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Indiana University
How Parker Technology Keeps Indiana University’s Parking in Motion
< 88 Seconds
Call Handle Time
< 14 Seconds
Call Wait Time
At a Glance
As parking has evolved at Indiana University to meet campus standards and challenges of a large and diverse campus community, Travis Leake, IU’s Parking Operations Facilities Coordinator, shared his insights on the significant role Parker Technology has played at enhancing IU’s parking experience.
Location
Bloomington, Indiana
Industry
University/College
The Challenge
Between staffing limitations, complex permit systems, and frustrated customers, Indiana University needed a solution with revenue and customer service in mind.
The Solution
IU utilizes Parker Technology 24/7 to help keep traffic moving, and gather information for revenue collection.
In 2024, Indiana University proudly embraced its new brand statement: “Bring on Tomorrow.” As one of the Midwest’s most recognized Big Ten universities, IU understands that the campus experience begins and ends with parking—the first and last impression for every visitor.
Upholding this brand promise through seamless parking operations has never been more essential. But for years, Indiana University’s parking was a juggling act: a multitude of permits, peak-hour traffic, and endless booth staffing challenges.
But with a sprawling, vibrant campus that never sleeps, IU needed a parking solution that could keep up with the pace.
As parking has evolved at Indiana University to meet campus standards and challenges of a large and diverse campus community, Travis Leake, IU’s Parking Operations Facilities Coordinator, shared his insights on the significant role Parker Technology has played at enhancing IU’s parking experience.
The Journey: Navigating a Complex Parking Landscape
Travis Leake, Facilities Coordinator, has been a part of Indiana University’s (IU) Parking Operations for over two decades, and has witnessed firsthand the daily challenges of managing parking at a busy university.
IU’s parking landscape serves a diverse community—students, staff, faculty, and visitors—each with different needs, permit types, and rules. As time went on, IU saw the need to move to automated parking management, a move that would require many moving pieces to change. Before IU’s transition, Leake and his team relied on booth attendants to handle issues, a method that often fell short during high-traffic times or staff shortages.
“It was a longtime goal of ours to automate our facilities. While it took us several years to make the move, we have been fully automated now for a year. Prior to automation, we spent a lot of our time hiring and scheduling staff."
IU’s parking team recognized that the move to automation and eliminating booths couldn’t happen without a strong support system to prevent any traffic flow disruption – disruptions that risked frustration among parkers and could create unnecessary delays. When IU began exploring solutions, they sought out Parker Technology to keep their university’s parking moving.
Challenges of IU’s Traditional System
Problem 1
Staffing Limitations and Revenue Leaks
Before automation, IU’s parking booths required constant staffing. As Leake explained, staff shortages would often result in lifting gates and allowing vehicles to leave without paying, resulting in major revenue leaks. “I was always hiring people,” Leake mentions.
Problem 2
Complex Permit System
IU’s parking system is intricate, with many different permit types and rules, which added complexity to visitor interactions at exits and required substantial staff time to manage. “We are extremely complicated with a many different permits and many different rules,” Leake explained.
Problem 3
Customer Frustration
When parkers experienced issues, delays could lead to frustration – with long lines. This made it challenging to provide high-quality service without allocating tons of resources and manpower into parking.
Moving to a fully automated solution was necessary to meet the needs of IU’s evolving campus, but the team knew that they would need strong customer service and troubleshooting capabilities to match.
Why Parker Technology?
A Fast Solution That Kept Traffic Moving
IU’s primary concern with customer service was implementing a solution to keep lanes moving without needing to staff a booth attendant – and with 44% of calls being related to revenue, Parker Technology’s solution met these standards without significant staffing costs.
“My biggest priority when we went fully automated was that I did not want huge, long lines and everybody stuck in a garage. And Parker has done a stellar job of keeping traffic moving through,” Leake explains.
Data Utilization
With Parker Technology’s solution, IU’s team also has a wealth of information and data to utilize. “We look at call history every day. We’re in the back end every single day, for billing, what occurred, for who are abusing the system, and to fix those issues.”
Two-Way Video
With Parker Technology’s solution positioned at garage exits, visitors could reach Parker Technology’s representatives immediately when they encountered issues.
With patented two-way video, parkers felt more at ease and encountered less issues as opposed to a non-video solution. “I don’t think people understand the value, the difference between seeing somebody there, with human-to-human contact. You see somebody there, trying to help you out, trying to keep you calmed down.”
Adaptable Support for Complex Permits
Using IU’s unique business rules, Parker Technology understood IU’s unique operational requirements, and adapting their solution to IU’s intricate permit system. This allows call center representatives to effectively assist parkers in need, collect payment information, and keep traffic moving even in challenging situations.
Proactive and Responsive Customer Service
IU’s team was impressed by Parker Technology’s commitment to responsiveness and reliability.
"We have quarterly meetings, and I love how quickly Parker’s representatives respond, or when I need to email Tammy or technical support. Parker’s team is top notch. I'm extremely happy."
The Results
Since integrating Parker Technology, IU has reaped both operational and experiential benefits.
1000+
# of times Parker Technology assisted in rev. collection
< 14 Seconds
Call Wait Time
< 88 seconds
Call Handle Time
44%
Revenue Related Calls
“With Parker Technology, I still have that [virtual] person in the booth. We couldn't do it without them. We would be driving around putting out fires all day long, it would be awful.”
Looking Ahead: A Lasting Partnership with Parker Technology
With Parker Technology’s support, IU’s transition to a fully automated parking system has been a success. Reflecting on the journey, Leake is confident in the decision.
“Our system simply wouldn’t work without Parker Technology. We’d still be hiring booth attendants and dealing with endless issues. Now, we have a system that works smoothly, and we know we can rely on Parker Technology to keep it that way.”
Learn more about how Parker Technology can give you peace of mind in your facility’s operation.
Check out our other articles about how we’ve assisted similar universities, or reach out to our team to get the conversation started.