PARKING |
Boosting the parking experience with big data
Big data enables smarter parking. This means a better user experience, reduced travel time, improved mobility and improved security inside parking facilities
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Words | Adrià Miralvés, digital marketing manager, Quercus Technologies, Spain
t a time when data is everywhere, it is essential that parking management technologies unify and process information in a cohesive, orderly, and clear manner. There is power in data but generating it in an uncontrolled way does not make sense. Data must be interpreted by people and used accordingly, with the goal of obtaining the greatest growth and profit for the business, as well as enhancing the parking experience for users. The interconnection between big data and smart devices leads to increased productivity and profit, as well as smooth access to information and less stress. By analysing of data generated by the global parking sector, it is possible to create a set of strategies focused on parking management. This is business intelligence. A parking software platform can provide full control of all indoor and outdoor parking guidance devices, centralizing information and generating key reports for the business. All of this data can be compiled into reports for decision-making on parking
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Above: One indicator light can be allocated per space with Quercus Technology parking solutions. Infinitely variable colours can be used to guide drivers, for example green lights can indicate an available space Below: Quercus SC indoor camera part of the parking guidance system
Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2022
management and business maximization. Planning for the future can be optimised. Customers can find out which days and hours usually have more traffic, as well as which facilities are more or less popular. Facility owners can manage rates, schedules and parking spaces. Usage statistics can also be obtained to understand user habits and propose campaigns to strengthen their loyalty.
Optimising the parking experience
Parking areas should provide optimal convenience and simplicity for customers. As such, facility operators should be looking at how to enhance the parking experience. It can be a real challenge to manage the complexities and the stress of parking in a downtown area, where there are often long queues. However, if you know that a particular parking facility is equipped with features to make parking a pleasant experience, it is a different story. There are several actions that a parking facility owner can take to raise the satisfaction of customers. For example, they can enhance the parking experience
by allowing users to reserve their parking space online, which means it takes minimal time to leave their car in the facility. It is also possible to install signage to guide drivers to available spaces in a user-friendly, dynamic way, or provide kiosks to help them find their vehicle quickly. Another way to add to the parking experience is to prevent heavy traffic both inside and outside the facility. Quercus Technologies’ range of comprehensive parking solutions empower parking facility operators to manage and process parking space reservations through their websites. Properly configured, the software can even stream parking capacity and availability in real time. In this way, a specific license plate number can be linked to a reserved stay, a certain price, or a special discount rate. If the user has reserved a stay, access will be automatically granted via license plate recognition by the LPR camera at the entrance. Inside the facility, camera-based parking sensors provide parking space guidance. Alarms can be set to go off if a vehicle with a different license plate number parks in a reserved space.
