Welcome to Jurassic Park… Please Sign In at the Kiosk

Let’s imagine for a moment that Jurassic Park had a functioning visitor check-in system.

Not just a clipboard at the gate or a bored security guard half-listening to names. We mean a real, digital visitor management solution—like Chexpass. One with accurate logs, instant alerts, sex offender checks, and access control protocols built in.

Would the park have avoided total chaos?
Would Nedry have slipped away with stolen dino DNA?
Would the velociraptors have made it into the control room?

Maybe not. Because in security—especially physical access security—knowing who’s on-site and why they’re there isn’t optional. It’s fundamental.

Chaos Theory and Access Control: A Jurassic Problem

In Jurassic Park, Dr. Ian Malcolm famously warns that “life finds a way.” Unfortunately, so does poor planning.

The lack of clear access protocols, visitor management tools, and check-in procedures wasn’t just a plot device—it’s a textbook example of what can go wrong when facilities don’t have the right systems in place. And while most of us aren’t housing genetically modified predators, the risks of poor visitor control are still real.

In fact, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), preventing unauthorized access is a critical part of workplace safety, especially in high-risk environments like schools, hospitals, and research facilities.

What Jurassic Park Needed (Besides Better Fences)

Here’s what might have gone differently if Jurassic Park had used a modern visitor check-in system like Chexpass:

1. Verified Visitor Identity

Nedry wouldn’t have waltzed through restricted areas. With identity verification like drivers license scanning baked into the check-in flow, every access request would have triggered a digital trail—and suspicious behavior would have been flagged early.

2. Instant Access Rules

Chexpass-style systems allow organizations to select different workflows for different roles. You could select a workflow that includes only drivers license scanning, a drivers license scan plus a sex offender search and monitoring, and so on – all by your own created workflow.

3. Automatic Logs & Time Stamps

Unlike a physical logbook (which can be forgotten, skipped, or faked), digital visitor records are automatic and immutable. This matters in real-life compliance too—especially for HIPAA or FERPA regulated environments.

4. Real-Time Alerts to Security

If someone entered a restricted zone - an integrated system could have pinged security instantly. The only thing that should be lurking in the server room is… servers.

Why This Matters for Your Facility (Even If There Are No Dinosaurs)

From tech startups to dioceses to manufacturing plants, managing who enters your space is about more than professionalism. It’s about protecting people, property, and trust.

When visitor check-ins are handled through paper forms, sticky notes, or memory alone, it leaves room for:

Lost records

Unauthorized access

Delayed response during emergencies

Compliance gaps

In contrast, digital visitor management makes front desks smarter, safer, and more transparent. And most modern systems—even those in industries far less cinematic—are moving in this direction. Just check out Gartner’s access management research or this guide from SHRM on workplace security protocols.

Bonus: The "What Could Go Wrong" Quiz

Want to test how your facility might perform under Jurassic-level pressure? Try this:

Can you pull a full visitor log from last Tuesday, down to timestamps?

Do you know who was on-site during your last fire drill or lockdown?

Are visitors required to provide ID, purpose, and contact details?

Would your system catch if a banned person tried to check in?

If the answer is “maybe” or “I’d have to dig,” it might be time to upgrade.

Conclusion: Don’t Wait for a Dinosaur-Sized Disaster

A modern visitor check-in system isn’t just a tech upgrade—it’s an essential layer of access control that protects your team, your space, and your reputation.

Because while Jurassic Park made for great cinema, it was a terrible operations plan.

And honestly? That raptor-in-the-kitchen scene might’ve gone very differently… if they had just signed in at the kiosk.