Zeag Wi-Fi Parking Solution Saves |
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Region: United Kingdom Industry: Healthcare Solution:
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Wirral Hospital provides a comprehensive range of efficient, high quality healthcare services from two main hospital sites – Arrowe Park Hospital in Upton and Clatterbridge Hospital in Bebington. It is one of the biggest and busiest acute NHS trusts in the region, with a workforce of almost 6,000 staff serving around 400,000 people across the Wirral peninsula, Ellesmere Port and Neston.
With over 1,250 visitors each month, Wirral Hospital needed to upgrade and unite two car parking systems and facilities at Arrowe Park Hospital and Clatterbridge Hospital. They set about identifying a new parking solution that would not only connect and improve the existing parking facilities and software management, but do so with minimal disturbance to staff, patients and visitors. The new system would provide the connection required, but also make the parking experience easier for visitors and for staff to monitor parking and equipment. The new system would need to make car parking more profitable for the hospital. After reviewing their options, Wirral Hospital chose to work with Zeag because of its innovative approach to their requirements.
Eliminating the Need for Costly Groundworks
“One of the biggest costs associated with car parking facilities is the need for groundworks, whether this is to connect to the existing network or to supply electricity to payment stations or barrier gates,” said Ray Hodgson, Director, Zeag. “To connect the two sites, with limited disruption, but also with limited expenditure, we implemented a Wi-Fi parking system at both hospitals, eliminating the need for further groundworks across several car parks.”
Zeag used Wirral Hospital’s existing Wi-Fi network to implement the Pay on Foot Parking Revenue System. When entering the car park, visitors use the Zeag-OrionXR exit and entry barriers and pay stations. The Zeag Management Software (ZMS) suite connects over the Wi-Fi network to transmit ticket numbers and entry time from the OrionXR products. When exiting the car park, details of how long the visitor has stayed, what the tariff is for that length of stay and how much to charge is all communicated over Wi-Fi from the payment station to the control station.
“Zeag’s innovative solution made it possible for the entire implementation of equipment and software to take only four weeks,” said Bob Jones, Design Manager, Wirral Hospital. “The cost savings of using Wi-Fi for this project saved the Hospital tens of thousands of pounds. Rather than spending weeks on groundworks, we’ve seen a return on investment (ROI) in the timeframe expected. We now have in place a professional and innovative system that’s able to generate an alternative source of income for the Hospital.”
Improved Equipment Means Straightforward Parking
Zeag installed the Zeag-OrionXR equipment to provide a straightforward parking system to maximise profits and minimise costs at Wirral Hospital. The system is reliable, advanced, secure and flexible to give visitors a simple parking experience. Products installed include:
OrionXR entry and exit machines to give a fast and sleek barrier experience. Not waiting for tickets to be issued gives a better first impression and helps prevent entry and exit queues.
OrionXR Pay Stations to securely accept a vast range of payment methods including coins, bank notes, prepaid cards, bank cards, credit cards, smart cards, pre-coded credit tickets and tokens. Wirral Hospital decided to use the Pay Station to only accept coins and notes on this site and returning change according to the station’s specification by coins. The station’s self-replenishing coin processing system checks and sorts up to 6 different coin denominations; bank notes are checked by a bank note accepting system and can recycle up to 3 different denominations.
The Pay Stations are protected by a multi-level locking system for maximum security. Multiple copies of the coded information are stored on the magnetic stripe to maintain excellent media readability. Segmental evaluation of data blocks and error correction logic guarantee high operational security. Fraudulent media with false and/or insufficient data are detected, rejected and retained by the system; similarly tickets that have not been taken by users are retrieved and retained. Transaction data is stored with power failure protection by means of a buffer battery for maximum security and data protection.
Zeag Management Software (ZMS) is the brain of the Zeag solution providing an eye into any problems and the management information needed to run the Wirral Hospital parking facility efficiently.
All Pay Stations, entry and exit stations and barriers can be viewed on a single screen, complete with status details on all. Any problems are instantly flagged up on screen with audible alerts if necessary. Upcoming maintenance, such as ticket levels, can also be seen, allowing even the most complex parking operation to be monitored by a single manager.
Statistics from these machines are collated to provide unparalleled management information on occupancy, busy times, monies taken etc. Correct use of this information can improve revenues significantly and also provide clients with useful information on footfall.
“The installation and equipment is first class. Servicing, attendance, backup and support is exactly what they promised in their tender. The team is very professional – from the moment we chose Zeag, timescales and promises were met.”
Bob Jones, Design Team, Wirral University
Parking Improvements and Connections Provide Quick ROI
By using an innovative Wi-Fi solution, Zeag was able to save Wirral Hospital thousands of pounds by eliminating the need to install underground duct work for data and intercom cabling for the parking equipment. Furthermore, both hospitals were connected by the ZMS solution, allowing visibility of all car parking facilities from one central location.
“At Zeag, we look at new innovative parking solutions that are suitable for our customers,” said Hodgson. “Not all car parking solutions require a standard solution so by having the vision to adapt our technology, equipment and services, we are able to supply the end user with a tailored solution to meet their needs and add more revenue to the bottom line.”
“Every hospital needs more money and parking can be a source of this extra revenue,” said David Jones, Chief Sales Officer, Zeag. “By installing and maintaining reliable and secure parking facilities, we are able to help generate this income without the headaches that can be involved.”
“Zeag UK provided a very competitive quotation and it was obvious they had looked at our situation by providing a system to suit our needs.”
Bob Jones, Design Team, Wirral Hospital
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