Digital Parking Permits: Zatpermit Empowering Local Authorities to Achieve More With Less

The challenges Local Authorities face

Local Authorities today are grappling with a multitude of challenges as they strive to provide efficient services to their communities, including the implementation of digital parking permits. Rising expectations from residents and stakeholders, stringent budget restrictions, and the fear of data loss when transitioning to new systems are all significant concerns.

In our previous article, we discussed the importance of a low-risk transition when migrating data to a new system. However, these challenges go beyond just data migration: Local Authorities need a solution that can help them do more with less, while also meeting the demands of their residents and achieving sustainability goals.

How Zatpermit addresses these issues

Zatpermit by Unity5 is designed specifically to address these challenges in parking and permit management. Our solution offers a range of benefits that help Local Authorities streamline their operations, improve customer satisfaction, and meet their financial and environmental goals. Some of the key features of our digital parking permits include:

• Intuitive user experience: Zatpermit provides user-friendly interfaces that make it easy for staff, residents, and businesses to navigate the system. This simplicity reduces training time and minimises errors.
• Self-service features: Residents can manage their parking and permits independently through the platform, significantly reducing administrative overhead and the volume of resident complaints. Help is directed to those who need it.
• Environmental benefit: As a cloud-based system, Zatpermit supports Local Authorities in their Net Zero obligations by eliminating the need for paper-based processes. Everything is digital and easily accessible.
• Low-Risk Transition: With over 50 successful data migrations, our technology-led approach ensures a smooth and secure transition, minimising the risk of data loss and ensuring continuity of service.

Success with Cornwall Council

Cornwall Council is a prime example of how Zatpermit can revolutionise parking management. By partnering with Unity5, Cornwall Council modernised their parking compliance systems to create a robust and flexible platform tailored to their unique needs.

Since implementing our digital parking permits, Cornwall Council has:

• Reduced administrative workload: By streamlining processes, they have been able to cut down the time and effort required to manage parking permits, allowing staff to focus on higher-value tasks.
• Improved response times: The efficiency of the system has allowed the council to respond more quickly to residents and visitors, greatly enhancing customer satisfaction.
• Increased customer satisfaction: By supporting Cornwall’s strategic parking plan, Zatpermit has played a crucial role in increasing both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

A great example of Zatpermit’s impact is the reduction in permit application processing time—from 4-6 weeks down to just 1 week. This remarkable improvement has made a significant difference for residents and businesses alike.

Josh Macdonald, Business, Products & Communications Manager for Parking at Cornwall Council, shared his experience, stating: “The support we received from the team at Unity5 is second to none. They were highly proactive for any new projects and very reactive when any day-to-day issues arose.”

Fully customisable and complex business rules functionality

One of the greatest strengths of Zatpermit is its customisability, allowing it to be tailored suit the needs of Local Authorities. Whether it’s integrating with existing systems or developing new features, Zatpermit offers a flexible solution that grows with your council’s evolving needs.

The system’s customisation options are best in class, with the ability to personalise the dashboard according to user roles and preferences. This ensures that staff members, from administrators to enforcement officers, have access to the tools and data most relevant to their daily tasks, improving efficiency and user satisfaction. Additionally, the resident-facing interface is designed to be user-friendly and accessible, making it easy for individuals to manage their permits and interact with the system seamlessly.

Zatpermit handles complex business rules with ease. For instance, it can automatically detect when a user switches from a diesel to a hybrid car, adjusting their permit to comply with CO2 emissions standards, thus supporting environmental goals and simplifying the process for residents. It efficiently manages permits for users with multiple addresses, allowing them to switch between locations effortlessly. Moreover, the system enforces unique criteria for permit eligibility, such as vehicle type, resident status, or specific organisational policies, reducing administrative burdens and ensuring that only eligible users are granted permits.

For more insights on how Zatpermit can benefit your Local Authority, visit our other article, “5 Reasons to Use Digital Parking Permits”, which provides further details on why Zatpermit is the right choice for modern permit management.

About Unity5

Unity5 is the creator of Zatpark - SaaS Solutions For Parking, Enforcement and Environmental Management - Designed for private parking companies and public sector bodies, Zatpark delivers world-class features completely controlling and automating the full lifecycle of parking enforcement data, from issue to recovery action and every step in-between. Built-in ANPR, Moving Traffic Violation Management and dedicated Permit and Kiosk solutions, Zatpark, Zatmobile, Zatpermit, Zatenviro, and Zatpark Flexible Enforcement provide end-to-end management of all your PCN and FPN activities.