Excellerate Check-In System: Three ways to use – which to choose?

Excellerate Check-In has multiple options for Check-In entry.  Whether you are using it as a Child Check-In or Volunteer Check-In system, some methods may be more streamlined than others. For more information, watch our quick tour video of our church Check-In software.

The Check-In’s default mode is a simple manual entry method.  You have a desktop or notebook computer running the program with a mouse and keyboard connected as the inputs.  To search, you simply type with the keyboard like any other program.  As long as you have a keyboard and mouse, this option will always work no matter what other check-in method you want to use.

The Express mode of the Check-In system uses a barcode scanner which can assign and scan barcoded key-tags.  The option is definitely the fastest.  You can have a child or volunteer checked-in after a matter of seconds.  You simply scan the key-tag and the individual is checked-n and the corresponding labels will automatically be printed off, if necessary.  It’s a great hands-free solution as well.  This Check-In method is best when you are trying to check-in a high volume of people in a limited time.  It also cuts down on the search time since multiple children or families can all be assigned to the same key-tag if desired.  When the key-tag is scanned the list of names on that tag appears on the screen, and you only select the ones you want to check-in.

The Touch-screen mode is a great Check-In setup for members who are familiar with the system.  Anyone can use it, but having a touch-screen station set up in a corner enables frequent users to get checked-in without any help from an attendant.  It’s important to note that you can still use the touch-screen with a barcode scanner as well.  None of these options are either/or, but all can be used together for your particular situation.  The touch-screen method is best when trying to provide a clutter-free environment or set aside as a stand-alone kiosk.

The Attendant mode is setup for a volunteer to assist in the Check-In process. Again you can still use a touch-screen or barcode scanner for this option, but in most cases the Attendant would be using the manual entry settings.  In most cases there will always be people who have never used a Check-In system before, so it’s important to have a volunteer available to walk them through the process or simply be the one checking-in everyone. If there is a barcode scanner, Attendants can also assign key-tags to any first time Check-In users.

Depending on the size of your church and the amount of children or volunteers needing to check-in, you may want to consider having multiple check-in stations.  As a guideline, we recommend having one Check-In station for every 50-70 children or volunteers that need to check-in per service.  Each entry mode has its own set of benefits, but whatever the need, Excellerate Check-In gives you the option to decide which is best for your church.