Contractor Management
Last updated March 2026
How Contractors Check In
Contractors follow a specialised check-in flow that collects additional information beyond what is required for regular visitors. When a contractor arrives at your premises and approaches the kiosk, they select the "Contractor" option from the visitor type selection screen, which triggers the contractor-specific check-in workflow.
The contractor check-in flow begins with standard identification fields: full name and the name of their contracting company. They are then asked to provide additional details specific to contractor management, including their trade or specialisation (e.g., electrician, plumber, IT technician) and the name of their site contact — the person at your organisation who is responsible for overseeing their work.
After providing their details, contractors proceed to the document upload step. This is where they submit required documentation such as insurance certificates, trade licenses, and safety certifications. The kiosk camera can be used to photograph physical documents, or contractors can upload digital files if they have them on their mobile device via a QR code link.
If an induction questionnaire is configured for your location, the contractor must complete it before being granted site access. The questionnaire typically covers site-specific safety rules, emergency procedures, and hazard awareness. Only after passing the questionnaire does the contractor complete their check-in.
The site contact receives a notification with the contractor's details, uploaded documents, and questionnaire results. If an approval workflow is enabled, the contractor must wait for the site contact to approve their entry before they can proceed past reception.
- Select "Contractor" visitor type on the kiosk
- Provide name, company, trade, and site contact
- Upload required documents (insurance, licenses, certifications)
- Complete induction questionnaire (if configured)
- Site contact is notified and can approve entry
Document Upload Requirements
Managing contractor documentation is a critical part of site compliance. Porter allows you to define which documents are required for contractor check-in and validates that all required documents are provided before the contractor can complete their check-in. This ensures no contractor enters your site without proper documentation.
To configure document requirements, navigate to Settings > Contractor Management > Required Documents. Here you can create a list of document types that contractors must upload. Common examples include public liability insurance, professional indemnity insurance, trade-specific licenses (e.g., electrical licence, gas safe certificate), and safety training certifications (e.g., CSCS card, Working at Heights).
Porter accepts documents in PDF, JPG, and PNG formats. The maximum file size per document is 10MB, which is sufficient for high-resolution scans and photographs of certificates. If a contractor needs to upload a multi-page document, they can upload a single PDF containing all pages or upload individual photos of each page.
Each document type can be marked as mandatory or optional. Mandatory documents must be uploaded before the contractor can complete check-in. Optional documents are presented to the contractor but can be skipped. You can also specify whether a document needs to be uploaded every visit or only on the first visit (with Porter storing the document for future check-ins).
Uploaded documents are stored securely in Porter and associated with the contractor's profile. Admins can view, download, and verify all uploaded documents from the contractor's detail page in the dashboard. Documents are retained according to your organisation's data retention policy settings.
- Define required document types in Settings > Contractor Management
- Accepted formats: PDF, JPG, PNG (max 10MB per file)
- Documents can be mandatory or optional per type
- Upload once and store for future visits, or require every visit
- All documents stored securely and accessible from contractor profile
Document Expiry Tracking
Many contractor documents have expiry dates — insurance policies renew annually, certifications expire after a set period, and training records need to be refreshed. Porter's document expiry tracking ensures you are always aware of upcoming expirations and that no contractor works on site with expired documentation.
When a contractor uploads a document, they are prompted to enter the document's expiry date. Admins can also manually set or update expiry dates from the contractor's profile in the dashboard. For documents that do not expire (such as a permanent trade qualification), the expiry date can be left blank.
Porter automatically sends expiry reminder alerts at configurable intervals before a document expires. By default, reminders are sent at 30 days, 14 days, and 7 days before expiry. These reminders go to the contractor (via the email on file), the site contact, and any designated compliance administrators. You can customise the reminder intervals from Settings > Contractor Management > Expiry Alerts.
The contractor dashboard and compliance dashboard both display visual indicators for document status: green for valid and current, amber for expiring within 30 days, and red for expired. If a contractor attempts to check in with an expired mandatory document, they are prompted to upload an updated version before being allowed on site.
- Set expiry dates on uploaded documents
- Automated reminders at 30, 14, and 7 days before expiry
- Reminders sent to contractor, site contact, and compliance admin
- Visual indicators: green (valid), amber (expiring soon), red (expired)
- Contractors with expired documents are blocked from check-in
Compliance Dashboard
The compliance dashboard provides an at-a-glance overview of contractor compliance across your organisation. It aggregates document status, questionnaire results, and approval states for all contractors, making it easy to identify compliance gaps and take corrective action before issues arise.
At the top of the dashboard, summary cards display key metrics: total active contractors, percentage fully compliant, number with expiring documents, and number with expired documents. These metrics update in real time as documents are uploaded, verified, or expire.
The main table lists all contractors with colour-coded compliance status indicators. Green indicates the contractor is fully compliant — all required documents are uploaded, current, and verified. Amber indicates partial compliance, typically meaning one or more documents are expiring within 30 days. Red indicates non-compliance, where documents are missing, expired, or the contractor has failed an induction questionnaire.
Use the filter and sort controls to focus on specific compliance states, locations, trades, or contracting companies. You can filter to show only red-status contractors to prioritise urgent compliance issues, or sort by nearest expiry date to address upcoming renewals proactively. The dashboard also supports search by contractor name or company.
Export the compliance dashboard as a CSV or PDF report for auditing purposes. The exported report includes all contractor details, document statuses, expiry dates, and questionnaire results. This is invaluable for regulatory audits, client compliance requirements, and internal governance reviews.
- Summary metrics: total contractors, compliance percentage, expiring/expired counts
- Green/amber/red status indicators for each contractor
- Filter by compliance state, location, trade, or company
- Sort by nearest expiry date or compliance status
- Export as CSV or PDF for auditing
Induction Questionnaires
Induction questionnaires ensure that contractors understand site-specific rules, safety procedures, and hazard information before they begin work. Porter allows you to create custom questionnaires that contractors must complete as part of their check-in process. This provides documented evidence that safety information has been communicated and acknowledged.
To create a questionnaire, navigate to Settings > Contractor Management > Induction Questionnaires and click "Create Questionnaire". Add questions using various formats: multiple choice, true/false, checkbox selection, or free-text response. For each multiple choice and true/false question, you designate the correct answer which Porter uses for automatic scoring.
Set pass/fail criteria for your questionnaire. You can require a minimum percentage score (e.g., 80% correct) or require all questions to be answered correctly. If a contractor fails the questionnaire, they cannot complete their check-in. You can configure whether failed contractors are allowed to retake the questionnaire immediately or must wait for an admin to review.
Questionnaire results are recorded against the contractor's profile and included in compliance reports. Each attempt is timestamped, showing the score achieved and whether the contractor passed or failed. Admins can review individual responses from the contractor's detail page to understand which questions were answered incorrectly.
You can create different questionnaires for different trades or site areas. For example, electricians might answer questions about electrical safety procedures, while construction workers answer questions about fall protection and scaffolding. Assign questionnaires based on the contractor's selected trade during check-in.
- Create custom questionnaires with multiple question formats
- Set pass/fail criteria (minimum score or all-correct)
- Failed contractors cannot complete check-in
- Results stored and included in compliance reports
- Different questionnaires per trade or site area
Approval Workflow
The approval workflow adds an additional layer of control by requiring admin or site contact approval before a contractor is granted site access. When enabled, a contractor who completes the kiosk check-in process enters a "pending approval" state and must wait at reception until their entry is explicitly approved.
When a contractor completes check-in with the approval workflow enabled, the designated approver receives a notification containing the contractor's details, uploaded documents, and questionnaire results (if applicable). The notification includes "Approve" and "Reject" buttons for immediate action.
Approvers can review contractor details and take action from the notification (email, Slack, or Teams) or from the Porter dashboard. The dashboard shows a dedicated "Pending Approval" queue with all contractors awaiting approval. Each entry can be expanded to review documents and questionnaire responses before making a decision.
If a contractor is approved, the kiosk screen updates to show a confirmation message and the site contact is notified. If rejected, the kiosk displays a message asking the contractor to see reception for assistance. The approver can optionally include a rejection reason, which is recorded in the contractor's visit log.
You can configure the approval workflow at the location level, allowing different sites to have different approval requirements. Some locations might require approval for all contractors, while others only require it for first-time visitors. The approval timeout can also be configured — if no action is taken within the set period, the contractor is either auto-approved or auto-rejected based on your preference.
- Contractors enter "pending approval" state after check-in
- Approvers notified via email, Slack, or Teams
- Approve or reject from notification or dashboard
- Rejection reasons are recorded in the visit log
- Configurable per location with timeout settings