Business transformation is a journey. And the path you take can be as crucial as your endpoint.
It may read like a pedestrian topic on paper, but with over 14 million registered vehicles going places, and over 20 million spaces to accommodate them, the parking industry is on track to generate $1.9 billion for Australia’s economy in 20231.
Leading the pack is Secure Parking. With over 600 sites across Australia and New Zealand, Secure Parking are committed to creating seamless parking experiences at every step of a customer’s journey.
But they were the first to recognise their aspirations didn’t always align with reality. Working with us to navigate the technological terrain, together we embarked upon a journey of transformation. Here’s what we learned along the way – the three key signposts business leaders of all stripes can turn to as they navigate change.
Fix your sights on your endpoint
Every business has an ideal endpoint: an operational state that supports and delivers on the organisational promise.
By locking onto their endpoint – elevating customer satisfaction by delivering superior customer experiences – Secure Parking were able to map the path there, linking opportunities with solutions.
Like many businesses with disconnected legacy platforms, Secure Parking were quick to spot they were at the root of clunky customer experiences. Pre-booking wasn’t as seamless at it could have been. The printing of physical tickets on entry, followed by manual payment and ticket punching on exit, was time-consuming. Drivers and vehicles weren’t recognised. And the gears of innovation – such as EV charging and IoT enabled devices – weren’t meshing with their platforms.
Knowing where your business needs to be, then identifying the blockers holding you back, makes it’s easier to begin building the vehicle necessary to drive change.
In IT, every vehicle is a custom-build
Cars are built for the terrain they cross and the conditions they face. The same holds true in IT. It’s the combination of components that unlocks optimal performance.
For Secure Parking, a custom-build led to the creation of Voyager. Built by their IT partner, Brennan, and powered by Microsoft’s Azure, IoT and Intelligent Cloud technologies, the centralised, customer-owned solution houses four integrated engines.
A refreshed booking engine with a custom API ensures entries are validated and exits managed using business rules within AMP. A customer engagement platform, built on Microsoft Dynamics 365, enables Secure Parking to target customers with personalised offers. A billing and subscription engine manages recurring revenue. And a financial reconciliation engine helps support revenue stability.
Navigating the challenges within their business environment necessitated a purpose-built solution for Secure Parking. For you, out-of-the-box solutions may offer all the grunt you need. But starting with a strategic review of what you have, and pressure-testing their capabilities against your ideal end state, will inform the size and scope of your IT transformation.
Canny investments smooth business bumps
The business landscape has always been unpredictable. External events and internal detours can make for a bumpy journey. But tactical IT investments act to smooth the path.
When COVID-19 headwinds saw parking occupancies tumble and demand stuck in reverse, many operators would have been reluctant to invest in innovation. But standing still isn’t in Secure Parking’s DNA.
And the development of Voyager is proof that a savvy investment can overcome tricky terrain. Its seamless integration with third-party software has enabled the organisation to shed legacy platforms, reduce costs, improve insights, and streamline processes.
In Secure Parking’s case, their IT investment was significant. But innovation doesn’t always demand deep pockets, or big-ticket investments. The application of micro innovation – the use of new technology to unlock incremental changes that deliver measurable wins – can stimulate profound organisational change.
The key lesson here is not the size or scale of your investment, but the recognition that the rewards of innovating will always trump the risks of stasis.
Business transformation is journey. But smart, consistent, and scalable IT investments that align with your aspirations really can help organisations fire on all cylinders.
Supporting Secure Parking at every step of their IT transformation journey was Australia’s leading Systems Integrator, Brennan.
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