Walking into Citypoint the smell of perfume hits you immediately, creating a sense of intrigue and warmth from the building. The scent, which is distributed by small diffusers, creates a feeling of calm like you are entering a luxury shop. This says it all, the visitor experience at Citypoint is paramount.
That’s why in 2014 when the building was being refurbished it was an opportunity to look at the entire visitor experience. Working with Forge, former owner CBRE, now Brookfield Properties, wanted a solution to solve the long queues visitors were experiencing to check-in for appointments at reception. At the time they were using a white book, which took time to log each visitor. The queue would often extend out of the door, causing frustration for those visiting, tenants and Citypoint’s reception and security teams.
Part of the key requirement for the new visitor management system was the ability to integrate QR codes with the new turnstiles to provide a one-time paper card or mobile access for visitors. The solution also needed to work for multiple tenants and be scalable. Forge worked with the then building manager to develop a solution that would deliver these key requirements and more.
“Bluepoint visitor management and smart access solution has processed over 360,000 visitors, and after 5 years we couldn’t be happier with the experience.”
John Thorpe, General Manager, Brookfield Properties
Working alongside security provider Gallagher who installed the existing access control system, Forge implemented Bluepoint, visitor management with smart access. The integration with the access control provided a single solution and one interface for security passes. Most importantly this integration allowed for a seamless journey for visitors into the building.
Citypoint occupiers invite visitors using Bluepoint with their own company-branded emails. When visitors arrive, they simply scan the QR code they received on the email at the turnstiles or check-in with the reception team, who are expecting their arrival and they can go straight to the level where their meeting is being held.
During its 5 years at Citypoint, Bluepoint has managed the safe and secure movement of hundreds of thousands of visitors and saved building management over £60,000 in lost passes.
Working with the Forge account management team, Qaisar Mumtaz, Citypoint’s Front of House Manager and his team continually review the data in Bluepoint to understand unplanned versus planned appointments. This allows the team to continually improve the experience for visitors and occupiers by informing them of peak times and the benefits of using Bluepoint to book planned appointments.
“The team are continually checking in to make sure Bluepoint is working optimally and we are getting the benefit of the data it produces to continually improve the experience for our visitors and occupiers.”
Qaisar Mumtaz, Front of House Reception Manager
More about Citypoint
Built in 1967, Citypoint is a 37-floor landmark tower on Ropemaker Street, in the Square Mile. It is the seventh-largest building in the city of London. Tenants include Simmons and Simmons, Mimecast and Ebiquity. Citypoint has graced the front rooms of many across the UK after being used as the backdrop for numerous TV programmes, including the recently acclaimed Bodyguard series on the BBC.
