There is a lot riding on the parking industry as it helps mitigate parking problems and ease the traffic congestion the world over. Things can quickly get chaotic without a proper and efficient parking management system and people have begun to recognize the importance of good parking systems now, more than ever. The demand for parking spaces is always increasing due to the constant increase in the number of vehicles.
It is not possible to curb the increase in the number of vehicles; however, with a proficient parking management system, they can be monitored and managed efficiently. Parking management systems are also evolving just like any other business or industry. In addition, the integration of technology and parking management software in the parking management business is a revolutionary step.
The expectations of the people with regard to the parking industry are increasing due to the growth and innovative additions in the parking management business. Expectations are good for any business as they help the businesses to grow and reinvent themselves. However, the problem with expectations is that they tend to get unreasonable, impractical, and completely off-tracked from reality. The parking industry also faces similar unrealistic and idealistic expectations. So, what are the expectations that are contrary to reality?
- Convenient Parking Space: convenience is of utmost importance to everybody and unsurprisingly it is expected from the parking industry as well.
Expectation – people look to find a convenient parking space no matter where and when. Convenient parking spaces are usually the spots that are closer to the elevator, reduce the walking distance to and from the vehicle, have enough space around the vehicle, etc.
Reality – parking spaces are subject to several aspects such as availability, peak time, the landmass of the parking facility, etc. Finding an available parking spot itself is difficult, let alone a convenient one.
- Free Parking: freebies and free services have always had a massive response and high expectation rate from people.
Expectation – in most cases parking facilities are part of a revenue-generating setup such as shopping malls, corporate buildings, supermarkets, restaurants, etc. Therefore, people expect a free parking facility since they are investing in the business.
Reality – parking management facilities are difficult to manage and they use several technological aided equipment, automation solutions, parking management software, which are quite expensive. Therefore, a parking fee has to be levied in order to maintain, manage, and provide better parking solutions.
- Minimal Resources: if you were told that parking facilities do not require a lot of resources except for the land, you were misinformed.
Expectation – those who would like to get into the business of managing a parking facility expect to do so with minimal resources. This is mainly because of the wrong understanding of the parking industry at large.
Reality – the world is moving toward smart solutions and so is the parking industry. There are more technologically aided equipment and IT-enabled services and solutions that are necessary for a parking management business than one might think. Software for parking management, parking guidance systems, automated parking systems, hydroelectric vertical lifts, automated barriers, and billing dispensers are just a few of the resources you need.
- Large Landmass: the image of a parking lot that is conceived by the people is quintessentially large.
Expectation – the general idea of a parking lot is expectedly enormous. Business owners expect to acquire hectares of land to build and manage a sizable parking lot that can generate adequate revenue. This is because of the conventional parking model of vehicles being parked across the landmass.
Reality – parking management businesses have evolved to provide more parking space in less landmass. The innovations and smart parking systems have now enabled parking facilities to be built in the form of multi-story buildings and use multi-level stackers. These innovations allow more than 2 or 3 cars to be parked in a single car park space. Less is more!
- Copious Manpower: the common notion is business ownership and management is that the larger the business the more manpower it needs.
Expectation – parking management businesses and entrepreneurs expect to have copious manpower to manage the business in all its vastness. Imagine managing 100 cars at a time! One would expect to have the manpower that is at least 30% the size of the business.
Reality – industries and businesses across all industries are being automatized. The parking management business is also on the path to automation and adopting agile methodologies. The previously mentioned technologically aided equipment and IT-enabled services including the software for parking management reduce manpower as they are all an effort to automate the parking industry. In the current scenario, neither the parking management business nor the facility requires any manpower.
The integration of smart and agile methodologies in the parking industry is probably the best thing that has happened to parking management businesses in a long time. While all the other industries realized the necessity of technology sooner, technology was deemed to be an unnecessary luxury for the parking industry. However, tables have turned now and the parking industry is witnessing some of the best technological advancement even to the extent of providing fully automated parking facilities with robotic valets.
Therefore, both the users and the parking management business owners must make every effort to bridge the gap between parking expectations and reality. This will not only help parking management businesses to grow but to provide better parking solutions to the users and help the users capitalize on the advanced services of parking management businesses.
