How a parking guidance system can boost the parkers’ experience

We all have spent considerable time driving around a parking facility trying to find an available space to park. Finding an empty spot is not always as easy as it is meant to be and it can sometimes turn out frustrating for the end users of a car park. Thankfully, smart parking guidance is nowadays almost everywhere, putting our minds at ease and facilitating all users a good parking experience in many parking facilities around the world. 

Guidance systems are a fundamental management solution for speeding up mobility inside the car park and offering an excellent user experience. Thanks to the location of the vehicles in their space through the number plate reading, the users can consult this information in a kiosk, since we often forget where we have parked. 

However, what benefits do parking guidance provide to parking operators? Why must parking owners invest in making their facilities smart? How long is it going to take for revenue to grow? First things first, let’s explain what parking guidance really means.

What is parking guidance? And what is a parking guidance system?

Putting it simply, parking guidance means every element that helps drivers find parking spaces. Parking guidance would include parking sensors, parking signs, car park kiosks… Every parking system that provides end users with real-time information about occupation and parking availability in a controlled area. 

Parking guidance systems, broadly speaking, provide the operator with information on how many vehicles are inside and how many parking spaces are left unoccupied. That would be it. But there are different technologies that can provide further information about those vehicles such as the areas they’re at, how long they stay, and much more. That specific information is only available with camera-based parking sensors that locate every vehicle at their spot thanks to the license plate reading of every car. 

In addition to providing this information, camera-based parking guidance systems often have a “Find your car” option that helps boost the parking experience even more. Parkers will be able to locate their vehicles just by entering their license plate into the system, which will inform them of the parking space and floor where the vehicle is found. This capability prevents users from wandering around the parking facility while clicking their car locks trying to remember where the vehicle is parked.

How do parking guidance systems work and how do they benefit customer experience in parking?

Parking guidance systems usually combine all devices information and information processing technologies. We have to think that a global parking system will probably count on ANPR cameras at access points to read the plates of the vehicles entering the facilities. These LPR cameras will scan the front and/or back license plate and the driver will be able to pay afterwards with the ticket or by entering the license plate number in the payment machine.

Then the parker will drive through the premises and parking sensors will indicate if any space is available nearby. These sensors can be located at every space or in the center of the corridor. This second option will simplify the parking experience and reduce the parking guidance system costs of installation, as one sensor can read and record up to 4 parking spaces from the middle of the aisle. 

Parking guidance systems with sensors like SC Indoor read license plates and are able to inform about what exact vehicles are parked at any parking space. Wayfinding signage will also help parkers find empty spaces, specially in decision-making points like ramps or end of corridors where users have to decide in which direction they will keep driving to find available parking spaces. Outdoor parking guidance systems like SC Outdoor use computer vision technology to control the availability of parking spaces in outdoor parking lots and rooftops. Complete data that leads to efficient global parking control and improved security.

All this information from all these devices must be centralized and interrelated, and this is only possible in a consistent parking platform, capable of storing loads of Big Data. This parking suite has total control over all indoor and outdoor parking guidance products, centralized information, intuitive key reports, native predisposition to integration and much more. An example of this is BirdWatch, Quercus Technologies’ in-house parking platform.

What are the main benefits for parking experience and the cost of a parking guidance system

Parking guidance systems guarantee optimal parking management technology, security, maximum control, increased mobility and excellent user satisfaction. All this is due to the interrelationship of all the devices we mentioned. Here are some of the main benefits of a complete parking guidance system.

• Reducing search time and Increasing mobility are the main objectives of every operator, the key to efficient management. Sensors and signs quickly and efficiently move customers to available or special spots, increasing rotation and occupancy.
• As camera-based parking guidance systems, video recording in each of the spaces guarantees the highest security. In this way, fraud, false incidents, attempted robberies and muggings and damage to parked vehicles can be avoided. 
• Decrease of congestion inside and around the parking premises and reduce of user stress and accidents, increasing therefore the parking experience.
• Valuable data, reports, statistics. The provision of real-time data on occupation of controlled parking areas makes parking operators able to dynamize prices and create marketing campaigns.
• Environmental advantages by helping reduce traffic congestion inside and outside the parking facility, and CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.