/early leaving students and visitors (but not used their card/chip scanner yet). I've been tasked with looking into a better/fuller system to use alongside SIMS - one that can do all visitors/students/staff, fire evac, room bookings, club registers and events too (if possible). I have looked online and found SignIn App and ESS EntrySign and contacted Inventry for an updated system quote but am not sure of the pro/cons of each one. Does anyone have any advice or things to avoid? Or any systems that I havent seen as yet...!?

[mthomas08]

We use SignIn for visitors, this has been expanded for staff and students to use when leaving the site.

 

We don't use the room booking systems etc, all that is within Outlook. I can't complain at SignIn, it is low cost and simply works. Pulls groups out of M365 and uses email notifications well enough.

[Danp]

Use signin on one site, works really well for staff and visitors.

[OLdMan99]

Just the best

https://signinapp.com/

[Accura2k7]

Thumbs up for Signinapp, was more versatile than the other 2 market leaders and far more cost effective!

[PotNoodleTech]

Inherited Entrysign which works but I'd be looking at signinapp next time as it sounds better.

[kidpressingbuttons]

Sign in app all the way. Thankfully Inventry is a distant memory now

[Bumhug360]

Use Inventry here, cant really comment on the others but would recommend a physical guest book over Inventry

[TRSJon]

Use Inventry here, cant really comment on the others but would recommend a physical guest book over Inventry

 

I concur, i'd go as far as prefer a chisel and tablet (stone type!).

[TheHyperTechie]

Only one option in my opinion - Sign in App

 

Easy to setup, support is helpful, lots of available add-ons, and it just... works!

[synaesthesia]

Another for SignInApp. Just works - cheap, easy, support is fantastic both pre and post sales (only used for random questions I had rather than any problems).

Moved from Inventry, which was like pulling teeth.

[aydee]

Anyone using SignInApp with Arbor?

If so how is the writeback intefration? it seems like it works differently to the other MIS's so am worried about proposing it tbh.

[Oaktech]

Look carefully at InVentry's feature list and unless you are going to be using all of it, steer clear.

 

We're moving to SigninApp for 2 of my 3 schools. One is retaining it because of it's Paxton integration.

[mikeyw]

Signinapp very flexible and easy to use

[gbtb]

Anyone using SignInApp with Arbor?

If so how is the writeback intefration? it seems like it works differently to the other MIS's so am worried about proposing it tbh.

 

We use SignInApp with Arbor, there are a few limitations but nothing which we cant work around. It will write back attendance to the first period of the day rather than the AM Roll Call mark. For PM it writes back to the first session in the afternoon. For us this isn't an issue as P1 is used for AM and P4 is used for PM marks in our setup.

[nwkeene]

another thumbs up for signinapp...! We use it across our 3 sites and at 3 primaries, all on the one instance. Office staff can be setup as portal users to do the monitoring and produce the fire alarm list if necessary. Very configurable, just buy the labels for the printer in bulk...

[jlyle29]

Thanks for all the feedback. So is anyone awares of a system that can write back student attendance for specific periods rather than the statutary am and pm sessions only? We have a system that does the am/pm thing already but our attendance officer says that this is useless and is still maintaining paper sign out books as a result Just interested in what others are doing (sounds like Sign in app).

[Scan099]

We ditched Inventry due to the support being awful. We now use entrysign as that can integrate with the Paxton net 2 door system we have. Signin app doesn't have Paxton net 2 integration.

[MSGT]

On 3/5/2025 at 1:17 PM, Scan099 said:

We ditched Inventry due to the support being awful. We now use entrysign as that can integrate with the Paxton net 2 door system we have. Signin app doesn't have Paxton net 2 integration.

Hi Scan - we are leaning towards EntrySign also - they seem very knowledgeable and helpful too. How have you found it? In particular the paxton integration?

[MSGT]

On 3/5/2025 at 1:11 PM, jlyle29 said:

Thanks for all the feedback. So is anyone awares of a system that can write back student attendance for specific periods rather than the statutary am and pm sessions only? We have a system that does the am/pm thing already but our attendance officer says that this is useless and is still maintaining paper sign out books as a result Just interested in what others are doing (sounds like Sign in app).

My understanding is that entrysign can do this in a way - it can mark pupils as present for the whole day unless they sign out or are marked absent, but otherwise no, it would be AM/PM reg only on all of them, so that it is DfE compliant. 

[Scan099]

The paxton intergration has been fine, we had an issue with SIMS not syncing data but that was a SIMS issue. Everytime you phone entrysign they look at the issue there and then, can't fault them to be honest.

[MSGT]

5 minutes ago, Scan099 said:

The paxton intergration has been fine, we had an issue with SIMS not syncing data but that was a SIMS issue. Everytime you phone entrysign they look at the issue there and then, can't fault them to be honest.

Have to say the help from EntrySign so far (compare to chasing chasing chasing InVentry for ANYTHING) has been refreshing to say the least. 

[Patrick]

Have Inventry moved their call centre abroad? Feels like it's been moved abroad and people reading from scripts that don't actually know the product or school environments. 

Edited March 28, 2025 by Patrick

[MSGT]

3 minutes ago, Patrick said:

Have Inventry moved their call centre abroad? Feels like it's been moved abroad and people reading from scripts that don't actually know the product or school environments. 

Not sure but the people i have been dealing with take days/weeks to come back to any email queries - its not ideal. 

[PotNoodleTech]

Entrysign here, it's not perfect but the support is very good the few times I've used it I've had an engineer ringing or emailing me to get remote access same day and usually solved same day too.

 

Cant argue with that!