From online reservation to barrier: how modern parking systems work together

The first point of contact is usually online.

The traveller chooses a parking location, selects arrival and departure dates and completes the reservation.

The booking system must check several things: whether the parking location is available, which price applies to the reservation, whether arrival and departure are permitted at the selected times, which additional services have been selected, and which customer and vehicle details are required.

After a successful reservation, the relevant details are recorded in the Parking Management System.

From that point on, the reservation can become part of operational planning.

For a parking operator, an online booking is much more than a confirmation number.

The details are important for staff, daily occupancy and preparing for arriving vehicles.

At a shuttle car park, for example, arrival-time information can help organise the transport service.

At a valet car park, a member of staff needs to know which vehicle is expected, when the customer will arrive and what vehicle handover is required.

When this information is available from the central reservation system, staff need to transfer less data manually.

One important development in modern parking operations is automatic license plate recognition, also known as ANPR.

A camera records a vehicle’s license plate at the entrance.

The connected system can then check whether a valid reservation or access authorisation exists.

When the details match and the access conditions have been met, the installation can grant access.

This can make the process simpler for travellers and reduce the need for separate access tickets.

ParkingPro supports integrations with ANPR cameras and automated barrier systems.

In addition to license plate recognition, parking operators also use other forms of digital access control.

For example, a traveller can receive a QR code linked to their reservation.

This code can be used at a compatible scanner for access or identification.

Depending on the setup, NFC applications and digital parking credentials can also be used.

The key principle remains the same: access control uses data that corresponds to a valid reservation.

Not every parking location operates in the same way.

With valet parking, customers hand their vehicle over to a member of staff. Vehicle details, damage checks and key collection can all be part of the process.

ParkingPro offers a Driver Mobile App with features for digital vehicle intake, driver support and GPS fleet tracking.

For shuttle operators, mobile processes can help organise arrivals, departures and transfers to the terminal.

This makes information from the online reservation available to staff on site.

When a parking operator uses several separate software systems, data can become fragmented.

A reservation may be in one system, an access code in another and the driver schedule in a third.

This can create extra administrative work and errors.

An integrated parking solution makes it easier to coordinate the different components.

That does not mean that every parking location needs exactly the same hardware. A shuttle car park has different operational requirements from a fully automated parking garage.

The software must therefore be able to support the operator’s way of working.