Background:

Founded in 1912, Kingsbury, Inc. is a manufacturer of fluid film bearings, including tilting pad thrusts and journal bearings. The company specializes in engineering solutions for rotating machinery used in power generation, oil and gas, marine propulsion, and various industrial applications. Located in Philadelphia, PA, Kingsbury also has locations in Hatboro, PA and Yuba City, CA.

Problem:

Kingsbury previously relied on an outdated method for managing visitors, something that involved having people read and sign a very important document manually, “We would send visitors a JotForm that they would read and sign,” states Calie Zotti, the HR Coordinator at Kingsbury. “Once they arrived onsite, they would get signed in via the receptionist.” This document covered critical safety regulations at the facility, ensuring visitors’ understanding of first-hand safety training, and defined risk levels before arriving for their visit.

However, the process was not only time-consuming but also ineffective, as visitors often did not thoroughly read the document before arriving at Kingsbury.

“This was previously an extremely long document that visitors would ‘read’ and sign prior to their visit,” Calie Zotti, HR Coordinator at Kingsbury explains, “We were finding that our visitors weren’t actually reading the document beforehand, and that it was too long to read when they arrived on site.”

Kingsbury realized they needed a more effective system for visitors to read their safety guidelines, and an efficient process for the front desk to prevent long queues upon arrival.

Search:

To address these challenges, Kingsbury began searching for a solution that could automate its visitor management and safety training process without the need for staff to manage the visitor check-in process, “Kingsbury was looking for a platform that would allow us to control visitor access without having somebody constantly at the door,” Nathan Runge, the Environmental Health and Safety Manager at Kingsbury explains. “We needed alerts to be sent and for vendors to take training tailored to them based on the purpose of their visit.”

Another critical factor for Kingsbury was the ability to host the platform internally. “Our IT team also needed a platform that could be hosted internally to reduce the risk of cybersecurity issues,” Runge explains.

During their search, Kingsbury found Savance by exploring various companies and scheduling demo sessions. Although other companies were considered, Savance stood out because of its ability to meet Kingsbury’s specific needs. “Savance had similar capabilities to the rest, however, not all vendors could have an internally hosted system,” Runge explains. “The decision came down to cybersecurity and whether it could manage the basic requirements we were looking for.”

Runge elaborates that these requirements also included the following:

• Sign-in and sign-out
• Custom training
• Document management workflows
• Use for emergency response

With this criterion in mind, this ultimately helped Kingsbury seal its choice with Savance.

Solution & Implementation:

Kingsbury implemented a Savance Visitor Management system, which included a floor-standing 15-inch check-in kiosk with a printer, camera, and barcode reader. The new visitor check-in process is seamless and efficient. Visitors use the barcode reader to scan their driver’s license/state IDs, which immediately imports required personal information into the Savance Workplace system. After completing the registration process, the system automatically prints a visitor label with the visitor’s name, company, date of entry, point of contact at Kingsbury, and a QR code for quick sign-out.

Visitors also have the option to pre-register by reading and filling out safety registration forms before their visit. Upon arrival, they can scan their generated QR code at a Savance Workplace kiosk, where they will then receive a printed visitor label.

During implementation, Kingsbury made some adjustments to its original vision; however, in the end, the collaboration with Savance led to a solution that met the organization’s needs perfectly. “The only challenge during the implementation was that we had one vision but once the system was starting to be built, we changed that vision slightly,” Zotti explains. “This required a little more work on both sides [Savance and Kingsbury] but ultimately benefited us in the long run.”

The administrative training provided by Savance was also particularly beneficial, ensuring a smooth transition to the system. “I really enjoyed the look and ease of use of the kiosk, the hands-on approach with support from the Savance team, and the admin training, which was extra helpful,” Zotti says.

Results & Benefits:

The implementation of the Savance Workplace solution has yielded significant benefits for Kingsbury. The automated sign-in process and defined risk levels have streamlined the organization’s visitor management operations where communication between visitors and their points of contact has improved, leading to better-defined tasks and increased efficiency.

“The points of contact and their visitors are talking more and the tasks are being defined, which improves efficiency in general.” Zotti reflects. “I personally have more time to work on other tasks and do not have to devote time to checking visitors in. With time, I am positive that we will see more safety guidelines followed by our visitors.”

Kingsbury has also seen extensive cost savings by eliminating the need to have a dedicated employee handle visitor check-ins. “This solution directly impacts our visitor management and security,” Zottie states. “We also save money by not having to have a specific position for checking in visitors.”

Zotti says she would highly recommend Savance to other companies. “I would tell them about the ease of implementation, the expertise of the support technicians and everyone involved, how much it has benefited us, and that there are other opportunities for enhancing our system later down the line.”

She also reflects on her time working with the Savance support team and how much they helped during the implementation process, “I want to give my sentiments to Sam and the whole team that helped us,” Zotti states. “They made this process manageable and not overwhelming. With all of my ideas and going back and forth, Sam kept up, and that stood out to me.”

From Savance’s perspective, we are grateful for the opportunity to work with Kingsbury in helping improve their visitor management processes. “Kingsbury was very curious asking many questions to get the full use of the Savance Software,” states Sam Lynn, the Support & Implementation Lead at Savance. “Their kiosk visitor questionnaire was very in-depth with several ‘Risk Levels’ and Agreement documents.”

Robert Heady, the Sales Representative at Savance added, “It was clear that Kingsbury was committed to enhancing their security and efficiency, and we were thrilled to provide them with a solution that met their needs.”