How to convince senior managers to adopt car park management solutions Organisational resistance to change can occur at senior management tiers and across service-level operational teams – here’s how to work around that and convince senior managers to adopt car park management solutions. Explore more Resistance to change Organisational resistance to change can occur at senior management tiers and across service-level operational teams. It can be difficult for Facility Managers and General Managers to effect directional changes they are sure will benefit the business even downwards, never mind up. Often being able to leverage a deep understanding of essential daily challenges on the ground, as well as having good strategic oversight in understanding how to achieve positive change, GMs and FMs can really drive business success. If only they had more senior director buy-in… People view change as a potential risk. This is wired into human DNA. However, it’s worth realising that those working at director level or higher, especially in senior sales or operations director roles, are in-situ to boost business performance. Dr. Ajit Kambil, Global Research Director for Deloitte LLP’s CFO program, noted in a WSJ piece: “They are hired to improve a company, business unit or functional area, not maintain the status quo. This requires executives to catalyse change in organizations. New execs must identify/start new change initiatives or get transformational projects on track. They have to reorganize their own group and upgrade talent, structure, systems and processes.” When instigated properly, change is good. It is opportunistic change that connects businesses to new and better working methods, produces cost-saving benefits and drives home the promises of technological transformation. This can apply across an organisation, from change/technology-oriented departments like IT to more tactical ops-tasked service delivery experts like Facilities Management. One innovation that has really lightened the load on FM teams is automation; in particular the concept of the ANPR-enabled car park – the adoption of technology to deliver smart car park management. No longer must site staff or maintenance technicians waste valuable time in handling parking complaints resulting from mis-managed parking areas, or payment collections and space allocation. They’re covered by camera technology, virtual parking permits, smart barriers and the like. ANPR parking produces an 80% improvement in parking compliance over a 3-month period, as well as a 40% increase in space availability. Furthermore, the Daily Telegraph found through a reader poll that 44% of motorists find parking stressful and just 20% said it was stress-free. ANPR makes it a worry-free experience, thereby greatly contributing to a reduction in complaints you will need to deal with daily. The latest parking innovations reduce operational costs of the car park to near zero, whilst also having the potential to boost parking revenues. That income, which can typically deliver a 40% increase in parking revenues (when assessed across our own portfolio of client accounts), can be reinvested into repair/upkeep costs such as resurfacing or lighting, reducing pressure on overworked, cash-strapped maintenance teams. The extra income alone is an incentive for FM teams to argue the case for ANPR at facilities under their care, never mind the reduced workload hours. Achieving operational effectiveness by gaining senior management buy-in Making a convincing ROI proposal and then delivering it to upper management can be challenging but rewarding. We have created an article that covers this subject in a little more depth building on the points below – click here. Offer reciprocity Clarify the value Be confident in your delivery Ground your proposal with facts and evidence The ‘if you, then I’ phrase Always have an answer How to Get Management Buy-In: Stakeholder Tips from the Experts When managed properly, introducing change into a company is a necessary and productive practice that has the potential for marked growth and development. Far too often, however, change is viewed as a risk. Management may respond with push back because they view the company as being able to function efficiently already. Read more
