Parking More Profits

Parkway's business intelligence strategy has boosted profits 3% to 4%—for starters.

DAMAGE COST CONTROLS

Problem: Parkway's legal fees and insurance premiums were rising due to increased claims from customers reporting damage to their cars while in Parkway lots

Solution: Claims analyzed by location, type of garage, employee and lot caused managers to redesign some garages and automate others.

Payoff: In some spots, claims have dropped an estimated 15%.

NEW REVENUE INCENTIVES

Problem: High customer turnover at some garages.

Solution: Web site that gives top customers the best rate, at any given time, for a particular lot, location, time period and payment option from among Parkway-owned or managed lots in a given city or region.

Payoff: Pending; in pre-rollout and pilot phase.

OVERTIME MANAGEMENT

Problem: Overtime costs for parking employees could spike suddenly, causing lower-than-expected profits per earnings cycle.

Solution: BI helped to pinpoint where overtime costs were highest—and why.

Payoff: Parkway can now hold managers more accountable for cost and budget overruns.

ACQUISITION STRATEGY

Problem: Some guesswork was used to decide which types of garages and lots should be managed or acquired.

Solution: BI shows which lots make the most money—and why, and what types of contracts and locations are most profitable, or likely to be, over time.

Payoff: Smarter decisions on which types of facilities to buy, which to sell and which to manage—and how.

TRAFFIC FLOW

Problem: Long lines at exit windows and gates.

Solution: Automated payment machines that take various forms of payment simultaneously and, for monthly customers, sensor-equipped ID cards that activate open-close gates and bill customers for exact length of stay.

Payoff: Faster entry and exit times at high-use lots during rush hour and faster turnover with lower vacancy rates.