PARKING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
A parking management system refers to the innovative technologies providing solutions in the parking industry. The core idea behind any parking management system is self-explanatory:
It’s a system that helps people, companies, and organizations to manage their parking spaces.
Managing car parks isn’t an easy task for companies and organizations because there are lots of moving parts including traffic and the availability of spaces.
It is a time-consuming task, requires human labor, and is inefficient. Using a parking management system can help reduce a business’s administrative overhead on parking and reduce the impact of their parking space on their local community.
Types of Car Park Management
Manual
This is the most basic type of car park management system. It is the traditional “security” who keeps an eye on who goes in and comes out. You find these operations in low-tech environments. For reasons best known to the park’s management, they are looking to keep a cash operation.
A staff member accepts payment from motorists as they enter and exit the garage. The individual also issues a manual piece of paper to check entry and exit. This role will also supervise the car park to make sure no one is staying longer than they should be. They’ll keep a track of all this in a big ledger or on a computer.
This is a very resource-intensive system with a large margin for error and corruption. The manual record keeping process may lack documentation and allow for corrupt staff members to keep part of the proceeds for themselves.
Hardware Focused
Pay-to-use car parks are generally run by car park operators. Operators prefer managing their parks using hardware to control payment and access to their parking spaces.
Motorists only gain entry into the park via large barriers. An issued ticket is the only proof needed to enter the parking lot. Before departure, drivers need to pay at a pay station for the length of their stay.
A local staff member will often be stationed at the park in case of any difficulties. The hardware has a backend that reports on occupancy and revenue generation.
Software Focused
Consumers are looking for smoother parking experiences while park managers are looking to reduce upfront capital cost on parking equipment. Software-focused parking management solutions offer these functionalities and more.
Companies like iPark PMS are driving this digital revolution. Online payments and self-service booking make it easier to book a space at car parks that are fitted with such systems. These are some of the features offered by digital parking solutions:
Drivers pay using their smartphones, credit cards, and direct debits.Overstay and illegal parking can be monitored by the software and reported via an app.Entry & exit to the park lots can be linked directly to smartphones or license plates.Real-time reporting park occupancy gives users access to insights instantly.Car parks are slowly migrating from hardware focus to a digital focus. parking management systems, a mix of both hardware and digital models are in common use.
Types of Car Park Management
Multi-tenant parking management enabling each tenant or organization to maintain a separate parking configuration including limitation of allowed vehicles or limitation to specific parking area
Variety of vehicle credentials to control parking entry per user/vehicle, managing and limiting entrance based on number of entries
Full control over access areas including schedulers, time zones and vehicle identification including car make, model type, color and driver photo
Sophisticated reports including automatic and customized features
Additional layer of access control security with dual authentication of vehicle and driver
Comprehensive control room operation, automation programming and scheduled parking operation
Emergency features including automatic gate opening in the event of fire
Parking Management Features
A parking management system can have several components based on use cases and application. There are four vital components that define a parking management system:
1. Payment Method
The preferred mode of payment for a car parking management system must be determined by the users due to the number of payment automation and technologies available. The chosen payment method is dependent on the use case.
For example, staff parking will be levied differently from commercial parking. Staff park payments are better processed digitally for ease of access while commercial parks can either be processed digitally or manually for reconciliation purposes. The payments required in a staff car park may be based on violations and imposed levies, while those in commercial cases will be required for all users.
2. Parking Enforcement Options
Enforcement is a necessary tool for managing and maintaining a car parking area. Used with the park operator’s chosen payment system, enforcement options allow drivers to access allocated spaces easily. Enforcement improves the flow of traffic and potentially increases the use of alternative means of transport for staff members who can’t get available parking spots.
Parking enforcement includes ticket issuance, lot numbering for easy navigation, and notification of current parking availability to users. The impact of a company’s parking traffic on the local community can therefore be greatly reduced and the safety of pedestrians within the community ensured.
For example, staff parking will be levied differently from commercial parking. Staff park payments are better processed digitally for ease of access while commercial parks can either be processed digitally or manually for reconciliation purposes. The payments required in a staff car park may be based on violations and imposed levies, while those in commercial cases will be required for all users.
3. Access Controls
Access controls are otherwise known as car park entry systems. They are important for ensuring the efficient use of parking software. They essentially permit the entry of drivers who have a confirmed booking, while those who don’t have booking confirmations are denied entry. The rate of users being turned back at the entrance can be reduced with the aid of notifications and booking confirmations.
For example, staff parking will be levied differently from commercial parking. Staff park payments are better processed digitally for ease of access while commercial parks can either be processed digitally or manually for reconciliation purposes. The payments required in a staff car park may be based on violations and imposed levies, while those in commercial cases will be required for all users.
4. Reporting
Reporting is one of the most important features of car parking software. It allows car park operators and companies to track their facilities, vehicle entry, and real-time reporting of the availability of parking spots. This helps companies manage their parks in a central digital hub offered with parking software.
Parking enforcement includes ticket issuance, lot numbering for easy navigation, and notification of current parking availability to users. The impact of a company’s parking traffic on the local community can therefore be greatly reduced and the safety of pedestrians within the community ensured.
For example, staff parking will be levied differently from commercial parking. Staff park payments are better processed digitally for ease of access while commercial parks can either be processed digitally or manually for reconciliation purposes. The payments required in a staff car park may be based on violations and imposed levies, while those in commercial cases will be required for all users.
Parking Management Features
A parking management system can have several components based on use cases and application. There are four vital components that define a parking management system:
1. Payment Method
The preferred mode of payment for a car parking management system must be determined by the users due to the number of payment automation and technologies available. The chosen payment method is dependent on the use case.
For example, staff parking will be levied differently from commercial parking. Staff park payments are better processed digitally for ease of access while commercial parks can either be processed digitally or manually for reconciliation purposes. The payments required in a staff car park may be based on violations and imposed levies, while those in commercial cases will be required for all users.
2. Parking Enforcement Options
Enforcement is a necessary tool for managing and maintaining a car parking area. Used with the park operator’s chosen payment system, enforcement options allow drivers to access allocated spaces easily. Enforcement improves the flow of traffic and potentially increases the use of alternative means of transport for staff members who can’t get available parking spots.
Parking enforcement includes ticket issuance, lot numbering for easy navigation, and notification of current parking availability to users. The impact of a company’s parking traffic on the local community can therefore be greatly reduced and the safety of pedestrians within the community ensured.
For example, staff parking will be levied differently from commercial parking. Staff park payments are better processed digitally for ease of access while commercial parks can either be processed digitally or manually for reconciliation purposes. The payments required in a staff car park may be based on violations and imposed levies, while those in commercial cases will be required for all users.
3. Access Controls
Access controls are otherwise known as car park entry systems. They are important for ensuring the efficient use of parking software. They essentially permit the entry of drivers who have a confirmed booking, while those who don’t have booking confirmations are denied entry. The rate of users being turned back at the entrance can be reduced with the aid of notifications and booking confirmations.
For example, staff parking will be levied differently from commercial parking. Staff park payments are better processed digitally for ease of access while commercial parks can either be processed digitally or manually for reconciliation purposes. The payments required in a staff car park may be based on violations and imposed levies, while those in commercial cases will be required for all users.
4. Reporting
Reporting is one of the most important features of car parking software. It allows car park operators and companies to track their facilities, vehicle entry, and real-time reporting of the availability of parking spots. This helps companies manage their parks in a central digital hub offered with parking software.
Parking enforcement includes ticket issuance, lot numbering for easy navigation, and notification of current parking availability to users. The impact of a company’s parking traffic on the local community can therefore be greatly reduced and the safety of pedestrians within the community ensured.
For example, staff parking will be levied differently from commercial parking. Staff park payments are better processed digitally for ease of access while commercial parks can either be processed digitally or manually for reconciliation purposes. The payments required in a staff car park may be based on violations and imposed levies, while those in commercial cases will be required for all users.
Parking Management Solution workflow
Office Centric
Office parking processes were dysfunctional and companies adapted parking management systems from big hardware suppliers to solve their problems and manage their car spots. However, these were not fit for purpose and have led to large parking problems including security concerns, obstructive parking, and unallocated spots in many companies.
Currently, office-centric parking solutions otherwise known as employee parking software are the fastest-growing segment of parking management software.
Companies can increase the capacity of parking lots, without increasing the number of spaces they have. Administrative overheads and capital outlay also decrease as offices move towards full automation.
Residential
The parking experience at many residential and multi-family complexes has been dysfunctional for a long time. Who owns what space? Where can guests park? How can visitors get through the barrier? For a long time it has been an area which generally delivered a sub-standard experience.
Luckily for property managers & owners residential parking management systems are growing in popularity. For good reason too, they can make all residential parking problems disappear in a few clicks of a button.
Automating guest parking bookings, payments, managing space allocation and digitizing entry & exit are just some of the popular benefits of solutions in this space.
Key features of Parking Management System
- 1. Increase Availability
- 2. Improve Sustainability
- 3. Revenue Generation
- 4. Optimize Allocation
- 5. Maximize Automation
- 6. Tracking Occupancy
- 7. Manage flexible workers
