Have you ever been late for work because you couldn’t find a parking spot for 30-40 minutes? This is not some fictitious scenario but the reality we live in. This occurrence is so common that some people start building up car parking anxiety before they arrive at work.
This is a serious matter that deserves serious consideration. Being late for work is already costing companies (and employees) a small fortune, and anxiety is a known productivity killer.
So, how do modern businesses solve the issue of corporate parking, and what changes may we expect to see in the future? Let’s find out!
The future of workplace commute
Fleet diversity is a major issue regarding modern parking trends. Namely, one of the ideas in corporate parking management is to handle different types of transportation to incentivize positive behavior.
For instance, electric vehicles are more environmentally friendly and require fewer resources. This is why they’re societally preferable to other fossil-consuming counterparts. One of their downsides is that charging electric cars takes a lot of time compared to fueling. So, modern parking lots will need areas for electric vehicles with available chargers, a solution further enhanced by technologies like Elysia battery intelligence. Doing so will also incentivize your employees to start using electric cars.
Another thing you need to worry about is autonomous vehicles. Sure, they’re still a relatively new concept, but this won’t remain so for long. Parking spaces for autonomous vehicles may significantly differ from what we have now. So, it might be wise to inquire if any of your employees have a plan or buying a self-driving car or if they already have one. If you plan to build a new parking lot, you need to discuss this with your architect.
Ride-sharing is another form you need to consider. Some companies provide the best parking spots for those who carpool. This positive trend is worth encouraging, but how many slots can you allocate? Carpooling compositions usually change over time, so having a fixed plan is not the best solution.
Temporary parking is also something worth mentioning. A lot of people uber to work. You’ll prevent traffic holdups by organizing a designated slot for them.
Lastly, people cycle and ride motorcycles to work. Just adding a bike rack or two is hardly sufficient. You also need proper security, possibly even cover in case of rain.
While conventional parking still takes priority, you must consider all these methods.
Online parking reservation
An online parking reservation system is the simplest way to handle most corporate parking problems. Using an app, your employees can book a parking spot for a specific date and duration. Naturally, a company can limit the maximum period of this reservation to avoid abuse of the system. This also works great for companies that have shifts.
Reserving a parking space for your company can be expensive, so you want to get the maximum value out of its use. By allowing your employees to book and cancel parking spots at any given time, you also take an “inventory” of your parking space. In other words, you can downsize if you notice that you use far fewer parking spaces than you need. On the other hand, this will also help warn you if you need more.
Since your employees can book the exact spot they will park in, this helps them better organize their schedule. Namely, some parking lots are not on the company premises, while others are massive. This way, your employees will know if they must head out beforehand.
Chances are that you’re already using some sort of parking management. Without an app, you will need a facility manager for this task. Since this is a highly administrative task, the chance of human error is high. You shouldn’t underestimate the number of work hours that comes from this. People are calling even on weekends and holidays to ensure they have a parking spot on the next work day. In other words, besides being more efficient, this method saves you work hours (and reduces payroll).
Parking as a business
Understanding parking as a business will help you strategize around the corporate use of parking lots. Namely, when it comes to the parking business, it’s all about the revenue. In general, parking rates are affected by several factors. These factors are:
- Parking technology
- Valet services
- Amenities
- Shade structures
If more of these factors are present, the cost of parking will be higher. Unless you own the parking lot, the cost of parking services won’t stop with the added expenses. You see, parking managers do this to justify the increase in parking rates rather than increase the quality of service. What you need to do is figure out whether it’s worth it.
Sure, you end up paying more, but you also get more. The bottom line is whether you need these amenities and if you’re willing to pay for them.
Businesses that rent out a company also rent out their parking lot. However, if you own a building and make a parking lot, your job still needs to be completed. Instead, you also need a manager, a system, and a maintenance plan. All of this increases costs. In the long run, it’s supposed to save you money, but it will also complicate an organization. Still, staying organized despite the circumstances is a requirement for running an efficient business.
Lastly, just because you own a parking space doesn’t mean you’re limited to it. If you don’t have enough space, you can rent out more. These hybrid solutions to the problem are pretty effective, and you shouldn’t ignore them.
Keep track and analyze data
Previously, we’ve talked about booking parking lot online. One of the reasons why this is so good is because it helps you keep volumes and volumes of data. Later on, you can analyze this data and turn it into actionable information. For instance, you pay your employees’ travel expenses. In that case, their means of transportation matter to you.
We’ve already determined the efficient use of parking, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. You see, roughly 68% of city land is devoted to parking spaces. This shocking stat shows how big of a surface you need to handle parking efficiently.
While multi-story parking garages are more efficient, they’re costly to build. Also, they usually can’t be seen outside of shopping malls. The same thing goes for underground parking. The biggest problem that stems from this is the matter of signal. Most modern vehicles rely on customer support and the internet (IoT is massive in the automotive industry). It’s pretty easy to lose signal in underground garages and multi-story parking.
Another thing that most people don’t consider is the potential damage to vehicles. Now, roughly 40% of all car accidents happen while parking. It is in your best interest to minimize these occurrences using accurate signalization, enough space allocated for each parking lot, and parking monitoring. Setting rules is one thing; ensuring that they’re abided by is something else entirely.
While some of these trends are massive in standard parking, no rule says this will apply to your case. Still, you can’t control how many people carpool, and people rushing to get to work are more likely to bump or scratch a vehicle next to their parking spot. So, it’s always worth having some of these things in mind.
Car park anxiety
Finally, it’s important to mention that finding parking in an urban environment is a legitimate concern. It causes anxiety and stresses people out. This stress will reflect on their performance. This problem is so massive that it even has a term – car park anxiety.
The definition of car park anxiety is the anticipation of a situation where you’re unable to park properly or spot parking. In other words, it’s not even your inability to find parking; it’s your feat that makes this will happen. With online booking, you can avoid this altogether.
An established system allows your employees to focus on the rest of their commute and rest assured that, once they get to work, they won’t have parking problems.
It’s also worth mentioning that parking spot disputes may cause some workplace arguments. Even without a system, everyone has “their” parking spot. The worst part is that the argument may be fueled by it, not break out over this. This means that it will be near-impossible to diagnose the root of the problem. Sometimes, it won’t be an outright argument but passive aggression or subtle antagonism. Why not avoid all of this by establishing a proper system?
Corporate parking is a major issue that you cannot afford to ignore
Ultimately, digitalizing your parking system is the simplest way to solve the problem. Everyone should have the ability to book their spot via an app. This system will make things simpler and provide you with much-needed data.
Also, you must acknowledge the evolution of workplace commutes in the last decade. You are preparing for electric vehicles, incentivizing carpooling, and recognizing that some people uber to work are just some issues you should recognize.
Lastly, you need to understand that parking is not a trivial matter. In some cases, it will impact your staff’s productivity and mental health.
