How to create a company parking reservation system?

Company parking causes frustration among employees. How do you create a parking reservation system that satisfies everyone and takes different parameters into account?

In a constantly evolving professional environment, the effective management of corporate parking spaces has become an imperative necessity. Moreover, with the growing demand for flexibility and efficiency, it is essential to deploy appropriate tools to meet the mobility needs of all your employees.

In this article, we guide you through the creation of a parking space reservation system within your company, an approach that combines practicality, modernity, and respect for individual needs, while promoting optimal use of existing infrastructure!

Why set up a parking reservation system?

A parking reservation solution gives all or some of its employees the opportunity to park in the company car park. No longer will only managers with assigned spaces or the first to arrive on site have access. The cards have been redistributed to allow everyone to benefit from this company service.

The parking spaces are shared among the employees. People with a space in their name can declare it as available on days when they are teleworking or on holiday to allow others to reserve it.

A parking management software aims to optimise the current management of the car park and also to improve its occupancy rate. At the same time, it makes everyday life easier for employees, improving their well-being and their Quality of Life and Working Conditions (QLWC).

How set up a parking reservation system?

To set up a company parking reservation system, it is important to follow a few simple steps. Ask yourself the right questions.

1. Take stock of the current situation

The first and most important step is to look at the current situation: What is the company’s parking policy? How is access control managed? Who has access? What is the average occupancy rate of the car park? What are the demands and needs of employees? Are the allocated spaces occupied every day? The aim is to put things down, to understand how the car park works and to highlight areas for improvement.

2. Assign a profile to each employee for a good parking reservation system

In a company, not all employees have the same status, nor the same transport habits. It is therefore normal that not all employees have the same profile for access to the car park, that some have a parking space, while others will have to reserve one every day. In many cases, managers will have their own parking space. Conversely, an employee who is reimbursed for part of his or her travel expenses will have to ask for a space.

However, other parameters can be taken into account to define the owners of seats or those who have priority: the distance between home and work, whether or not colleagues carpool, people with reduced mobility, etc. The distribution of a mobility questionnaire to employees will thus make it possible to prioritise certain employees more than others. And this, based on precise criteria and not only on hierarchical status.

3. Choosing the right parking reservation system

Once we have taken stock of the current situation and defined who will have priority, it is time to choose our tool. There are several options for the parking manager :

Set up a “home-made” parking reservation system, via an Excel spreadsheet for example. The manager would centralise all the requests made by employees by email for example and would then distribute the available spaces. This system is free, but can be very time-consuming, especially for car parks with several dozen or hundreds of spaces, of different types (electric, PRM, large or small, etc).

Select a dedicated parking space reservation solution. The cost is obviously different from the first option, but the time saved is also very significant. The advantage of this type of tool is that the manager is freed from this mission and can therefore devote himself to his other tasks. Indeed, the principle of these tools (such as Sharvy) is the following : the employees make their requests in the application, and the holders declare the days when their place will be available. The solution then automatically redistributes the places according to the type of place requested and the priority rules previously defined. As a result, the employee experience is enhanced. In this way, the company is adopting a genuine CSR approach, particularly by promoting smart mobility.

4. Check your access control system

In addition to a good parking space reservation system, it is important to check whether the access control system is also the most suitable. There are various solutions : giving access to everyone by badge, installing a camera with plate recognition allowing the barrier to be opened only to those who have a reservation on the day, etc.

Dedicated reservation tools generally offer options to support companies in this area or interface with third-party solutions.

5. Communicate with employees

For a parking reservation system to work, the most important thing is to keep employees well informed. How should they reserve a space? When will they be informed of the space they have obtained? If they are well informed and the communication is made to all, the adoption of this type of tool is generally very good. Employees quickly get on board as they see a concrete benefit for them: they can access the car park and know where to park without wasting time looking for a space in the morning.

Curious to find out more? Read our 1st white paper and find out how to create an effective parking reservation system.

In conclusion

Implementing a parking reservation system in a company proves to be an essential strategy for improving the management of parking lots and meeting the diverse needs of users. By optimizing the use of available spaces and reducing parking-related tensions, this system not only enhances the well-being of drivers but also improves the flow of traffic within the company premises. Additionally, by incorporating solutions for electric vehicles and people with disabilities, this system helps create an inclusive and modern work environment. Thus, by improving parking management, the company can boost employee satisfaction while maximizing operational efficiency.