Employee transportation software helps employers manage how staff travel to work. It is a fledgling category which is growing rapidly. There are lots of different types of solutions including:
– Employee parking management software
– Shuttle bus software
– Commuter engagement software
– Carpooling & vanpooling software
– Micromobility software (bike-sharing, e-scooters etc.)
– EV software
Businesses are slowly realizing that they need to take a more active role in managing how staff get to work. This is leading to many companies taking their first steps into this category. However, what should you buyers expect in the future?
Check out this handy guide which will help you futureproof your buying decisions.
1. COVID has changed the game – data is now king
Before the pandemic, commuter management was like trying to figure out how to get more sardines in the can.
There wasn’t enough parking space to cater for demand. At the same time companies were under pressure to give up space for active travel initiatives
COVID has changed all of this forever. Most people realize that they will never work in an office five days a week ever again. Experts tend to agree that a blended approach will emerge as commonplace post-COVID.
This will see people working from home a few days a week and from home for the remainder. This is raising new challenges for companies.
Previously it was about getting as many people into as little space as possible. Now it’s about making sure that a company is managing the needs of a flexible workforce while looking to reduce real estate spend.
This is signalling a big change for employee transport solution providers. Companies are now taken the transport management features as a given. Their real reason for purchasing is the data. They need to create visibility of how and when employees are travelling.
This is vital information in the short-term to manage health & safety. In the medium term it understanding exactly how many people are parking, cycling etc. on a daily basis is key. This will give businesses the insights they need to make strategic decisions about downsizing their office
2. Parking is the quickest win
The hub for employee transport in most companies is the parking lot. Many employers looking to make changes in employee transport ignore the car park.
There is a feeling out there that parking is bad for the environment so companies need to look for alternatives. While this makes a lot of sense, moving forward companies are going to start realizing that real change starts in the car park.
Carpooling, vanpooling, micro-mobility, electric vehicles all need somewhere to park. Using parking management software to get a strong hold of your employee car park is going to become key.
This will allow companies to chart out how much space they need for other mobility initiatives. Creating a strong foundation to accelerate commuters away from single occupancy cars.
3. Buy best specialist products
A lot of buyers in this space are purchasing for the first time. When you are buying a product for the first time, there can be a temptation to buy cheap & broad.
What I mean by this is companies aren’t sure of ROI in the space so value is a leading consideration. They also aren’t sure exactly what they need so often will end up buying from a vendor who seems to do a little bit of everything.
There is massive learnings here from the world’s biggest technology companies in Silicon Valley. They have been buying in this space for quite some time and one trend is apparent.
They are buying the best specialist products to solve their problems. Advancing technological developments means integrating products is now very easy.
As we move forward this is going to become more and more pronounced. When given a choice between a best in class parking management software which integrates with the best carpooling software or a one-size fits all solution which isn’t as powerful, companies are going to choose the best in class integrated solution. Simply put this is an impact purchase and companies will start to favor the most impactful solutions.
4. Will infrastructure projects change your needs?
A lot of emphasis is being placed on micro-mobility as the saviour of commuters. Many futurists predict a world where we all get to work on e-bikes and scooters.\
However, what many of these people fail to understand is the journey range of these vehicles. Recommended journey distance for an e-bike is around 8km, while scooters are seen as options for couple of kilometres.
This doesn’t mean that these mobility solutions don’t have a role in the commuter mix. They are just very much solutions for the final leg of journeys.
For these modes to make a big difference for you company, you will be dependent on public transport to do most of the heavy lifting. As micro-mobility grows, access to shared solutions near public transport hubs is going to become key for businesses.
Looking for some real-life examples? Check out how companies like Colliers International, Version 1 & Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt have solved their parking problems.
5. Legislation is coming, get ahead of the game
There is a lot to be gleaned from the USA. They are probably a solid decade ahead of the rest of the world in this space. Why?
It’s simple really – legislation. Most large US urban districts have transport quotas for large employers. This is also known as TDM (Transport Demand Management) targets. Companies sit down with local government and agree targets on how their staff will get to work. They are then fined if they do not hit these targets.
The knock-on effect of this is that most large corporations in the USA have full-time commuter management teams. These people obsess over how people get to work and how they can improve the experience.
This style approach is starting to gain traction around the world. Businesses & workers realize that how we travelled to work pre-COVID didn’t work for people or the environment.
Transport quotas are coming for your company. By building out your transport software and building datasets now, you can get ahead of the game and ensure you manage this process when it comes to your country.
Join industry leaders from companies like Sanofi, Indeed.com & CBRE, schedule a demo with Wayleadr.com today and solve your parking problems in the click of a button.
