Problem statement
Baghdad Airport terminal parking is utilized by many different user groups, which vary from regular users and staff up to transient travelers. For regular visitors, the car park offers several parking rates and passes depending on the length of the stay (monthly passes, quarterly passes, and the likes). All the transactions generated by these passes are tracked and reported, then classified into different reports for the airport management.
The old FAAC parking equipment and its management system (PMS) used to run 2 entry lanes and 1 exit lane, all of which relying on the support of local personnel at the kiosks onsite. The system faced heavy traffic at the exit gate during the rush hours (end of the work day, and the planes arrival time) and after a while, the staff could no longer handle all the drivers’ exit in a reasonably quick time: the worst queues could take up to 20 minutes.
The management identified the expansion of the exit gates and the automatization of some processes, reporting included, as the gateway to a better user experience.
Background
Baghdad Airport was built in 1982. The original plans for the car park included a parking system that was adequate for the needs of the time: the location and quantity of devices were planned for, though not installed right afterwards.
Over time, the traffic increased and the drivers’ expectations evolved hand in hand with the advancements in parking technology.
The vehicles driving to the 3000 parking spaces located on three levels transited through two entry lanes, regardless of their status of airport employees, or guests, or travelers.
The user group differentiator applied only to the charging plans: free parking, quarterly contract, or monthly contract for employees VS. hourly rates with a maximum per day for travelers. The transaction management used to require ample resources in terms of labor, as well as extended transit time, for each vehicle to go through the exit kiosk, review and apply the correct charge.
Client requirements
- Backwards compatibility with the existing FAAC peripherals
- 9 exit gates with low manpower to decrease the overall operations cost
- Robust hardware for high traffic environment
- Fast parking validation
- Quick barrier response to reduce in-lane queues
- Multiple charging profiles, according to the user group
- Flexible management system with possibility to set up multiple report types
- Arabic language for input and GUI
Results
The airport management identified the expansion of the exit gates and the automatization of some processes, as the gateway to a better parking management as well as an improved user experience.
HUB Middle East team designed a car park upgrade that would be compatible with the existing FAAC parking equipment (branded Parqube) and its management system, by adding 12 Jupiter stations to the parking facilities and upgrading the PMS to JMS management software.
The civil works lasted approximately 30 days, including cabling, network infrastructure, power network, and loop detectors installation. The installation of Jupiter hardware took 7 days and the software installation and system commissioning wrapped up the project in 5 days.
JMS has added new features and reporting modules to the parking management, empowering the airport staff to create customized reports for the employees’ parking contracts, and separate them from the revenue stream of the travelers transactions. The generation of reliable contract types that classify users more accurately has significantly simplified the insights analysis by the airport staff. JMS user-friendly dashboard and web-based availability factor in the ease of operations management: the airport personnel can now access to clear, actionable information to drive present business decisions and future strategies.
HUB Middle East team and local partner Integrated Prism supported the airport staff along the installation phase, troubleshooting during the data import from the previous PMS to the new JMS, and provided both remote and onsite assistance.
The partnership is founded on solid grounds, and will thrive in supporting prestigious customers like the Baghdad International Airport.
“We choose HUB Parking for Baghdad Airport client regardless of the competition, due to the quality of the products and the precision of the manufacturing with the highest quality and technology - adding to the extensive support from HUB Parking team. Choosing HUB has helped us as a system integrator to save on maintenance and troubleshooting expenses: after the installation and commissioning, the system does not need for maintenance, which keeps costs very low”. Fakar Al Obaidi, CEO Integrated Prism for IT and Security solutions.
About HUB Parking Technology
HUB Parking Technology is the Business Unit of the FAAC Group that develops software and intelligent mobile solutions produces, installs, and supplies hardware and after-sales services for the professional management of paid parking spaces. HUB Parking Technology offers flexibility, competence, and personalized and widespread assistance at a local level, combined with the capacity, network, and strength of a global operator. Over the years, the company has constantly innovated to develop state-of-the-art systems and integrated value-added solutions that make parking efficient for users, and profitable, and easy for operators to manage.
For more information about HUB Parking Technology, visit: www.hubparking.com
