5 Best Parking Solutions for your Company
Parking issues are common to businesses and affect both the management and employees. Company management spends so much on renting or owning parking spaces to accommodate staff and visitors daily. Sometimes, they have to build new structures.
On the other hand, employees compete for limited parking spaces. Such competition can cause unnecessary pressure or unsavory situations that negatively impact the workplace.
Although many companies struggle with parking issues, there are solutions. This article examines the common parking problems businesses face and proffers five alternatives.
1. What parking problems do companies suffer from?
Some of the most common problems businesses face regarding parking include:
1.1. Space
Company car parks require so much space, but many can hardly afford the luxury. Hence, if many staff drive to work, companies may have to rent or buy real estate to have parking spaces.
1.2. Cost
It costs so much money to manage parking spaces. This high expense goes into space monitoring and maintenance. The cost increases further when companies expand their operations.
1.3. Stress
When a company has limited parking space or a poor parking management system, its workers will be most affected. Staff may have to come to work way ahead of resumption to secure a parking space. There may be traffic bottlenecks, too, especially in businesses that operate in shifts.
2. How to solve parking problems in companies
Company parking problems, if not solved, can result in increased expenditure and sometimes low productivity. Therefore, businesses must tackle it to avoid such bottlenecks. Here are five effective parking solutions to adopt:
2.1. Carpooling
Companies can resort to carpooling as a way of solving parking problems. This has multiple advantages. For example, it reduces the stress associated with driving. Four co-workers can share a car to come to work together and take turns driving.
Besides, carpooling reduces the pressures employees face when jostling car parking spaces. For instance, if four workers come to work together in a shared car, there’ll be fewer cars competing for parking spaces. It also reduces the cost of commuting for each employee.
For companies, carpooling reduces the pressure on parking facilities. There is also a reduction in peak-time congestion around the office. Carpooling also boosts team bonding.
However, despite carpooling’s benefits, it has its drawbacks. Workers differing work schedules pose a problem. There could also be disagreements about what amount each employee should pay for petrol and tolls, drive, etc. Employees may also be unable to form a friendly relationship that makes car rides fun and bearable.
2.2. Remote working alternative
Another way companies can reduce parking problems is by encouraging remote work. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses operated remotely, with most staff working from home.
Some companies have continued with the work-from-home strategy in the pandemic’s aftermath. Now, some workers work from home while others come to the office. COVID-19 accelerated many technology trends, and there are now several tools available to ensure working from home is just as effective as working in the office.
Companies struggling with parking space issues can adopt remote work as a solution. When some workers work from home, they won’t have to drive to work, reducing the strain on parking facilities. However, only adopt this policy if it doesn’t inhibit overall productivity.
2.3. Renting car parking spaces
If a company has limited car parking spaces, it can seek other areas to manage parking problems. There are several options for this purpose. They include:
- Local car parks: Companies can expand their parking area by leveraging local car parks. These facilities have much space and offer discounts for long-term contracts. Businesses can also enter into short-term contracts, though these often have little bargains.
- Community spaces: Another incredible source of car parking spaces for companies is community facilities. These public areas are usually busy on weekends with less activity on weekdays. Examples include churches, sports clubs, social halls, and community centers.
- Real estate owners: Large property owners and real estate companies usually have ample parking spaces. Businesses can reach out to such establishments within their environment and liaise with them. However, it may be expensive, and safety is not always guaranteed.
2.4. Encourage public transportation
Companies without car parking areas and the funds to rent one can encourage their employees to use public transportation. When employees use this means of transportation, there is no need for a parking space.
Businesses that want their staff to come to work through this means can encourage them to do so by buying transit passes at subsidized rates. Employers can also encourage walking and bicycle riding for employees who don’t live far away.
Alternatively, companies can provide multiple staff buses for their workers. These staff buses should ply various routes. Hence, employees in the same neighborhood will join the same bus to ease the process.
2.5. Parking management system
Parking management systems are innovative and effective ways of solving parking problems. It leverages digital technology to help businesses and organizations manage their parking spaces.
Companies struggle to manage car parking areas because of space availability, traffic, time constraints, human labor, and inefficiency. However, using a parking management system reduces the costs and stress involved.
With a parking management system, you don’t have to worry about parking problems. This is because the software has multiple features that effectively solve parking problems.
What makes up an efficient car parking management system?
A car parking management system has several components. However, there are four main features it must have. These are:
- A means of payment: There are several payment methods and technologies available for car parking management systems. However, users determine their preferred payment mode. Therefore, it is advisable to process employee earnings digitally for easy automation.
- Parking enforcement options: Managing and maintaining a car parking space is challenging without enforcement options. The latter works together with the chosen payment method.
When put in place, enforcement options allow drivers to access allocated parking spaces without hassles. Thus, it improves traffic flow among employees with designated parking spaces and allows those without to use alternative means of transportation.
- Car park entry systems: Car park entry systems or access controls are critical to the success of a parking management system and ensure its efficient use. Access controls allow drivers with confirmed bookings to enter the parking space while those without have their entry denied.
- Reporting: A car parking management software is nothing without a reporting feature. With this element, companies and car park operators can keep track of their facilities, the number of vehicles entering and leaving, and the parking slots available. Thus, they can effectively manage the spaces without issues.
How can employees benefit from the parking management system?
Parking management software offers excellent benefits. Some of them are:
- Booking management: This allows employees to pre-book available parking spaces. Hence, they can plan their office trips and don’t have to guess about getting a parking space. In addition, employees who can’t get an allocated space will look for alternatives rather than driving to the parking lot and causing traffic or confusion.
- Allocation management: Good parking management systems make the parking space allocation process easy to automate. For example, employers can allocate car spaces based on several company policies. The software then automates the process and communicates the allotments to employees.
- Automated administration and security: A parking management system eliminates administrative bottlenecks associated with managing the car park manually. For example, cars can only park in designated spaces. Therefore, employees can only access where there are spaces and get unique IDs, making it easy to identify car owners.
- Digitized entry and exit: Parking management software has digitized entry and exit as critical features. Hence, employees can easily access parking spaces without delay, while those unauthorized to use such areas can’t gain entry.
Advantages of parking management software
Companies that adopt parking management systems can enjoy the following benefits:
- Parked vehicles are safe because only car owners and authorized persons can access the car park.
- It saves time and costs because the process is automatic and requires little labor.
- Companies can easily enforce parking rules, space allocations, and policies and expect full compliance.
- It improves staff productivity because they experience less stress with parking.
- Companies have a reduced administrative burden and can focus on other issues.
Conclusion
Many companies struggle with managing car parking spaces, which raises many concerns. However, there are several ways businesses can solve parking area problems.
This article explored five of the best parking solutions for your company. These solutions include carpooling, working remotely, car parking management systems, renting car parking spaces, and public transportation.
These solutions have their perks and drawbacks, but the most advantageous is using car parking management systems or software. These systems have multiple features that automate parking control and make it easier for companies to handle issues.
Explore these solutions and know the one that works best for your company based on your facilities and financial situation. By implementing these solutions with proper planning, parking problems may well be a thing of the past.