Helping you create your business case.

9 min read

The parking and mobility industry is changing. Gone are the days of retrieving a physical ticket to get in and out of a facility. Now, frictionless solutions are on the rise, ones that allow your customers to get from point A to Z, with little to no physical touchpoints. As we move beyond standard parking systems and into the future of parking experiences, it is time for organizations to switch towards frictionless solutions that will mitigate risk while creating a seamless journey.

The first step? Make way for license plate recognition (LPR) technology in your parking infrastructure.

So what is license plate recognition (LPR), and why is it essential to include it in your business case? LPR technology is a powerful tool that fosters secure and automatic access control, streamlines parking enforcement and provides valuable data insights for parking program optimization—all while using a vehicle license plate as a credential.

The technology can be deployed to satisfy various use cases, making it a viable solution for gated and non-gated parking facilities, bringing forth enhanced customer experiences and more innovative business intelligence.

As LPR requires significant investment from both a resource and budgetary standpoint, we are sharing eight proven facts that will help you secure stakeholder buy-in for LPR in your next parking program’s fiscal budget.

1.     License plate recognition fuels frictionless parking access and control.

LPR technology can be used in both gated and non-gated parking facilities. In the case of the gated parking facility, access to and from the parking lot is controlled with a fixed license plate recognition device (either wall-mounted on in an enclosed cabinet) installed at each entry and exit lane. When vehicles approach the gate, their license plate is detected, read and approved for access.

Gates automatically open once the fixed in-lane LPR camera records and stores the following information: license plate number and image, vehicle entry time and rate, and in some cases, the make, model and colour of the car. Once the vehicle enters the lot, the parking transaction begins.

Whether visitors choose to pay onsite via a mobile app, mobile scan-to-pay, a physical pay station, pay in advance online or via mobile app, the LPR system searches its database for license plate, entry time, validation or reservation type to calculate the fee due. On exit, LPR cameras read the license plate, verify or prompt payment and raise the gates.

2.     License plate recognition enhances your security program.

With LPR comes the ability to configure security notifications and control access with comprehensive lists. The beauty of license plate association is that the license plate recognition system cross-references guidelines such as access lists, blocklists, or notification lists.

Access lists may comprise permit holders, staff members, reserved parking, VIP guests or contractors. Blocklists may be comprised of visitors who are not permitted to enter the lot, for example, non-permit holders or someone who has been banned from a property.

Notification lists can be configured to notify vehicles attempting to tailgate through a gated parking system or for vehicles repeatedly entering and exiting the parking lot in a short period. 

3.     License plate recognition empowers greater parking enforcement accuracy.

In non-gated parking lots, LPR technology can come into play with devices situated at the entry or exit of the parking lot (similar to gated parking scenarios) or with license plate-based cloud platforms. These systems can be paired with Pay-by-License Plate parking meters, mobile payment apps, or mobile scan-to-pay web platforms.

As non-gated parking facilities operate under an honour system, LPR-based enforcement technology must verify valid parking sessions by license plates. With LPR devices mounted on enforcement vehicles, the need for patrol officers to manually check each license plate against a database of authorized parkers or photograph infractions is replaced. LPR's ability to record and associate the license plate and an image of the vehicle to a violation notice improve patrolling accuracy and reduces dispute rates. 

It's safe to conclude that LPR enforcement technology does all the heavy lifting.  

4.     License plate recognition stimulates hands-free permits, reservations and validations.

With more and more customers requesting flexible and digital permit options, your facility needs to come equipped with parking technology that will meet their unique needs. Luckily, license plate recognition technology works with permit software to read and process parking permit and reservation qualifications by comparing license plates to an active database.

License plates are the access credential, replacing physical or digital permits. In gated parking lots, gates automatically open, and drivers enter once the fixed in-lane LPR camera authorizes a license plate. In non-gated parking lots, enforcement officers quickly verify permits or reservations using a handheld or in-vehicle LPR-based enforcement technology.

5.     License plate recognition provides smarter business intelligence.

The key to running a successful parking operation? Knowing what is happening at all times. Like all frictionless parking solutions, LPR technology provides you with the ultimate combination of real-time insights, live control, data visualization and reporting. Make strategic decisions with a good understanding of where, when, and for how long customers are parking in your facility; the frequency of visits, peaks days and time, prime locations and durations.

Having all of this information connected with your business intelligence platform, such as ParkSuite, and at the tips of your fingertips will help you accurately manage your pricing strategy, marketing strategy and patrolling schedules. With a cloud-based central management platform, you will have direct access to fast and thorough reporting at all times.

6.     License plate recognition enables dynamic pricing models.

LPR technology can help parking operators make more intelligent decisions about managing their parking facility and setting rate structures on the fly. Better strategic decisions can be created once you have a real-time understanding of where, when, and for how long people are parking in your facility. This includes frequency of visits (think loyalty programs), peak parking days and times, popular parking areas within the garage and lengths of stay that can help you accurately manage your pricing strategy, marketing strategy and patrolling schedules.

7.     License plate recognition connects your parking facility with last-mile logistics.

LPR technology can be connected with endless last-mile possibilities. Whether it's booking an electric vehicle charging station, car care service, or services beyond the parking lot such as restaurant service or amazon locker service—LPR lets you tally all services and the costs associated with them using one ticket—the license plate.

LPR can be integrated with last-mile logistics through platforms such as Parkedin, ensuring you are a part of the customer journey every step of the way.

8.     License plate recognition nurtures loyalty programs.

Using the license plate as the credential, LPR systems can encourage parking through loyalty programs. Promotional offers can be designated to visitors who meet specific criteria, such as the make and model of their car, the number of times they park at your facility or behaviour such as the amount of time they park at the location or the days and times they arrive.

License plate recognition technology allows you to get more out of your parking system. It also provides a sustainable and safe way for visitors to enter and exit your facility parking lot, making it a key consideration when developing your parking budget.

References

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Digital parking permits - Precise Parklink: Parking management services. Precise ͵ÅÄ͵¿ú | Parking Management Services. (n.d.). /ps-parking-subscription-management.  

License plate recognition - precise ͵ÅÄ͵¿ú: Parking management services. Precise ͵ÅÄ͵¿ú | Parking Management Services. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2021, from /ps-license-plate-recognition-parking-technology.

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