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June 2017 — Office Properties Quarterly — Page 29
Management
T he way we think about the
parking experience, particu-
larly for our customers, ten-
ants and property owners, is
changing. This is a result of a
flood of new technologies that can
be used to manage the parking sys-
tem. Specifically, these new tech-
nologies are transforming the way
our tenants and customers find,
access and pay for parking. Office
real estate professionals, property
managers, owners and operators
can leverage technology capable of
managing a parking system to its
full potential. The technology sys-
tems are commonly referred to as
car park management systems.
• Parking guidance systems. One
technology quickly taking hold in
the industry – and rightfully so – is
parking guidance systems. This
technology no longer requires a
parker to drive up and down every
aisle looking for the last open space.
Today, wired and wireless sensors
can monitor usage of individual
parking spaces throughout the facil-
ity to determine where open park-
ing is available. That information is
then wirelessly communicated and
displayed via LED signage at key
locations prior to entering the facil-
ity, and then once again inside the
facility, typically at the end of indi-
vidual parking lanes. These signs
direct parkers to the open spaces.
A red/green light is used over each
parking stall to easily indicate
whether each space is full or open.
Mobile applications are being
integrated with these systems to
provide real-time parking avail-
ability information in advance of
drivers arriving
at their destina-
tion. Imagine leav-
ing for an event
downtown and
knowing which
parking facilities
have available
parking, as well as
the parking rate
you can expect to
pay. This provides
a much more con-
venient experi-
ence for customers
using your facil-
ity and provides owners with an
opportunity to reach out directly to
prospective customers before they
arrive.
• Parking access and payment
strategies. Today, property managers
can utilize a variety of technologi-
cal tools that permit them to oper-
ate more efficiently, effectively and
profitably, while providing better
service to parkers. One area of park-
ing that has particularly benefited
from technological innovation is
access and revenue control. Integra-
tion of mobile payment platforms
have been added into parking
access and revenue control systems
over the last few years. With other
technology, parking operators can
send customers a QR code, which
can be use to enter and exit the
parking system in advance of their
arrival. Another technology option
is to have the ability to pay for
parking with a version of a mobile
wallet. These capabilities signifi-
cantly reduce cash handling, staff-
ing and supply costs.
Selecting the Appropriate Technology
The many parking technologies
on the market vary vastly in their
intent, functionality, style, cost and
purpose. The technology is evolv-
ing at a rapid pace – and that can
be overwhelming, especially if your
parking system needs an upgrade.
Not to mention that parking is only
one piece of a busy real estate pro-
fessional’s day-to-day responsibility.
Upgrading parking technology is
best broken down into three steps:
• Identify the technology strategy.
The most important step in the pro-
cess is identifying the technology
strategy that’s appropriate for your
parking operation. Because there
are so many technologies related to
parking on the market, this can be
a daunting task. Before a technol-
ogy is selected, the property man-
ager, owner or operator needs to
understand what problem needs to
be solved and identify what oppor-
tunities can result from deploying
a new parking technology. After
defining the problems and opportu-
nities, you can search the available
technologies to determine which
will best fit your needs.
• Design the system. Not all tech-
nologies are plug and play and
made to fit your operation out of
the box. You must determine and
identify the specific interfaces
with other key systems, such as
employee identification, validation
programs and the various nuances
of your operation. These elements
must be incorporated into the
design of the system, in advance of
the system being procured. These
requirements should be clearly
defined so potential vendors can
price the integration with the over-
all technology cost.
• Procurement and installation. In
many cases, there are multiple
manufacturers and vendors who
can provide the solution. It’s best
to identify who they are and allow
them to quote the project. A clearly
defined scope and pricing sheet
will allow you to review the quotes
on an “apples-to-apples” basis. A
technology upgrade also should
Andrew J. Vidor
Parking consultant,
Walker Parking
Consultants,
Greenwood Village
Walker Parking Consultants
Wired and wireless sensors can monitor
use of individual parking spaces through-
out the facility to determine where open
parking is available. That information is
then wirelessly communicated and dis-
played via LED signage at key locations.
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