Modern Parking Design: How to Streamline Parking Operations with Cost-Effective Technology

By: Eddie Westerfield

The rapid advancement of technology has sparked transformation in many industries across the globe, especially as consumers shift their preferences to quick, self-service options like online shopping, app-based customer service, and more.

The transportation industry, and the parking industry in specific, has seen speedy digital transformation as ticketless valet and mobile self-service experiences replace meters and other traditional parking processes.

To meet customers’ expectations and keep up with demand, parking operators are embracing modern parking design, implementing solutions that use technology to deliver top-tier parking experiences without inflating business costs— even as their operations scale.

What Is Modern Parking Design?

At its core, a modern parking design is built to meet drivers’ and parking employees’ evolving needs and expectations through the power of technology. These designs leverage innovative tools and systems to deliver seamless parking experiences for drivers and painless workflows for employees.

Modern parking solutions should consider the parking journey for both operators and drivers. They include features that solve a problem or make something easier, often stretching the bounds of the traditional parking experience to include add-on features for specific industries, like:

• Package tracking in residential complexes
• Custom guest types for hotels and mixed-use locations
• Integrations with FlightAware and other external management systems
• Parameters for tandem parking and other non-standard lot configurations

Each parking solution will differ based on lot size, location, industry, and other unique factors, but modern designs typically include:

Digital interfaces like QR codes, apps, and SMS-based communications via users’ mobile devices. These interfaces often appear on the front and back end of the parking experience. For example, drivers might get text alerts, while valet operators manage queues from a tablet or similar device.

Scalable features that can adapt to your business as your needs — and your customers — change. Examples include integration capabilities that allow you to connect your valet parking software to other on-site management systems, like a restaurant’s reservation system or a hotel’s guest room portfolios.

The Benefits of Modern Parking Design

Legacy, cookie-cutter parking systems typically force operators and drivers to follow the same workflows and use the same tools at every location.

On the flip side, modern parking design enables deep customization and convenience from the start. These innovative solutions help parking operators:

• Enhance the parking experience for drivers
• Accommodate evolving business needs
• Remain competitive in the market
• Streamline processes and improve efficiency
• Reduce costs and paper-based workflows

How to Tailor Parking Technology to Your Business Needs

There are many parking software solutions on the market, and choosing the best option for your business can be daunting, especially as you balance internal needs with customer preferences.

Ideally, your modern parking design will take into account your particular parking operations, whether you manage self-park locations, valet parking services, or a combination of the two. As you begin shopping for parking software, here are some ways to ensure your new solution truly aligns with your operational needs.

Prioritize Advanced Customization and Integration Features

Every business is different, which means most “one-size-fits-all” parking solutions aren’t really a great fit for everyone. Instead of opting for a platform that claims to include everything you need out of the box, look for solutions that make it easy to customize or add new features based on your unique operations.

While the configuration options inside of your new platform are critical, you’ll also want to think about how well it works with external tools. Your parking operations software will likely include an array of helpful management tools — like dashboards, reports, and real-time lot updates — but it won’t be the only platform you use to run your business.

Suppose you manage parking operations at an airport, hotel, or similar location. In that case, you’ll want to find a parking solution that easily integrates with the external systems used to manage other on-site operations. That way, you can deliver a seamless parking experience at every touchpoint by syncing up valet pickups with flight arrivals or tagging guests car keys to their guest room folios.

Invest in Hardware-Agnostic or Software-Only Solutions

Parking operators can be hesitant to embrace modern parking designs because they’ve already invested heavily in legacy solutions, often installing specialized hardware to manage valet at an airport or multi-building office complexes.

The good news is that embracing modern technology doesn’t always mean saying goodbye to existing tools and systems or shelling out for a pricey new fleet of equipment. Many parking solutions are hardware agnostic, which means they can be implemented on nearly any hardware device, from a legacy computer system to an employee’s mobile device.

This added layer of flexibility allows parking employees to work on the go from tablets and smartphones while simultaneously saving you significant hardware costs. What’s more, it protects your business’ initial investment in any on-site equipment you’re already using while still allowing you to modernize your operations.

Keep User Experience Top of Mind

An intuitive, easy-to-use interface is essential for your customers and employees alike. Good usability promotes high driver adoption rates and helps your team get up and running in your new platform quickly, with minimal roadblocks.

As you shop for a parking operations solution, be sure to balance impressive backend functionality with a user-friendly interface that makes parking convenient for drivers and makes parking management painless for attendants and other employees.

You’ll want to look for solutions with an app, QR code, and SMS options for drivers, all of which make it as simple as possible for them to set up, pay, and check the status of their self-park or keep track of their valet parking details.

At the same time, internal interfaces should make it easy for attendants to complete daily tasks, communicate with each other, and stay connected across lots or garages.

Modernize Your Parking Operations With GET IT

At GET IT, we believe your parking solutions should fit your business’s unique needs and challenges. We leverage the power of modern technology and enhanced customization features to help operators optimize their parking operations and customers’ experiences.

To truly create a transformative technology for parking, GET IT worked alongside parking operators and employers across industries, taking deep dives into both the customer and employee experiences. Using state-of-art technology, we designed the GET Parking and GET Valet platforms with customization and scalability in mind.

Ready to see how GET IT can help you transform your parking operations?

GET in touch with us today to learn more about our solutions.