How to replace a paper visitor logbook

Published 29 September 2026 · Avantix Innovation

Why paper logbooks fall short

• No live list. A logbook records who came in, but not who is still inside. People forget to sign out.
• Hard to read and search. Handwriting, missing fields and full books make it slow to answer "was this person here last month?".
• Everyone can see it. Each visitor can read the names, IC numbers and phone numbers of the people above them. Malaysia's Personal Data Protection Act 2010 applies to how that information is handled.
• No checks. A book can't tell the guard that a person is banned or that a contractor's induction has expired.

Step by step

1. List what you must record. Name, IC/passport, phone, company, host or unit, purpose, time in and out, and for contractors the work type and permit number.
2. Set up your structure. Hosts (staff or residents), departments, zones such as production halls or blocks, and visitor types.
3. Write the induction or house rules. Keep it short, with a video or PDF, and decide how long a signature stays valid.
4. Prepare the gate. A tablet or PC with a browser is usually enough. A badge printer is optional if visitors can show the QR pass on their phone.
5. Share the registration links. Put a QR poster at the gate, and give hosts or residents their own link to send before a visit.
6. Train the guards. Show them the scan screen, what green, red and amber mean, and how to register a walk-in.
7. Run both for a short period. Keep the book as a backup for the first week or two, then retire it once the digital list matches reality.
8. Review the reports. Check overstays, refused entries and busy hours after the first month and adjust the setup.

Checklist

• Who approves visits: the host, the resident or the management office?
• What happens when the internet or the gate device is down?
• Who can see visitor records, and for how long are they kept?
• Where is the blocklist kept, and who can change it?

Written by the SitePass team at Avantix Innovation Sdn. Bhd., Penang. SitePass is our product, so we mention it where it fits; the advice applies whatever system you use.