“Parking is, like, one of my biggest nightmares–like, where do we park everyone?” – Elon Musk
These lines from Elon Musk ring true for offices that welcome back their employees after two years.
So, where do companies start from?
As companies anticipate employees to use their vehicles for commuting (due to the pandemic), they’re focusing on efficiently managing their parking procedures.
Smart and efficient parking procedures are one of the fastest-growing technologies worldwide.
Malls, parking lots, city garages, shopping centers, and offices are a few places adapting to smart parking solutions.
Even multinational companies are realizing the benefits of car parking procedures and widely accepting parking management software.
But, what is car park management software?
The idea behind a parking management system is simple. It allows people and companies to organize their parking spaces efficiently. It combines an array of software and equipment such as automatic gates, cameras, parking meters, and sensors. Such software ensures seamless traffic flow and improves the security of cars parked.
The management software automates the car parking, optimizes parking spaces, and ensures efficiency in the entire process. It also provides car parking information, such as reserved parking, vehicle count, available slot display, easy payments, and pay-and-park options.
Now, let’s explore some roles of car parking procedures.
The Essential Role of Car Parking Procedures in 2022
Here are a few reasons why a car parking procedure is essential in 2022:
1. Optimizes the space
The entire parking business is lucrative because parking space is a limited asset. For running a profitable business, a shopping complex or university needs to ensure optimum utilization of every inch of space.
A parking procedure and software provide a 360-degree overview of the parking facility that enables a facility manager to direct car owners and motorists to an available space. This enhances the efficiency of the parking process because it saves the motorist and facility manager’s time.
Essential parking software helps a manager optimize unused and undiscovered parking space.
2. Enhances parking experience
An optimized parking space translates into a revolutionary user experience. As these procedures and software help a user find parking spots, it helps in saving time, money, and fuel.
Most of these systems offer a ticketless experience. Also, implementing car parking software ensures that users don’t have to wait in long queues to park their cars. Also, these intuitive tools consider various factors, such as the weight and size of the vehicle, before allotting a parking space.
With the parking management market likely to reach $6 billion by 2027, parking software is a win-win situation for facilities and users.
3. Works as a solution for traffic woes
Mall and shopping complexes widely use smart parking technology that uses street lights, smart navigation systems, sensors, and online payment platforms to communicate information to the parking users and operators.
These sensors collect real-time data that you can turn into actionable insights.
This helps a driver use the least congested route, get an overview of the parking lot options and make instant payments. Also, when a user efficiently finds a parking space, it lowers their risk of distracted driving.
Also, vehicles circling the city looking for spaces cause traffic congestion. When a facility provides an optimal parking solution, it lowers the carbon footprints and vehicle emissions.
Rather than scanning the empty spaces while driving, users and drivers can access availability through red and green lights. Additionally, the software can reduce the city’s traffic, air pollution, and driving time.
4. Enhances the safety of parked vehicles
As a car parking management software provides an access control feature, it ensures that only authorized personnel and drivers can move the car in and out of the parking lot.
When a parking facility uses car park management software, drivers are sure that there is no unauthorized entry or exit of vehicles. This reduces the risk of stolen, damaged, and vandalized cars.
This software can even incorporate advanced security features to provide 360-degree safety to every vehicle entering a car parking facility.
What to look for in car parking management software?
Buying a car parking software that suits your business requirement is essential for providing a seamless customer experience. Here are a few things to consider when purchasing such software:
1. Parking enforcement options
Parking enforcement is an essential aspect of this software because it helps maintain the car parking area.
Parking enforcement works as a regulator of vehicles in and out of your area. It allows drivers to choose the allocated spaces easily without circling them. This reduces congestion and improves traffic flow, providing a quicker and easier parking journey for drivers.
Interestingly, when drivers or employees don’t find a place to park their cars, they focus on sustainable transportation types, such as public transport and cycles.
2. User-friendliness
Another factor to consider is the convenience of using your parking management software. Focus on using software that provides a visual sign to make it easy for users to locate empty spaces and easily get their vehicles in and out of the car parking facility.
A user-friendly system enhances user experience and ensures they don’t have to wait in long queues.
3. Access control
Another essential feature of management software is the parking access control (PAC). These controls work as the car park entry system.
Software with access control features provides entry to drivers who have a confirmed booking and denies entry to those without a booking. These access control systems balance security and provide convenience at your facility by simplifying the entry and exit of the users.
4. Reporting
Real-time reporting is another important aspect of these parking management software. You can interpret and analyze the data to provide suggestions for improving traffic flow, and space optimization. This reporting feature helps in calculating the parking system’s ROI.
These systems provide real-time reporting of the availability of parking spots. So, you have more access and control over your parking areas.
What is the need for a parking management system?
Without technology, managing and coordinating the parking area becomes an uphill battle. A dedicated software eliminates human intervention while guaranteeing accuracy, success, and quick turnover. Here is why parking management software is a blessing in disguise:
1. Ease of use
Most systems are straightforward to use and usually take less than 10-15 minutes for employees to learn. A user-friendly software keeps the training cost minimal.
As parking management software controls and manages the inflow and outflow of cars, they save time and cost. This eventually reflects a positive net profit margin. Additionally, most systems require little or no maintenance apart from upgrading the old system.
Even if a complication develops, they’re relatively easy to solve.
2. Good investment option
Modern parking management software uses artificial intelligence to provide efficient car parking management. They have the latest technology incorporated at every stage. This not only makes the software cost-efficient but ensures improved functionality.
It makes such software a sound investment for businesses looking to streamline their parking facilities.
Also, these parking systems are an excellent investment option because they’re customizable and can suit both usage requirements and purposes. For example, the parking requirement of residential parking spaces differs from the need for commercial parking spaces.
3. Manage visitors smartly
A parking management system allows a buffer or redundant parking slot for emergency or contingent situations, such as managing an unprecedented rush.
As this system uses smarter technology, they can conduct agile analysis to know about the chances of overcrowding the parking facility.
How do innovative parking systems help in building a smarter city?
An intelligent parking system provides real-time data and low-cost sensors that help visitors search for spaces.
The ultimate aim and destination of a parking system is automating and reducing the time spent searching for optimal parking space, floor, and parking lots.
As users are always fascinated with technology usage, implementing an intelligent parking system strengthens brand awareness and helps to build a smarter city.
Also, with technology advancing every day, companies are using AI-enabled parking management systems that provide a seamless experience to users.
Key takeaways
Without a doubt, parking affects individuals and businesses alike. So, it goes without saying that parking management and city or national development are intertwined.
Effectively managing their parking spaces, companies, and shopping complexes helps streamline traffic congestion. It also reduces carbon footprints, lowers pollution, and creates an environment-friendly atmosphere.
So, focus on implementing software that reduces overall cost, increases revenue, and saves time customers spend parking their vehicles.
Which parking management software are you using? How is it helping you improve customer and employee experience with parking?
Author’s bio
Priya Jain is a professional copywriter with 8 years of experience. She has an MBA and engineering degree. When she is not writing, you will find her teaching math, spending her day running behind her toddler, and trying new recipes. You can follow her on LinkedIn.
Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.