The world’s urban population has seen a significant increase over the years. This increase is necessitated by some underlying factors, and the world’s urban population is estimated to exceed 9 billion by 2045. The number of vehicles on the road also multiplies and is estimated to hit 2 billion by 2040. Owing to this development, the need for parking is also increasing.
In addition, many cities are experiencing a shortage of affordable housing due to an increase in demand from lower-income households who can no longer afford to live where they work. This forces workers into more expensive areas such as downtowns or suburbs, which often have inadequate public transportation options. As a result, people commute farther distances than ever before just to get to their jobs. In fact, according to one estimate, Americans spend about $1 trillion annually commuting between home and place of employment.
Parking lots provide convenient access to buildings that house offices, retail stores, restaurants, schools, hospitals, etc. Parking spaces may be located inside the building itself or outside the building. If there is insufficient space within the building, then it makes sense to locate parking externally. However, if you do not manage your parking efficiently, you could find yourself losing money every day.
Having discussed parking management in some of the previous posts, this article will help you understand how to effectively manage your parking lot so that you can make sure all of your employees’ and clients’ vehicles are parked safely when they arrive at your business location. Then provide you with adequate information on the benefits of effective management of your office building parking lot.
Speaking of parking management, a set of plans explicitly created to effectively increase the effectiveness of the current parking system in your building or business. In other words, parking management refers to different programs and policies that result in more effective parking resources. Strategies for parking management include;
- Shared Parking
- Remote Parking
- Bicycle Facilities
- Parking Regulations
- Parking Policy
- Increase Capacity of Existing Facilities and lots more
How to optimize your parking management
There are several ways you can optimize your parking management so you can make it more good-looking, occupied and secured. Effectively managing your parking lot can bring in many benefits for you as a property manager. How you can optimize your parking management include but are not limited to;
- Working with park sharing companies
Working together with park sharing companies is a great way to effectively optimize your parking management. It helps you increase your parking occupancy rate and helps you rake in revenue from your parking lot. Working with park sharing companies helps provide and reallocate unused parking spaces to drivers who need parking spaces.
- Making use of a parking management software
Making use of parking management software comes with so many benefits. Adopting parking management software can help customize everything from policies to space allocation for your employees and clients.
Analysis and reports from these data can provide an overview of what works and what still needs to be done to reach maximum occupancy rates.
Benefits of effective management of your office building parking lot
Parking management systems have become increasingly essential in our everyday lives. We need parking spaces in our office buildings for a lot of reasons. And with the evolving technology and improvement in parking management systems, parking lot owners are beginning to have control over their parking area as parking management systems are flexible.
But what then are the benefits of effectively managing the parking lot in your office building?
- Increase productivity by reducing traffic congestion
The most obvious benefit of having a sound parking system is its ability to reduce traffic congestion. When there’s no parking space available for customers, they tend to park their cars at another location or wait until one becomes free. This causes long queues, which can be detrimental to business owners and drivers who may find themselves waiting hours before leaving. By installing a proper parking system, this problem can easily be avoided. With a properly designed system, all employees can access the facility without any hassle. It also allows them to plan ahead so that they don’t drive around looking for open spots.
- Reduce operational costs
A poorly managed parking system can lead to high operating expenses. For instance, if people keep leaving their car keys inside the vehicle while shopping, then the chances of theft increase dramatically. If someone leaves their laptop unattended in the trunk of their car, then they could lose valuable data. These issues cost companies money every time they happen. However, these problems can easily be prevented through effective monitoring of the parking facilities.
- Improve customer experience
Customers want convenience when visiting businesses. They expect fast service from staff members as well as easy accessibility to everything within the premises. Having a well-designed parking system makes sure that both parties get what they deserve. Employees can quickly locate a spot whenever needed, while clients won’t spend too much time searching for parking.
- Better security
As mentioned earlier, a poorly maintained parking system increases the risk of losing valuables such as laptops, phones, etc. Since many thieves target parked cars because they think nobody would notice anything missing, it’s best to ensure that nothing gets stolen during peak times. To do this, you should install cameras that monitor each parking spot 24/7. You can even use sensors to detect whether anyone has entered a particular zone.
- Improved safety
Another advantage of using a reliable parking system is improved road safety. Most accidents occur due to human error. People often enter areas where they shouldn’t or ignore signs indicating that certain zones aren’t meant for pedestrians. Using an intelligent parking system helps prevent these kinds of mistakes from happening. Drivers can see clearly whether a designated spot is occupied or empty, making it easier to avoid collisions.
- Increased employee satisfaction
Many workers feel stressed out when trying to find a parking spot near work. Not only does this cause physical discomfort, but it can affect job performance negatively. An efficient parking system reduces stress levels among employees, allowing them to focus more fully on tasks. Additionally, it gives them peace of mind knowing that they’ll always have somewhere safe to park.
- Reduced maintenance costs
Properly maintaining a parking system requires constant vigilance. But with regular inspections, you can identify potential trouble early and fix them immediately. This saves you a great deal of money since you won’t have wasted resources fixing something that wasn’t broken in the first place.
- Quicker response
Modern-day parking systems allow users to request services online. Once you submit requests, you will receive alerts regarding the status of those requests. This means that you can respond faster than ever before. For example, if you know that a specific parking spot needs cleaning, you can send a notification right away instead of waiting for a worker to come over.
- More control
One thing about modern-day parking systems is how versatile they are. Because they offer advanced features like remote controls, you can manage multiple lots simultaneously. This lets you allocate different types of vehicles to various locations based on demand. For instance, you might assign large trucks to busy routes while smaller models are used for less popular destinations.
- Easier billing
When you own a business, one of the most challenging things is keeping track of expenses. A sound parking system allows you to easily record all transactions, so you don’t miss any payments. It also provides detailed reports which help you understand exactly how much you spent on every aspect of running your company.
- Flexibility
The last benefit of having a quality parking system is its flexibility. If there is a change in traffic patterns, you can adjust accordingly without worrying about inconveniencing customers. Also, if new developments arise, you can add additional spots to accommodate growth.
- Convenient payment options
There are several ways to pay for parking at a location. Some people prefer paying by credit card, others may opt for cash, while still others choose to be billed automatically through their phone bill. Whatever method you decide upon, a parking system offers plenty of choices. You can even set up an automatic monthly fee depending on the number of cars parked.
Conclusion
The benefits to effective management of your office building parking lot are now clear and undoubtedly an excellent investment for any office, mall, or building. Effective parking lot management promises flexibility, better security and safety, improved customer experience, and increased productivity.
As the global population keeps increasing, there will be an increase in growth and urbanization, implying more vehicles. However, before adopting a parking management solution for your company, ensure it meets your requirements.
