🚗Permit Management - ParkAdmin

• Permit Search
• Permit Switch
• Awaiting Payment - Permits
• Using the Basic Waitlist Report
• Managed Waitlist
• Setting Permit State for a Lost or Stolen Permit
• Altering the Price of Unpaid Standard Permits
• Selling Permits Using Tablet Kiosks with OPS-COM
• QR Code User Experience
• Real-Time Parking Map
• QR Code Guest Temporary Permitting
• Parking Logix - Parking Sensor Integration
• Pay Station Status
• Zebra Sticker Printers
• Printing Permit from Home Setup
• Validator Admin Groups
• Public-Facing Lot Pages
• Validate Parking Report
• Managing Validator Records
• Branding the Validator Tool
• The Validator - a Parking Validation Utility
• Apply Temp Permit to User Vehicles
• LPR Audit Log
• Viewing and Editing LPR Events
• Improve LPR Read Rates
• Text2ParkMe - Active Permits
• Text2ParkMe - Usage
• Refundable Parking Deposits
• Access Cards - Search
• Hang Tag Printing
• Temporary Permit Printing
• Releasing a Permit
• Clearing Items Awaiting Payment - Midnight List
• Permit Waitlist Feature Overview
• Rollover: Auto Selection and Automatically Processing Payments
• Preventing Permit Rollover after Cancellation
• Enabling Permit Rollovers without Previous Payment
• Feature Overview - Rollover/Renew Permits
• Single Allocate
• Setting Up A Lot To Be Visible and Available To The End User
• Permit Sales Window Management
• Adding Permits to a Lot (Allocation)
• Setup Lots to Use Text2ParkMe
• Permit Allocations
• Planning Lot Groups and Lot Zones
• Setting Up for Event Parking
• Pricing and Lot Admin
• Lot Visibility Options
• Using Permit Proration
• Archiving and Restoring Permits
• Flex Permits
• Lot Passwords

Permit Search

In Parking Management, hover over the Permit Management icon and click 'Permit Search':

Enter the search criteria. If you are looking for Archived Permit Data, enable the checkbox.  Click the 'Retrieve' button.  The results will display below the search criteria.

Toggle More Options

Additional permit search options can be found under the "Toggle More Options" button and you can pin these additional options so they appear on the default permit search page next time without having to go into the toggle more options area.

Example:

Include Only Active

You are also able to search by active permits only using the Include Only Active Permits check box. 

A drop-down menu allows administrators to pick from a variety of reports to be generated. Select the report you want and click the 'Perform Selected Action' button.

The reports include:

• • Generate Mailing List (from listed data)
  • Generate User Usage Report
  • Send Email to Permit Users
  • Generate Status Report
  • Generate Permits for Printing

The  Clock link displays the Permit History screen that shows the entire permit history and links to the permit details and transaction history for that specific permit. If the permit has been rented by more than one user, you will see more than one user listed here.

The Toggle Availability column indicates whether or not that specific permit is visible on the user side. If the checkbox is enabled, the permit is visible to purchase. If the checkbox is disabled, the permit is not visible for purchase. Permits can be marked 'Visible' individually or in bulk by using the 'Mark all Available' or 'Mark all Not Available' buttons. Click the 'Update Records' button to save any changes made.

The Reserved/Rented link displays details about the user who has reserved/rented the permit with a link to view/edit their profile and a link to email the specific user. Reserved means that the permit has been requested but there is no payment made or promise to pay on file yet. Rented means the permit has been reserved and a promise to pay is on file.

Permit Counts Explained

When viewing your Permits either in permit search or the listing in Permit Allocate there is a legend across the top that indicates a count for various states of permits in the lot.

• Total = Total found by search
• Requested = State is Good, Payment is Null, User associated to permit
• Rented/Reserved = State is Good, Payment associated (doesn't have to be processed)
• Visible To User = State is Good, Lot & Permit is Visible, No user associated
• Visible to Admins = State is Good, Lot OR Permit is Hidden, No User associated
• There's an option that is available that may show another number with Visible to Admins:
  State is Good, Lot OR Permit is Hidden, User IS associated.
• Unavailable = State is Not Good or Valid Or Usable.

The Release link allows administrators to disassociate a permit from a user. This allows it to be resold.

Take Note

The switch link allows administrators to change the permit number associated with a user. The Permit Number link displays the 'Parking Permit Information' screen. On this screen you can change the Permit State and look at the User Profile associated with this permit. You can also see the Payment Details. If the payment has been received you can click on the 'Processed Date' link to view more details. Click the 'Update Permit State' button to save any changes you make. 

Permit Switch

Performing Permit Switches Between Permits

Select the lot that the user's permit is currently in, and select their current permit number. 

In the Current Permit field select the permit number you wish to switch. In the New Permit Lot we select the lot that we are switching the permit to.  

Permits that are already rented by other users will appear with a color highlight along with the username who owns the permit as you can see in the image below.
The Blue highlight indicates the line item you are hovering over in order to make your selection.

The resulting screen will look like this image seen below when the permits have been selected. Click on Switch two permits to enact the process.

You can review the changes and select weather to choose the Full Price or Prorated Price. You need to complete the Reason for Action and click the Switch User Permit button to confirm the changes. 

If the permit values are the same then the differences will not display, however, if the values are not the same then you will be shown the difference between both the prorated and the full price of the permits being switch. 

Once the permit switch has been completed you a new window will display. 

Important Things To Note:
Notice there is a cost difference between the two lots. The system will calculate the difference. In this case the lot we are moving to is less cost resulting in a credit that is listed at the bottom of the screen in Green. The credit will show in the users profile as follows.

 

Moving Permits from One User to the Next

Moving permits from one user to the next will not carry over any invoices. 

In this scenario, we are switching permit number between James Rockwood (Permit 60) with Mashbury (Permit 59). Start by searching for your current permit holder and click Search followed by Select. 

All of the permits that user currently owns will be displayed along with the second user search input field. Select the permit you want to switch and add the second user to the search field followed by Search 

Click Move Permit followed by Ok to confirm the permit move. In this example we will be moving the permit 59 to James Rockwood. 

The permit will be automatically moved from the selected user to the next after the confirmation alert box has been confirmed.

Awaiting Payment - Permits

Awaiting Payment Report

To begin hover over the 'Permit Management' icon and click 'Awaiting Payment'.

The 'Permits Awaiting Payment' screen is displayed. 

The Envelope icon allows administrators to email that user if an email is on file.

The Profile icon allows administrators to view/edit the user's profile.

The 'Email Listed' button allows administrators to send a single email message to all users listed in the table.
You will be prompted to enter your message for the body of the email and attach any files to the message.
After you send the the email you will get a confirmation that the Mail message has been queued for delivery.

You may also want to list awaiting payment by lot. Select the lot you wish to report on from the drop down menu.

From this same screen you can generate an exported file. Used the highlighted buttons to export to Excel, csv,PDF or copy to clipboard. You may also send the report to print from here.

The permit number link allows administrators to view/edit permit details and process payments.

Using the Basic Waitlist Report

The Basic Waitlist Report provides OPS-COM administrators with a centralized view of all users currently on waiting lists, organized by parking lot. This report is a crucial tool for managing demand, enabling easy access to user profiles, facilitating communication, and streamlining the process of offering permits to waitlisted individuals.

Setup & Configuration

Before users can join a waitlist or their data appears in this report, waitlist functionality must be properly configured within your OPS-COM system.

Admin Side

• Enabling Waitlists for Lots: Instructions for enabling waitlists for specific lots can be found on the Pricing & Lot Admin page, under the Standard Permits section. Waitlists can be set up for individual lots or configured as grouped waitlists that cover multiple locations.
• "Only Allow Waiting List after lot is Full" Setting: This setting determines whether users will see the option to join a waitlist even before all permits for a designated lot are sold out, or only once the lot reaches full capacity. 

User Portal

You can configure the option to allow users to see their rank on the waitlist or not. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Hover over System Configuration and click System Settings.
   
2. On the Permits tab, find and enable the Show Waiting List Rank checkbox.
3. Refer to this page to see the User Experience.

Using the Basic Waitlist Report

1. Hover over Permits, then Waiting Lists, and click Waitlist Report.
2. On the Waitlist Report screen, Administrators can view/edit details about a user waiting to purchase a permit in a specific lot.

3. This screen allows the admin to quickly see:

   • The user's Rank on the waiting list
   • The date they were added to the waiting list
   • The user's name
   • Their user type
   • Their city
   • Phone Number
   • Comments
   • The lot they are waiting for a permit in

If the record is highlighted in blue, the user does not currently have a permit assigned to them. 
If the record is highlighted in yellow, the user does currently have a permit assigned but has not yet purchased it. 

Available Actions & Buttons

• The User Profile icon allows administrators to view and edit the user's profile. This is also the primary link administrators would use if they wanted to sell a permit to the user who is on the waiting list (click the User Profile icon and then the Parking Tab within their profile).
• The Add button allows administrators to add comments specific to the waitlist record. If a comment already exists, an edit link will appear, allowing administrators to update the comments on file.
• The Toggle Selections button allows administrators to select all records displayed in the report simultaneously. You can also make individual record selections by enabling the checkbox to the left of each record.
• The Export to Excel button exports the entire table as an Excel spreadsheet for further analysis or record-keeping.

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Best Practices & Considerations

• Develop Business Rules: Organizations should establish clear business rules for when to remove a user from the waitlist, such as after a user has been emailed an offer, or after a permit has been successfully purchased and processed.
• Proactive Management: Regularly review the Waitlist Report to identify users who are next in line and to manage available permits efficiently.
• Communication: Use the report to facilitate communication with waitlisted users, either individually or in bulk (using the export function for email lists, for example).
• User Experience: If Show Waiting List Rank is enabled, ensure users understand what their rank means and how it might change.

Managed Waitlist

The OPS-COM Managed Waitlist system automates the process of assigning available permits to waitlisted users. When a permit becomes available, the system reserves it, notifies designated administrators, and allows them to assign it to a user, who then has a specific timeframe to complete the purchase before the permit is released back to the waitlist.

Setup & Configuration

1. Hover over System Configuration and click System Settings.
   
2. Click the Permits tab. 
3. Find and enable the Enable Managed Waitlist checkbox.

4. Enter admin emails into the Waitlist Email Managers field. Multiple email addresses can be separated by commas. These email addresses will be notified when a permit becomes available for waitlisted users.

5. Enter the amount of time that is being given to users to purchase permits in the Waitlist Reservation Duration box. This value is measured in days.

Enabling the Managed Waitlist setting makes the core waitlist system active, but you must still enable waitlists on individual lots for them to be used.

Enabling Waitlists on Individual Lots

• Enabling Waitlists for Lots: Instructions for enabling waitlists for specific lots can be found on the  Pricing & Lot Admin page, under the Standard Permits section. Waitlists can be set up for individual lots or configured as grouped waitlists that cover multiple locations.
• "Only Allow Waiting List after lot is Full" Setting: This setting determines whether users will see the option to join a waitlist even before all permits for a designated lot are sold out, or only once the lot reaches full capacity. 

User Side Setup and Experience

You can configure the option to allow users to see their rank on the wait list or not. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Hover over System Configuration and click System Settings.
   
2. On the Permits tab, find and enable the Show Waiting List Rank checkbox.
3. Refer to this page to see the User Experience.

Waitlist Email Templates

There is a standard email template you can configure for communicating with your users.  To learn more about working with email templates, refer to this wiki article. 

Working with the Managed Waitlist

Assigning a User a Permit from the Waitlist

When a permit becomes available in a lot with a waitlist the admin will be notified via the email address that was setup for Waitlist Email Managers. The permit will be reserved for assignment to users on the waitlist.

To assign the permit to a specific person on the waitlist, follow the instructions below.

1. Hover over Parking Management, then Waiting Lists, and click Waiting List. 
   
2. On the Waiting List screen, select Assign to associate the selected user to the permit you wish them to have.

Releasing or Extending an Assigned Permit

If the amount of time you set in the Waitlist Reservation Duration passes and the user hasn't purchased a permit, the admin will be sent an email. The admin has the option to Release the permit, so that it can be assigned again or to Extend the users time to pay for the permit. To do this:

1. Return to the Waiting List page, and select the Permit icon beside the username.
   
   

   

   
   
2. From the Parking Permit Information page, select Release Permit or click Extend to add 10 more days.
   
   

   

   Additional Waitlist Management Actions

   • The Remove Selected From Waiting List button allows administrators to remove individual or multiple records from the waitlist.
   • The Email All Listed Users button allows administrators to send a single email message to all users currently displayed in the table.
   • The Email Selected Users button allows administrators to send an email only to those users they have individually selected.
   • The Export to Excel button exports the entire waitlist table as an Excel spreadsheet for further analysis or external use.

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   Best Practices & Considerations

   • Clear Communication: Customize the Waitlist Selected email template to clearly inform users about the permit offer, the purchase deadline, and next steps.
   • Defined Process: Establish internal procedures for managing permit offers, extensions, and removals from the waitlist to ensure consistency and fairness.
   • Monitor Email Managers: Ensure the email addresses in Waitlist Email Managers are actively monitored by the appropriate staff to facilitate prompt assignment and follow-up.
   • Waitlist Reservation Duration: Set a realistic and fair reservation duration, balancing user convenience with the need to quickly reassign permits if offers are not taken up.
   • Leverage Reporting: Use the Waitlist Report and export features to analyze demand, identify trends, and refine your permit allocation strategies.

Setting Permit State for a Lost or Stolen Permit

This process will explain how to set the state of a permit to lost. It will also illustrate the process of switching the user to a new permit prior to setting the the permit state to lost and still be able to track it in the system. It would also be possible to reinstate the permit if it were ever returned or physically recreated.

If you are doing this process during a busy sales period you may want to be ultra safe by hiding the permit so it doesn’t get bought during the brief moment it will be released from the owner during the switch process.

Setting the permit to Lost or stolen will essentially take the permit out of circulation and render it unavailable to both end user as well as Admin when performing any of the following:

• Permit Purchase or assigning from the Admin Portal
• Permit Purchase from the User Portal
• Permit Switching from the Admin Portal
  

Since setting the state to lost or stolen renders the permit unavailable in this manner, you must perform the permit switch to replace the lost or stolen permit for the user before setting the state to Lost or Stolen.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Let’s look at the fastest way to handle the permit switch.

1. Search for the permit number in quick search. In this case we are looking for PW21.
2. The search results will appear as follows. Click the Switch button to proceed.
3. The switch permit interface will open up. You current permit (PW21) will appear on the left. The right hand side of the screen will present a dropdown list where you can see your current permit in the list.
4. Simply select the permit you wish to switch the user to. In our case permit PW19 is our new choice.
5. It should look like this in the permit switch interface when PW19 is selected.
6. Click the Switch Permits button to proceed. As long as you are switching permits in the same lot there should be no cost associated with the switch.
7. Once the process is complete you will receive a popup notice.
8. Now we can set the old permit to lost or stolen state.
9. First search for the permit again in the Quick Search bar.
10. In the search result this time we will click on the permit number to get to and edit permit details.
11. Once in the permit details you will see where you can change the state of the permit.
12. Select from the list of Permit States. In our case we are selecting Lost. Lost or Stolen will basically have the same effect of rendering the permit unavailable. You do not have to additionally select Unavailable.
13. Once selected you will get a confirmation.
14. Once the state is set to Lost or Stolen it will not appear in the list of available permits both in the Admin portal as well as the User Portal.
15. As we see here: PW21 no longer in the list.
16. In Allocate permits the permit is now showing as lost. You can also see in this image the permit PW19 as being rented thereby confirming the user’s permit has been switched.

Altering the Price of Unpaid Standard Permits

Introduction

Sometimes it may be necessary to change the price of a standard permit before it has been paid for and processed.

In paid permits, this process requires the existing payment be adjusted. Before the permit has be paid, the change can be made directly to the permit reservation.

Changes made to the price of an unpaid permit will only affect the single booking for the current user. The general price of the permit will not be affected, and the next user who books the permit will have the default price assigned to their booking.

Permissions

For an admin to have the option to alter the price of an unpaid permit, they must have the proper permission enabled for their account.

Find the admin permissions page under the menu tree:

• System Configuration -> Admin Management -> Manage Roles

Open the permissions list for the admin type, and click the third menu option (with the vehicle).

The permission will be found near the bottom of the list.

It is called Edit Unpaid Permit Cost.

Admins with this role will now be able to edit the price of unpaid standard permits.

Editing Permit Prices

One the admin has the permission enabled, unpaid permits can be edited from two locations:

• Directly on the permit reservation page.
• From the permit info page.

Permit Reservation Page

When booking a permit for a user, admins with the permission enabled will see an edit cost button next to the permit cost.

Pressing the button will open the option to enter a new price for the permit.

The menu will show an area for the new price, and a comment about why the price is being updated.

The permit can then be booked as normal.

The permit will appear in the user's cart with the altered price.

Permit Info Page

Permits that have already been booked but not yet paid for can have their price edited by opening the permit info page. This page can be found by clicking on the name of a permit already in the user's cart.

This will open the permit info page.

Like the reservation page, admins with the correct permission enabled will see an edit cost button.

Clicking this will open the new cost menu.

The changed price can then be saved by pressing the update permit button.

Comments entered here or when the permit was reserved can also be found on the permit info page, located below the info box in the notes box.

Viewing Price Change History

Changes made to an unpaid standard permit will appear in the history section of the user's account.

The changes can be seen in recent history:

And the changes can also be seen in standard permit history:

Selling Permits Using Tablet Kiosks with OPS-COM

With the use of third-party apps, many tablets can be set up to act as kiosks. This means that an app or webpage can be “locked in place”, allowing users to use that page without being able to use the tablet’s other features. By combining this with OPS-COM’s guest permit links, permits can be sold from tablet kiosks.

Background: guest permits in OPS-COM

Although this is covered in other documentation pages, understanding guest permits in OPS-COM is essential for setting up kiosks, so it’s discussed briefly here.

Guest permits are a way for users to reserve temporary permits (i.e. daily or hourly permits) without having to create an account and log in. Users are given a URL (often a QR code) which sends them directly to a booking page for a specific lot. There, they enter their license plate, reserve a temp permit, and proceed through a checkout.

Each lot in OPS-COM has its own guest booking link for reserving temp permits. It can be accessed in the lot settings; go to Lot Administration → Pricing & Lot Admin, and click on the relevant lot name. Then, click on the Temporary Permits tab, and find the section with a QR code; the link is right below it:

This link is the page you’ll want to display on a kiosk.

How to set up the lot for temporary permits and guest booking is outside the scope of this document, but there are other articles which cover it. The rest of this article will cover how to set up a tablet to stay “locked into” this booking page, so it can be used as a kiosk.

Enabling kiosk compatible mode in OPS-COM

The first step is to enable “kiosk compatible” mode from the OPS-COM admin site. Go to System Settings → General System Settings and toggle the option for Enable Kiosk Compatible Mode.

This setting alters the guest checkout process in a few ways:

• Normally, after proceeding through a guest checkout, the user is directed to a receipt page. With this setting enabled, they are instead sent back to the booking page (a pop-up message tells the user whether their payment was successful or not). This way, the page is ready for the next person in line to reserve a permit.

• While on a guest booking page, the navigation menu which contains the login button is hidden. This is to prevent users from logging into an account on a public kiosk.

• While on a guest booking page, the site header and footer are hidden. This is because they sometimes contain links to other pages on the site, which might display the login button.

• Note that these changes only affect guest bookings; on any page that isn’t a guest booking link, the header and footer are still displayed, users can still log in, and when logged in they can reserve permits as they normally would.

Here is an example guest booking page (viewed on a tablet) with kiosk compatible mode disabled (top) and enabled (bottom):

Note: enabling kiosk compatible mode will also affect the experience for users making a guest booking on personal devices (for example, via QR code). For this reason, we recommend enabling this setting only if you intend to use kiosks.

Setting up a tablet as a kiosk

Now that you have a guest booking link, and have enabled the necessary setting in OPS-COM, it’s time to address the main problem: how to prevent users from leaving the booking page when they use the tablet kiosk.

There are many third-party applications that allow you to do exactly this, with varying degrees of control. For the purposes of this document, we’ll show one way this can be set up using a combination of a (free) app and some built-in features on Android. However, feel free to explore other options (“Android/iPad/Windows/etc. kiosk mode” is a good search starting point).

Setting up a kiosk browser on Android

On an Android tablet, go to the Google Play Store, and search “Fully Kiosk”. Find and download Fully Kiosk Browser & Lockdown:

When you first open the app, it will display some basic settings. Enter your guest permit booking link as the Start URL. Fullscreen Mode should be toggled on, while Show Action Bar and Show Address Bar should be off. Then click the “start” button.

You can access more settings in the browser by swiping from the left edge of the screen towards the middle:

If you wish to change which lot to offer parking at, the starting URL can be changed under Web Content Settings → Start URL. Some other settings to consider changing are:

• Web Browsing Settings → Enable Pull to Refresh and/or Load Start URL on Home Button: both these options allow easy ways for users to get back to the booking page if the previous user leaves mid-process. However, be aware that clumsy users may accidentally send themselves back to the starting page when they don’t intend to!

• Web Auto Reload → Auto Reload on Idle (setting this to 30 is recommended): this will automatically reload the start page after some seconds of inactivity, for example if the previous user leaves the kiosk mid-process. Be careful not to set this too short, or it may reload the starting page while the user fumbles for their card!

• Web Auto Reload → Auto Reload on Screen On: reloads the starting page when the tablet screen is powered on.

This only scratches the surface of the browser settings. Feel free to look more into this app (or other kiosk browser options), to see what else is possible.

Configuring built-in Android options

With the webpage locked in using a kiosk browser, the next step is to make sure users cannot leave the kiosk browser app. This can be done using built-in features in Android. The settings layout may vary slightly for different devices, but should be similar enough to follow these instructions.

First, make sure the device has a security PIN or password enabled. This can be done in the Settings app, under Lock screen.

Next, you’ll probably want to set the screen timeout to the maximum length possible. This can be done in the Settings app, under Display → Screen timeout.

Finally, we want to “pin” the kiosk browser app. Again, go to the Settings app, then go to Security and privacy → More security settings → Pin app (enable this option). Now tap the “recent apps” button (the three bars at the bottom left of the screen). Swipe up to close each app except for the kiosk browser. Tap on the icon for the for the kiosk browser app (on the open app, not at the bottom of the screen; see the picture below) and choose Pin this app.

There should now be a notification saying the app has been pinned:

Users will now be unable to exit the app; in order to do so, they would have to hold the “recent apps” and “back” buttons at the same time, then enter the device password.

QR Code User Experience

The User Experience

The user will scan the QR code with their phone

and be taken to the Purchase Permit page for that lot. Alternately, the user can use the direct link associated with the QR code (if provided)

Upon your first visit to the page, you will be prompted to accept the Guest Disclaimer.

Since the QR code is specific to the lot you wish to make a booking in, the lot will already be selected.

You must then enter your vehicle plate and the expected duration of your stay.

Once you have selected the plate and duration, you will need to select the payment method. In most cases, the list will only contain the payment provider you are supported by.

In this example, the payment method is EdgeExpress.

Note: the process from this point may vary slightly from one payment provider to another, but all follow a similar path.

At this point, you will be taken to the payment provider where you can enter your credit card information.

Once the needed information has been entered, tap on Make Payment to proceed.

Once the payment has processed, you will be presented with an on-screen transaction record.

The User Receipt

You will also be sent a receipt by email at this point.

Real-Time Parking Map

System Settings

To begin using Real-Time Map for a specific lot, you must set up the functionality in Lot Administration under the Temporary Parking tab. 

You must also create a page in System Messaging under the page tab.

The page you create needs to house two lines of short code:

[real-time-map] will display a google map style window
[real-time-legend] will display a legend indicating a definition of what the colors in the map marker represent

In the Zones and Locations Page, you must set a map marker. The color of the marker can be whatever you like in the configuration as the color will be controlled by the lot availability on the actual Real-Time map.
It is preferable to have a description, or information about the lot, in the Location field.

In the Temporary Permits tab it is essential to select the following:

• The Maximum number of Temp Permits
• You must select either of the 30 day settings which are: Allow temp permits to be used up to 30 days or Allow temp permits to be used over 30 days.

• If selecting the Over 30 Days setting, you must indicate a monthly cost in the Over 30 days Monthly Cost field (otherwise, nothing is required in this field)

• You must enter a Daily Cost

• You must enter Hourly costs. These can vary as required.

• You must also select the Allow this lot to appear on the Real-Time Parking Map checkbox.

Viewing the Real-Time Map from a Publicly Accessible Link

Once this information is configured you will be able to display the Real-Time Map by going to https://yourdomain.parkadmin.com/real-time.
Hovering over the map marker will display the Lot Name and the Location Description you configured above.

Clicking on the map marker will bring you to an interface that shows more information about the lot availability and present a button whereby you can purchase a permit.
Click on Book Now to continue.

Purchasing a Permit

This will bring you to the Permit Purchase screen where you can enter your vehicle plate number and select the length of time you wish to park.

Viewing the Real-Time Map from an Admin Portal Menu

Admins can also view the Real-time map from within the Admin Portal. To do so, go to the Parking Management menu and click on Real-Time Map.

The map will present itself in a similar fashion to the public view. 

Admins can click on the map markers to see stats on the lot.

Special Spots

Admins can indicate special spots in each lot. This information is displayed in the Real-Time Parking Map in the lot detail. As indicated this is informational only.
This information may contain such details as the number of spaces designated for special purposes. ie: Electric Vehicle Charging, Expectant Mothers, Handicapped Accessible, etc.

To configure the special spots go to the parking management menu and hover over Lot Administration. Select Manage Special Space Types.

The page will refresh with the list of special space types. Click on Add New to add a Special Space Type.

Enter the description of the Special Space type.

To add this information to a lot, go to Lot Admin for the specific lot you wish to add information to and select the General tab.

Enter the number of spaces available for each Special Space type.

This information will show on the public facing Real-Time Parking Map. 

QR Code Guest Temporary Permitting

Quick Steps to Configure Zero Dollar or Paid QR Codes

1. System Configuration ->Users ->Types - Make sure you have added the User Type of “Guest User” to the User Types in your system.

2. Continue to System Settings ->Temp Permits and select the checkbox to Enable QR Codes.

3. Parking Management ->Lot Administration ->Pricing and Lot Admin, choose the correct lot and then, under the General tab, select Guest User as the User Type for that lot. (Removing Guest User will shut off QR code functionality for that specific lot)

4. Continue to the Temporary Parking tab and select the checkbox “This lot is for temporary parking only”.

5. For Zero dollar or Free permitting, set your hourly and/or daily costs as $0.00 where applicable, otherwise, set the correct amounts for the timeframes that you wish your users to be able to select. 

6. Print, download, or click to copy the direct link to the QR code.

7. *Optional - Customize the look of the QR Code with your company logo by uploading the logo to the media bin then selecting it in the QR code configuration Logo field.

8. Click Update Lot and you are ready to post the QR code or provide the link to your users so they can easily scan, choose from the timeframes you have added, and add their license plate number to reserve their temp parking.

Configuring your Lots for QR Code Functionality

In order to have QR code functionality for each lot, you need to Enable QR Codes in System Settings under Temp Permits. You must then add the User Type of Guest User to the user types in your system.  Then in Lot Administration, choose the correct lot and under the General tab, select Guest User as a User Type for that lot. Removing Guest User will shut off QR code functionality for that specific lot.

To begin using QR codes for a specific lot, you must set up the functionality in Lot Administration under the Temporary Parking tab. As you can see below, the QR code is automatically generated when you create a lot.

You can customize the QR code of each lot with an image placed at the center. This image is typically your company logo which is used to brand the QR code.

Upload the logo you wish to use to the media bin, and you will then be able to select it through the Logo field in QR code configuration.

It is important to set your hourly costs in order for the user to be able to select the timeframe and cost they wish to book for.

Note: You can break down the pricing whatever way you wish. In the example below, the user has a choice of renting either all day or for one hour, both being free.

To print the QR code, click on the Print QR Code button. There is also an option to Download QR Code (as an SVG file), or you can click the direct link to copy it. The QR code and the direct link both point to the same guest permit reservation page for that lot.

Parking Logix - Parking Sensor Integration

Enable Parking Logix Integration

Before you can use the Parking Logix integration on your system you will need to navigate to your Third Party settings under System Settings.

From there you should see the option to enable Parking Logix Integration. 

Adding the Lot Group

Next, add a new lot group to your system making sure you include the API code. It is possible but unlikely that there will be multiple API keys if lot access is split over several keys. 

Create a specific group for each lot you will be collecting data from.

Once the Lot Group has been configured you would need to assign it to the lot on the LPR Settings Tab of the Lot Administration tool.

Enable the System Task

A system task must be enabled for the Parking Logix sensors to communicate with our system.

This must be enabled by OPS-COM integration staff and you can contact us through support to set this up. Please email support@ops-com.com for assistance.

Once the system task has been run you should see updated on the lot counts under Manage Parking Lot Groups

Displaying the Map on the User Side

Finally, enter the short code on the user side to any of your pages using System Messaging.

The short code is [parking_logix] and you can pass addition parameters such as: only, show, filter, or name.  This will restrict the list to show only specific lots.

By design, it will only show lots that have a group assigned to it that have an API key stored in it.

Pay Station Status

Searching Pay Station Status

To get to this report hover over Parking Management → Temporary Permits and click on Pay Station Status. From there you can click the blue Search button to get all results since or valid on the date that is entered in the Valid Date/Time field. 

Search Options

1. The Plate field is used to search for a specific plate. 
2. The Valid Date/Time field is used to search for records since or on the date that is supplied. 
3. The Zones field is used to search for specific zones that are associated with the lots and machines. 
4. The Sort Order will sort the individual column data and not shift the rows based on the data provided.
5. The Validity Filter will allow you to search between valid, non-valid, or all records. 

Vehicles displayed in the results list are able to be edited / viewed by clicking on the plate number. 

Zebra Sticker Printers

Creating the Template 

To use sticker printers you first need to create a new template to be used with the messaging. Start by going to the Templates & Design page under System Config. 

This will take you to the Layouts List page where you want to click the Create Layout button to create a new layout. This will bring up the Add Layout model window. 

Name the layout whatever makes sense for you, in this case I will be naming mine layout Zebra Printing. Click Save Changes when you are finished. 

Providing the Sections

Click Toggle Templates to bring up a list of the available sections we can create. For this template we only care about creating the Styles and Scripts sections. 

Copy the styling and scripts found below into each of the sections for the languages you wish to support. 

Creating the System Messaging

Next we will need to create the system message that uses our new layout. 

From the Manage System Messaging page click the Create Page/Message button

Complete the fields with the data shown below.

Next we need to include the shortcodes that will be used to display the actual permit information displayed on the sticker. To do this hover over the content box followed by Tools and click Source Code. 

Add the following text to the source code section of your message followed by Save when you are finished. 

Setup the Printer Drivers

This guide will show you how to set up the printer drivers on your machine. We will be showing you how this can be done on Windows machines. Start by going into the Windows Settings followed by Devices

Click Printers & Scanners as well as the printer you wish to manage followed by the Manage button. 

Select the Printer Properties and click the Stocks tab. From there you want to click the New... button to create a new stock to use for printing. 

Next we want to select the Printing Preferences followed by the new stock we just created.

Setup the Browser Print Settings

Before adjusting the browsers print settings we need to go into the layout template of system message and comment out the Scripts section so that the sticker is not automatically printed which will allow us to adjust these settings ourselves. 

Chrome

To make sure that the sticker prints properly on the chrome browser we need to adjust some of the printer properties. Below you can see some of the default properties that will cause problems when trying to print with your device. 

Make sure that you change these settings to match the image seen below 

Firefox

To make sure the sticker prints properly on the Firefox browser we need to go into the print settings from Firefox and adjust some of the properties. To do this click the hamburger followed by Print.

Next you should see some of the default settings used to print in Firefox as seen below. 

We want to adjust the fields so that they match all fields shown in the image below.

You should now be able to begin printing your new labels from the admin side.

Where to Print Permits

Printing permits from the admin side can now be done from the Parking Permit Information page by clicking the green print buttons next to the Update Permit button. 

Printing Permit from Home Setup

Setup Printable Permit Template 

Before you can allow your users to print from home you must setup the correct messaging under System Config → System Messaging, follow the instructions below on how to set this up 

Page Type

Once you are on the Manage System Messaging page make sure that you click the Messages tab before clicking Create Page/Message, if you forget to do this you will automatically be prompted to create a Page instead of a Message. 

You will know if you are creating a message by looking under the Page Type drop-down, make sure that Message is selected instead of Page. 

Page Title

You can set the title of the messaging to be whatever you like but we suggest to name it something obvious such as Permit Printing from Home or Print from Home. 

Setting the Correct Identifier

The Identifier field is important and must be a specific set of text to ensure that the messaging works as intended throughout the system. Make the identifier for your permit printing permitPdf

Creating the Print from Home Content

Important

Make sure that you are physically printing this message out to test and ensure that the layout is being displayed correctly. 

Available Permitpdf Shortcodes 

Shortcodes allow you to display dynamic content onto a static page. By providing these shortcodes we allow our users to customize their messaging however they would like. 

[permitpdf user=fullname]

[permitpdf vehicle=all] will show a comma separated list of vehicles up to 3.

[permitpdf vehicle=1] will show the first vehicle in the list. Available numbers include 1, 2, and 3

[permitpdf permit=expiry] the expiry of the permit

[permitpdf permit=permitno]

[permitpdf permit=lotshortname]

[permitpdf permit=lotname]

[permitpdf permit=location]

To print the permit information you must supply specific shortcodes such as permitpdf user=fullname, see a list below for the available permit print shortcodes that you can use. 

Permit Print Sample Content by Image

Below is an image of how we recommend you layout your permit printing as well as what shortcodes to use. 

Permit Print Sample Content by Source Code

If you would like to copy our permitPrint template you will need to copy the source code and paste it into your messages source code. See below on how you can edit the source code. 

How to Edit the Messaging Source Code 

To edit the source-code of your messages click into the body content which will make a grey editor box appear above the text. The source code can be edited by going to Tools → Source Code

Enabling Permit Print Settings 

To get to the System settings hover over the cog wheel at the top of the page and click System Settings. 

Select Permits and click Enable User Permit Printing 

How Users Print from Home

We have written a separate article that demonstrates how users can use the print from home functionality. Reference this article on Printing Permits from the User Portal to learn how printing permits from home can be done. 

Validator Admin Groups

User Level Capabilities within the Validator Tool

Here is a description of what each user level can do with the Validator Tool.

1. The Super Admin can set up new Groups with a Group Name, as well as assign Managers and Group Members. Only the Super Admin can add Managers and Admins. 

   1. Definition: The Super Admin will also be any Primary Admin with permissions in OPS-COM to manage the Validator; they can create groups and have the ability to add users to the group. The permissions that the Super Admin assigns to the individual group members will determine their access level on the system. All permissions must be added or removed by the Super Admin and cannot be done by any other user. 
      
      
2. The Super Admin will be able to see all current, pending, past and archived (deleted) validations.
   
   These are the permissions required to use the Super User Manager role. 
   
   

   

   
   
   
3. Group Managers and Admins will be able to see all of their Groups, current/pending validations and delete future/current validations up to the 15-minute mark of the Start Date. Group Managers can only manage one group at a time.
   1. Please note that deletions would only be available from the Manage Validations page.
      
      These are the permissions required to be the Validator Admin role:
      
      

      

      
      
      
4. The Super User will be able to delete any future, current, and past validations. 
   1. Please note that archived is considered deleted. Archived information is not purged from the system. This is due to the need to keep system data integrity.
      
      These are the permissions required to be the Validator Entry role:
      
      

      

User Level Display within the Validator Tool

Here is the description of what each user level can see in the Validator Report and Manage Validations tools.

1. The Super Admin will be able to see all Validator Groups via the drop-down menu of All/Individual Validators within each group. The Super Admin should be able to delete any entry at any time, pre or post validation. 
   
   

2. Group Managers will only be able to see their own Validator Groups within a drop-down of All/Individual Validators within their group. They will also be able to delete any entry pre-validation.
   
   

3. Admins will only be able to see and delete their own entries pre-validation or within a 15-minute leeway (as described below). 
   
   

4. Please set-up a 15-minute grace period on deletions. This will allow a current validation to be deleted up to 15-minutes past the start date, in the case of an input error. (Setting)
   
   

5. Users will be able to search for a partial or full plate, by entering the time period. No admin name or lot should be required. If the entry was made within the appropriate time period, it should show accordingly. If an Admin name is required then an All Admins option, and individual admins within their group are required.

How to create a Group

1. Navigate to Manage Groups under System Config.
   
   

   

   
   
   
2. This brings you to the Manage Administrator Roles page.
   
   

   

   
   
   

3. To create a group click on Add New Group and the Adding a new Group window will appear.
   
   

   

   
   
   

   Adding a new Group	Info
   1. Group Name	The Group Name is how you change the name of a group.
   2. Module	The Module is where you can set the purpose of the group.
   3. Validator Comment	The Validator Comment is a spot where you can add any comments that you need to.
   4. Admin Members	The Admin is the area in which you can add admin members to the group

4. When you are finished click the Save Group button. You will see your group added to the bottom of the Administrator Groups. 
   
   

   

   
   

How to Add Members to a Group

1. First, you will have to navigate to Manage Groups under System Config.
   
   

   

   
   
   
2. You can edit a group by clicking the blue button with a pencil icon next to the Administrator Groups you wish to edit. 
   
   

   

   
   
   
3. You can then click on the Admin Members bar to add more members to the group.
   
   

   

   
   
   
4. When finished click the Save Group button found at the bottom of the Editing Group.
   
   

   

   
   

Zones and How They are Assigned

1. Navigate to System Config → Edit Admin Users
   
   

   

   
   
   
2. Select an Admin User which you want to edit and apply the Parking Validation Lot Zones they will manage.
   
   

   

   
   
   
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the Parking Validation Lot Zones window. Select the Zone(s) in which this admin will be managing validations.
   
   

   

   
   
   
4. Click any Zones that apply to this Admin and click Update User at the bottom of the page to finish.
   
   

   

   
   

Public-Facing Lot Pages

Overview

Within the system, there is the option to create a custom lots page, which will display a list of lots that users can book from.

The page consists of two subpages:

• Lots List - Contains the list of lots on the system for the user to choose from

• Lot Detail - Contains detailed information pertaining to the lot selected by the user

Setting up these pages requires the use of shortcodes within the system.

Page Setup

The custom pages can be setup from the Pages and Content Blocks page.

It can be found under System Configuration → Content & Designs → Pages and Content Blocks

Pages and Content Blocks

The pages and content blocks section, or system messaging, allows the setup of custom user pages.

Shortcodes

A shortcode is a bit of text that has been coded to return a specific value when placed within the body of the page layout.

The value it returns can be anything from single variable, to a module laid out within a template, like a table or a form. 

A shortcode looks like this: [lots_list]

In this case, the shortcode returns a list of the lots in the system.

By placing the shortcode in the body of the message, it will show up on the corresponding page in that location. Shortcodes will be used to create the layout of the lot subpages.

Lot List Page

The first subpage that must be created is the page where the list of lots will appear.

It does not need to have a dedicated page, and the lot list can be placed on any custom page that is wanted.

In this example, the lots list will be placed on a custom page.

The path that is chosen here is what the path will be in the url. This would make the lots_list module show up when the address has /lots at the end of the base URL.

The lots list is a module, meaning its appearance is fixed and cannot be modified further. Only its location on the site can be customized.

Lot List Shortcode

The shortcodes must be typed exactly as they appear, or they will not work.

There is only one short code relevant to the lot lists page:

Additional options are modifiers that can be added to the base shortcode to influence the output. Multiple can be chained together at once. For instance, both additional options can be included in the lot list shortcode by writing it like this:

• [lots_list include_hidden=1 only_text2parkme=1]

Lot Detail Page

The specific lot detail page is set up a bit differently from the lot list page, in that it is coded to only work if the path is set as --lots-detail.

This will make the details for the individual lot that is selected appear for the path /lots/{id}, with the id supplied being passed to the page to fetch the correct lot information.

The information that goes on this page can be customized to include anything from the relevant shortcodes, but should at least include the permit cost and buy now button.

Lot Details Shortcodes

Here is a list of the shortcodes that are related to the lot details page.

The shortcodes must be typed exactly as they appear, or they will not work.

User-Side Results

The Lot List Page

The lot list from the example appears on the website like this:

The Lot Detail Page

The lot detail page from the example would appear on the website like this:

Validate Parking Report

1. To access the report, the admin responsible for parker validation would need "View Validator Report" set as a permission.
   
   

   

   
   
   
2.  To run the report, go into the Parking Management menu and select Parking Validation Report.
   
   

   

3. The Validate Parking Report search tool opens.
   
   

   

   
   
4. Here, you enter the date range you wish to report on. In this case we are looking at March 1st through to March 14, 2018.
   
   

   

   
   
   
5. Click on search to bring up the record listing that can be viewed onscreen or exported as an Excel file.
   
   

   

   
   

Managing Validator Records

In this example, we will add a validation for a vehicle with the plate number BIRCH in the GARAGE L1 Lot starting June 4th and expiring on June 4th.

Enter the plate number
Choose Garage L1 as the Lot Zone
Enter your time frame and click on Validate

Once we have created the record, it will appear in the Validate Parking Report.

If the entry was done in error, it can be removed through the Manage Validation tool.
To do so, hover over Parking Validation under the Parking Management Menu and select Manage Validations from the drop down menu.

In the management tool, enter the Plate Number in question along with the Lot Zone you wish to view.
To delete the record click on the Delete button associated with the record to highlight it with the check mark.

You will be prompted to confirm the archiving of the record. Click Archive to continue.

A pop-up message will confirm the deletion of the record.

Once the record is deleted, you will notice it will be removed from the Validator Parking Report.

Branding the Validator Tool

Accessing the Validator Pages to Edit the Look and Feel

From the System Config Menu click on System Messaging.

A page with two tabs will appear. Click on the Messages tab to access the list of editable messages.

There are three messages to edit for the Validator Tool.

They are:

The Validator Entry message
The Validator Manage message
The Validator Report message

Each of these pages represent the three Validator Tool Pages.

Here's what they look like in the Message System Editor.

To edit the message click on the Edit button

The edit page will display.

On this screen you will enter a title for your page as well as an identifier. This identifier must be unique.
You may also select a language setting for your page.

The page can be edited in the WYSIWYG editor where you can visually design the page.

NOTE: The main graphic image used in our example measures 1448 pixels in width and 227 pixels in height.
Best practice would be to maintain the same width but the height can be your preference. Upload the preferred image to your Files Folder using the Manage Files functionality.

It is also possible to edit the page in straight HTML. To do so go to the Tools menu and click on <>Source Code.

A popup will appear with the code presented.

Sample Code

The Resulting Page

The Validator - a Parking Validation Utility

You must create a new role to apply the permissions correctly. For more information refer to this article on Roles and Permissions

In our example, we created a Role entitled Parking Validator.  The new role will appear in the list of roles.

You must add the "Create Temp Permit Entries" permission to the role you just created.

Create or edit an Admin user who will manage the parking validation. 

Select the lot zone(s) this Admin will manage and save the user. These will be the lots that you intend to use with the Parking Validator utility.

Note: These zones have to be set in the lots you wish to validate. In Lot Administration go to the Zone & Location tab to select the zone associated with the lot.

Accessing the Validator Tool

Log in as this user. Only one menu item entitled 'Create Validations' will be available.

Note: The following screen represents the view of the validation tool that would be used by admins who have restricted access to the OPS-COM system and would have access to the Validation Tool Only.

The Validate Parking screen will appear.

Click 'Create Validations'. From this page you can:

1. Enter plate number(s)
2. Enter a comment 
3. Select the lot zone in which you want to validate the vehicle
4. Select the date range you wish the validation to be in effect.
5. Set the Valid Time Frame (These blocks represent a full hour. In our example below we are setting the Valid times between 7am and 7pm).
6. Select the Valid Days you wish to have the validation in effect.
7. Click Validate to apply the validation.

In this example we are validating three vehicles to park in the Garage Level 1 zone, between the hours of 8:00pm to 10:00pm, for the six week period between March 23rd to May 4th, on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

The list of valid vehicles appears below the submit form.

Advanced Features

With full access to the tool within OPS-COM there are several additional features to take into account. Not only do you have the validator tool, you also have the ability to run reports and Manage validations.

 

How Do Temporary Validated Parkers Appear on the Handheld Devices

Parkers who are validated through this tool will appear as a "Temp Parker" on the Android version of OPS-COM. 

By tapping on the plate number you will get an expanded view with further detailed information. In our example, we see the parker has a Validator created permission to park in the Day Care Lot Zone.

To see even finer detail on this permission, tap the green rectangle labelled Validator - Day Care.  A pop up will appear showing a reference number and the Expiry date of the permission.

A closer look:

Apply Temp Permit to User Vehicles

1. To begin, you must set the ability to apply the permit to multiple vehicles in Lot Administration under the Temporary Parking Tab.
   You must enable the following items:
    - Allow temp permits to be used over 30 days.
    - Allow All Vehicles on profile to receive permit.
   
   

   

   
   
   
2. Once this is set, you are ready to issue a temporary permit to multiple vehicles. 
   To begin, go to the user's profile and click on the Parking Tab.
   
   

   

   
   
   
3. Select Temporary Parking Permit.
   
   

   

   
   
   
4. The Temporary Parking Permit Registration window opens. 
   In our example, we will select the Green Staff Lot East where we had configured the ability to apply the permit to all vehicles (Step 1 above)
   Set the start date and end date. The date range must be for a period longer than 30 days in order to activate the Apply to all Vehicles button.
   Click the button to apply the permit to all vehicles.
   
   

   

   
   
5. Click Confirm This Permit to proceed to the Confirmation window. 
   You can verify the information before proceeding to purchase the permit. 
   Note:  the two vehicles are listed in the Vehicle list.
   Click Purchase this Permit to continue.
   
   

   

   
   
6. The payment screen displays. Start the purchase process.
   
   

   

   
   
7. Select your method of payment and click the Submit Payment Information button.
   
   

   

   
   
8. Select Confirm Payment Information to proceed. 
   Click Process Manually to complete the purchase.
   
   

   

   
   
9. You will be taken to the Transaction Details screen, where you can see a final record of your purchase.
   
   

   

   
   

LPR Audit Log

Viewing the LPR Audit Log

To access the LPR Audit Log, go to the Parking Management menu and hover over License Plate Recognition. Select View LPR Audit Log from the resulting drop down menu.

The initial screen will display with the current day's information

Filtering Results

Search results can be filtered to display specific information. The two filter fields are Camera selection and Event type.

Event type refers to one of five selections:

Any Event
Entry Events
Exit Events
Patrol Events (These are LPR chalking records from a Patrol Officer's hand held unit.
Tracking (These could be cameras that track movement such as moving from one floor of a multilevel garage to another floor.

Viewing and Editing LPR Events

1. Hover over 'Parking Management' then 'License Plate Recognition.' Click 'View LPR Events'.
   

   

   
   
2. A list of Events will appear. The following information is displayed:

• • Plate Image
  • Plate Number
  • Province
  • Score (relates to how accurate the system analyzes the capture to be)
  • Km/h (Speed, as well as direction - approaching or going away from the camera)
  • Recorded (Date and Time of capture)
  • Events (How many times this plate has been captured)
  • Status (Valid or Invalid)
  • Lot Group
  • Violations

      

3. If the admin wants to refine their search more, they can enter the date and time range that is being reported on, by entering values in the recorded on and Up to and including field. 

4. To search for partial plates, turn on the Perform fuzzy search option then enter the partial plate into the license plate text box.

The admin has the ability to correct plate reads that are wrong or partial. 

      

5.  To correct the plate number click on the pencil icon to edit the entry

     

6. Enter the Correct Plate Number.

     

7. Select the appropriate province

    

8. Click the Blue Icon to save the changes

    

Other Information that can be viewed from this interface.

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1. Hover over the thumbnail in the record and the full image capture can be displayed.
   
   

   

   
   

Improve LPR Read Rates

What is the optical range for the reader?

The sweet spot for plate reads is 1.5 to 2.5 meters between camera and plate.  Also check to make sure the lens is clean. Another issue may be camera angle.  The optimum angle for the camera is straight on (parallel) to the plate

Fuzzy Searching

The PL8-RDR system supports fuzzy searching based on user supplied values.

In the case of the LPR system "seeing" ABC123, it will also validate against A8C123 and ABC128 or A8C12B.

Manual Corrections

You can improve plate reads by making corrections and verifying correct plates on the system. OPS-COM has an algorithm that includes the human updates as part of the read score.  Therefore, if a plate is misread and corrected, it is very probable that the system will return the (human) updated version.

Further, the system does fuzzy searching... this means it will look for a plate in the system that matches a pattern.  For example, a plate of ABC123 may be read as A8C128.  With fuzzy searching and based on time of day etc. the system will return ABC123 if that plate has a permit (but will also note that it was a "fuzzy" read of the plate).

If you see a score of 100% in the LPR report that means that the system determined a human updated version was the best match since a score of 100% is theoretically impossible with LPR cameras.

As an Example here's a tweak you can do for Ontario users once the camera is setup...

Go into the Web Interface Page Plate Reader Camera OCR and set the following Characters dimensions:

CHAR SIZE Min W: 10 Max W: 50 Min H:30 Max H: 100

Improving Exposure

For dark plate reads:

Set Max Shutter to 500
Set Max Gain to 256 (If images are too dark this setting can be increased. However it is not recommended to go over 1000.)
Set Iris Level to 15

Adjusting the Bounding Box

The LPR camera has the ability to customize the area that is being analyzed during the plate read. This article explains how to adjust the read area (Bounding Box).
The bounding box refers to the area that can be adjusted to narrow the view or area that is analyzed by the LPR camera. 

The settings involved are located in the Plate Reader Settings.

The default settings for full frame are as follows. Measurements for height are always considered the distance from the top of the screen. Measurements for width are based on distance from the left of the screen

Win MinX Pixel - 0  (From the left)
Win MinY Pixel - 0  (from the top)
Win MaxX Pixel - 1279  (From the left)
Win MaxY Pixel - 1023 (from the top)

To view the location of the bounding box go into the Camera OCR tab.

Here is the full frame view of the bounding box. See the red outlined box in the image below.

Adjusting Height

To adjust the box edit the number in the settings. In this case we will narrow the bounding box in height to restrict the read area.

Here are the settings:

Win MinX Pixel - 0 (from the left)
Win MinY Pixel - 100 (from the top)
Win MaxX Pixel - 1279 (from the left)
Win MaxY Pixel - 700 (from the top)

IMPORTANT

Once the settings are changed and you click on Apply, the camera will reboot. This process will take a couple of minutes to complete before you can navigate away from the page.

The resulting Bounding Box will look like this:

Let's now say we want to lower the box in the view. I would have to increase the values in both Y axis settings.

Here are the settings

Win MinX Pixel - 0 (from the left)
Win MinY Pixel - 200 (From the top)
Win MaxX Pixel - 1279 (from the left)
Win MaxY Pixel - 800 (From the top)

Here is the resulting bounding box:

Adjusting Width

Additionally you can narrow the width of the bounding box if need be. In this case we will narrow the bounding box by 100 pixels on both sides.

Here are the settings

Win MinX Pixel - 100 (from the left)
Win MinY Pixel - 200 (From the top)
Win MaxX Pixel - 1179 (from the left)
Win MaxY Pixel - 800 (From the top)

Here is the resulting bounding box.

By selective use of these settings you can customize the area that is processed by the LPR read. As a result LPR reads could be faster and more accurate since the camera is reading a smaller more focused area and ignores anything outside of the bounding box.

On the Handheld

For NOREADs you can check the setting in System Settings to see if that can be reduced.  
It may mean more noise, but it may also help with determining what is going on (ie. reading but not seeing it as a READ result)

To adjust this setting go into system settings and tap on Include NOREAD (ie. vanity) Results

Set the percentage to 50% to start. We can tweak it once we see how the system reacts.

Text2ParkMe - Active Permits

1. In Parking Management, hover over the Permit Management icon and select Text2ParkMe - Active Permits.

2. This will take you to the Text2ParkMe - Active Permits page that automatically displays all Text2ParkMe permits that are currently active and not yet expired.

3. You can filter this listing by entering the data that you want to filter by in the search criteria above. This report can be filtered by User, Plate, or Lot Name.

Select the Filter Report button to bring up the new report using the filters entered.

• The Username link will take you to the user's profile.

Text2ParkMe - Usage

In Parking Management, hover over Permit Management, Temporary Permits, and click 'Text2ParkMe' then 'Current Usage'.

This will take you to the Text2ParkMe - Usage page where you can enter information to get the usage report that you want to view.

Enter in the information that you want to search - User, Plate, Lot, and/or start/end date.

Select the Search button to create the report. The report will appear below where the search criteria were entered. 

The Username link will take you to the user's profile.

Refundable Parking Deposits

Setup Deposit Options

Setup and manage your Deposit options. 

Apply Deposit Types

Now that your deposit types are in place, they can be applied to specific lots. To do so, go to the Parking Management Menu and hover over Lot Administration, then click on Pricing and Lot Admin.

Once in Pricing and Administration, select the lot you wish to apply the deposit to by clicking on the lot name.

Once in Lot Administration, select the Standard Permits tab to view the available deposit types.

From the list of Deposits, click the deposit you wish to apply. You can select more than one deposit type by holding the Ctrl or Shift key and selecting the deposits you wish to apply.

Once the deposit type is associated to a lot, it will then be included in the purchase of a permit in that lot for admins only.

Let's have a look at a permit purchase with deposits in place. Go to a user's profile and select the Parking tab.

Click on Standard Parking Permit to begin the permit purchasing process. 

Select the lot you wish to register the client to. In this case we select the Green Staff Lot East. 

Once the lot is selected, click on Register Permit. 

The Confirm Parking Permit Registration window will appear. Note the two deposits are included and listed in the Total Owing costs.

Click on Purchase this Permit to begin the payment process.

Editing Assignable Text

In this step, the admin can record the access card and hang tag numbers. To do so, click on the Deposit Item name.

In this case click on Access Card Deposit: Enter access card number here.

In the Deposit Information pop-up window, enter the access card number in the Assigned Text field and click Update Deposit. 

Once entered, the number will now appear on the Payments screen under Deposits.

You may now proceed with the purchase in the usual manner.

Access Cards - Search

1. In Parking Management, hover over the 'Permit Management' icon and click 'Access Cards' then 'Search'.

2. The 'Access Card Search' screen is displayed.  Select the Lot name that you want to search. Note, only lots that have access cards associated with it will be listed in the Lot Name drop-down menu.

Enter the Access Card Range and click the 'Retrieve' button. Any access cards that match your search will appear below the search criteria.

Hang Tag Printing

Printing Hangtags

In Parking Management,  hover over the Permit Management icon and click Hang Tag Printing.

The Vehicle Hang Tag Printing screen will display. Select the Semester from the drop-down menu and select the files that you want to retrieve for printing. Enable the checkbox is if you only to print tags for which the payment has been fully processed. Select the Permit Lot Name from the drop-down menu or enable the checkbox to disregard the lot type. Select the distribution method and the permitted range.

Click the Retrieve button to submit the search criteria. 

The results will display below the search criteria. Note, permits paid by Payroll Deduction will be highlighted.

• Click the Username link to see an overview of the user. You can select the User Profile icon to open the user profile.

• Click the Permit Number link to see parking permit information.

Enable the Email checkbox(es) to chose users to send the hang tag by email to. Click the Email Selected button, then fill in the details of your email. 

To print hang tags, enable the Print checkbox(es). If you wish to print hang tags for all users,  click the Select All button. Click the Deselect All button to clear all selections. If you do not want to include an expiry date on the permits being printed, ensure that the 'Do not print date' checkbox is enabled. Otherwise, select the expiry date to be printed on the hangtag and click the Print Selected Hang Tags button.

This will open up a new window displaying the username and address (positioned to fit in a windowed envelope) in the top left, the lot long name and permit number in the top right as well as the actual permit at the bottom.

Note, some organizations use perforated paper to make it easier to remove the permits to be laminated. The empty space on both sides of the paper can be pre-printed to provide parking information, rules and regulations to your users. Some organizations will also purchase holograms to go on the permit as well.

Expected Results

Important

In order for the correct address to display on the hangtag, you will need to have the Mail Permit to selected on the user's profile, and the appropriate address filled out. For example, if you select Local Mailing Address and the user only has their Personal Mailing Address completed, the user's address will not be printed to the hangtag.  (See Edit User Profile - Profile Tab)

After printing the hangtag and placing it in its cover, the completed print job could look something like this: 

Select the print option from your browser (ctrl+p is the print shortcut). A sample printed parking permit front and back would look similar to this:

Printer Settings  

Below are sample margin settings.

Do not select "Shrink to Fit" and instead always use "100%".

Temporary Permit Printing

1. In Parking Management, hover over the Permits icon and click 'Temp Permit Printing'.

2. In the Retrieve drop-down menu, select the permits that you want. Select the Permit Lot that you want. Enter the Start Date and the Up to and Including date and select the Retrieve button. The results will appear below the search criteria.

3. Select the checkbox for the permits you wish to print and press “print selected hang tags” button. Below is a sample Temp Permit.

Note, temp permits can also be printed by going to a user's history. Under the Temp Permit section, under the Permit #, select the printer icon to print just that one permit.

Releasing a Permit

1. If you know the permit number perform a permit search. If you do not know the permit number, go to the user profile for whom you wish to release a permit.
   Click on the permit number on the user dashboard.
   

   

   
   
   
2. From the permit detail click on the permit number.
   

   

   
   
   
3. You will be taken to permit search where you can release the permit
   

   

   
   
   
4. It is advisable to leave a comment in order to track the reason the permit was released. Click Release This Permit.
   

   

   
   
   
5. A pop up window will appear. Click OK to confirm the release of the permit.
   

   

   
   
6. A confirmation message will appear.
   

   

   
   
7. Now when you search the permit it will appear as available.
   

   

   
   

Clearing Items Awaiting Payment - Midnight List

If enabled, there is a System task that will clear all permits that are sitting in user's carts without any payments or promises to pay on them.  Permits that have been rolled over (renewed) or permits assigned through managed waitlist are excluded from this process.  Additionally, Zero dollar items will not be able to be cleared this way. Instead, use the Mark Items as Paid functionality to clear these payments. 

Viewing Permits without Payments

1. Click Parking Management, hover over Reports and click Midnight List.
2. On the report you can see all users with permits in their cart that do not have a payment associated.  You can do the following from this report:

• • See items to be cleared
  • Email the affected users
  • Clear their flag to take them off the list and update the list
    
    

Viewing Lockers without Payments

1. Click Locker Management, and click Midnight List.
2. On the report you can see all users with permits in their cart that do not have a payment associated.  You can do the following from this report:

• • See items to be cleared
  • Email the affected users
  • Clear their flag to take them off the list and update the list

Setting Up to Automatically Clear Permits without Payments

If you do not see the settings mentioned below, please contact support@ops-com.com to have them enabled for you. You will need the permission of your Primary Admin.

1. Click System Configuration, hover over System Setting and click Permits.
2. Click to toggle Clear Unpaid Permits on.
3. Click Payments.
4. Change the Clear Payments After X Hours value to the number of hours you want to allow items to remain in the user's cart. Use numbers only
5. Follow the instructions in this wiki article to toggle on the Clear - No Payment scheduled task.

Setting Up to Automatically Clear Lockers without Payments

If you do not see the settings mentioned below, please contact support@ops-com.com to have them enabled for you. You will need the permission of your Primary Admin.

1. Click System Configuration, and hover over System Settings.
2. Click Lockers.
3. Click to toggle Clear Unpaid Lockers at Midnight on.
4. Change the Clear Payments After X Hours value to the number of hours you want to allow items to remain in the user's cart. Use numbers only
5. Follow the instructions in this wiki article to toggle on the Clear - No Payment scheduled task.

Permit Waitlist Feature Overview

Welcome to the OPS-COM Waitlist Feature!
This feature allows administrators to manage users waiting to purchase a permit in a specific lot or in a lot category. If enabled, this feature can save your team significant administrative time and ensure a fair allocation process.

How Does the OPS-COM Waitlist Work?

There are two different ways you can leverage the Waitlist. You can use the waitlist report or you can enable the Managed Waitlist functionality. 

Basic Waitlist Report

When a user joins a waitlist, Admins can access a report to see the waitlists by lot, link to the user's profile or email users individually or in bulk. 

Managed Waitlist Functionality

If Managed Waitlist is enabled, the Admin will be notified when a permit becomes available to be assigned to users on a waitlist. It will automatically be reserved to be assigned to the users on the wait list. The admin will be able to choose who to assign this permit to add it to the user's cart. The Admin will email the user and give them a specific amount of time to pay for the permit before it expires and can be given to someone else. 

Go to the linked pages to explore how to setup and work with either the Basic or Managed Waitlist functionality.

Rollover: Auto Selection and Automatically Processing Payments

Using Credit Cards on File to Purchase Recurring Permits

There are two prerequisites to this function working correctly for credit card purchases on rollover. The user must have a valid credit card registered in the system, and the card must be designated as the Prime Credit Card.  

Note: If you are accepting Credit cards that you wish to charge on rollover, you must have a Gateway that allows you to charge client cards directly. This cannot work for a system that is set for Hosted Payments only.

Performing Permit Rollovers

Hover over Permits, then select Process Payments for Rollovers.

The Rollover Payment Processing page will be displayed as seen in the image below. 

To select which payments will be done click the check box with the payment type. If the invoice or permit says "None Set" then the user must process the payment to get the permit in the next sales window.

Select the 'Process Payments for Rollovers' button

Preventing Permit Rollover after Cancellation

Purchase a permit as an Administrator for any user.  Locate the permit on the Profile page and click the permit button to reveal the Parking Permit Information window.

 Change the Rollover State to Prevent Rollover. Enter a comment to explain why you are changing the state. This is mandatory.

Click Update Permit.

A message will display to let you know you have changed the flag. 

You should also add notes to indicate why the flag was changed. 

The process is almost the same for the user portal. An end user can set their permit to not renewing. Simply find the permit on the User Dashboard and click on the permit button.

Select Not Renewing from the dropdown list in Permit Information.

When you process the rollovers, this permit will not show up in the list. Instead, it will show up in a separate list called "Permits that will not be rolled over."

Enabling Permit Rollovers without Previous Payment

1. Hover over the System Config menu and click System Settings.
   

   

   
   
   
2. The 'Manage System Settings' window is displayed. Click Permits and disable the checkbox next to 'Require Payment for Rollovers'. This setting will be on by default.
   

   

   
   
   
3. Click the 'Save Settings' button.
   
   
4. Proceed with Rollovers to the next allocation period.

Feature Overview - Rollover/Renew Permits

Permit rollovers, also referred to as renewals, describe the process of transitioning an existing permit from its current, expiring validity period to a subsequent, new sales window. This procedure effectively establishes a new duration for which the permit remains valid and involves the requisite charge for this extended period.   

This is crucial for maintaining continuous parking access for patrons, especially those on payroll deduction or with credit cards on file that can be automatically charged. It's designed to manage active permits from a current sales window into a future sales window, establishing a new duration for which the permit remains valid and involving the requisite charge for this extended period.

For instance, consider a monthly permit holder. Their permit is initially configured within a January sales window, granting validity from January 1st to January 31st, at a cost of $100 for the month. In late January, this permit can be rolled over into a February sales window. This action sets the permit's new valid period from February 1st to February 28th, with an additional charge of $100 applied to the permit holder for the month of February.

The rollover process in OPS-COM involves several key steps and configurations:

• Sales Window Setup: Before any rollover can be performed, ensure your new sales window has a start date equal to or greater than the end date of the previous sales window.

• Permit Renewal Initiation: Administrators use the Permit Renewals utility to select which sales windows and user types will be included in the rollover.

• Permit Selection & Exclusions: Administrators can review and select specific lots and even individual permits to include or exclude from the rollover process.

• Payment Processing: For users with payment subscriptions (payroll deduction, EFT, credit card) set up, payments can be processed automatically as part of the rollover.

• User Notifications (Implicit): While not explicitly detailed as a setup, users with payment subscriptions can have their payments processed automatically, implying a streamlined experience. Users who need to make manual payments will be required to do so to secure their permit.

• Prevention: Both administrators and users have options to prevent specific permits from rolling over.

To ensure a smooth permit rollover, you'll need:

• A new sales window set up correctly.  Refer to the Sales Window wiki document to learn more.

• Permits marked as renewable in the previous sales window.

Before attempting rollovers, please follow the steps in these wiki articles to ensure you have activated the correct Sales Window and that you have your information correctly set up for automatic payments.

Read Sales Window Management and Credit Card Management in OPS-COM

For parkers with subscriptions, automatic payments can be processed as part of the rollover. This applies to patrons who pay by payroll deduction or credit card.

For Credit Card Payments: For automatic credit card processing on rollover, the user must have a valid credit card registered in the system, and it must be set as their Prime Credit Card. Note that your payment gateway must allow direct charging of client cards; this won't work with hosted payments only.

Automatic Permit Payments on Rollover/Renewal

Parkers with subscriptions setup in their account

Patrons who pay by payroll deduction or through credit card purchases can also have their payments processed automatically as part of the rollover process.

Performing Permit Rollovers

To begin a rollover:

1. Hover over Permits (Clock icon) and click Sales Window.  

2. Click the Rollover button to open the Permit Renewal page.

Before a rollover can be performed you must make sure that the new sales window you are rolling into has a start date that is equal to or greater than the end date of your previous sales window.

Select Rollover Options

1. From the permit Renewal window select the current sales window you are rolling over from (From Sales Window) on the left side of the form.
2. Then select the Sales Window you wish to roll the permits into. In our example we are rolling permits from the October Sales Window to the November Sales Window.
3. Select what user types we wish to roll over, or simply leave it as the default of All User Types.
4. Click on Show Lots to list all lots that can be rolled over in the selected Sales Window. The list of lots will appear below the search form. 

Managing Individual Permits for Rollover

You can choose to include or exclude specific permits from the rollover.

1. To see the list of permits you can toggle for renewability, click either the Holders or Renewing button.

2. A list of permits in that lot will appear, allowing you to toggle whether they should be renewable or not. For example, if permits STAFF1000 and STAFF1001 are not renewing, they shouldn't roll over.

3. Click Update Permits to save your changes.

6. Click Update Permits to save your changes.

Here's the logic for permit rollover states:

Once you've completed this process for all lots you want to include in the rollover, click Renew Permits to continue. The screen will refresh and update the permit counts. Permits you toggled for rollover will appear as rolled over, while those marked as not renewing will remain in the "Not Renewed" column and will be available for new users.

Permit Processing

The system automatically rolls over permits paid through gateway payment types like Mastercard, Visa, or Payroll Deduction. Users whose permits are rolled over but don't have an active payment subscription will need to make a payment to secure their permit.  These Parkers will see the permit show up in their cart on the User Portal as unpaid. However, if a user has a payment subscription set up, their permit will be rolled over, and the payment will be processed automatically.

The Process Payment option will be automatically toggled on, and the Credit Card Type will appear for users whose payments can be processed automatically. If someone isn't continuing to park in a lot, simply uncheck the corresponding checkbox under Rollover to exclude them.

Click Rollover Permits to complete the process. Remember, you'll need subscriptions set up for payroll deductions, EFT, or credit card payments. You can prevent permits from rolling over by setting their renewable flag.

Exporting Users to Rollover

After clicking the Rollover Permits we can also choose to export an excel spreadsheet of all the users that are associated with the lot we have selected. To do this we click Export Users on the Permit Rollover page. 

This will open a new window that generates the excel document for us to open depending on the browser you are using. You may be warned that the file is corrupt in some way however you should still be able to view the output in Excel's protective view. 

Related Video

Single Allocate

This allows you to add individual permits to lots instead of adding an entire range as in the previous section.

Quick Steps:

1. Hover over Parking Management then Lot Administration and Select Allocate.
2. Find the lot to add the permit to.
3. Click Add Permits To Lot.
4. Enter the permit number.
5. Click Add Permits.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Navigate to Permit Number Allocation page: Hover over the Parking Management icon in the system and then hover over Lot Administration, then click on Allocate.
2. Locate the Desired Lot: On the Permit Number Allocation page, find the lot you want to add a permit to.
3. Add Permit to Lot: Click the Add Permits To Lot button.
4. Enter Permit Information: In the Add Permits screen, type in the permit number. For example, you could add permit 0023 to the 123 Main Street Lot.
5. Confirm Addition: A pop-up message will confirm that your changes were successfully made.

6. Check the Permit List: Once the permits are added, your lot will display them in the Permit Search utility.

Setting Up A Lot To Be Visible and Available To The End User

This article outlines the six critical factors that determine a lot's visibility and availability to end-users when they are purchasing permits in OPS-COM. Understanding and configuring these settings correctly is essential for OPS-COM administrators to ensure that parking lots are accessible to the intended user groups.

Setup & Configuration

System-Wide Visibility Setting

1. 1. Hover over System Configuration and click System Settings.
   2. Click on the Permits tab.
   3. Locate the Show Only Visible lots setting. 
      • Enable this checkbox to only view lots marked as "Visible" across the system.
      • Disable this checkbox to view both visible and non-visible lots in administrative views.

Lot Visibility and User Type Settings

1. Hover over Parking Management, Lot Administration and click Pricing & Lot Admin. 
2. Click Add New Lot (or click an existing Lot Name to edit).
3. On the General tab:
   • Enable the Visible radio button in the Visibility to User setting.
   • In the Lot Access section, select the appropriate User Types that are allowed to see and purchase permits for this lot. Hold the Ctrl key to select multiple user types.
   • Click Update Lot.

4. On the Temporary Permits tab:

   • Disable the This lot is for temporary parking only checkbox.

Allocate Permits to the Lot

1. Follow the steps in this wiki article to add and verify your permits.

Set Up a Permit Sales Window

1. Follow the steps in this wiki article to setup your Sales Window.

Test with a User

1. Hover over User Management and click on User Registration (to create a new test user) or User Search (to find an existing one).
2. Ensure that the test user's User Type (e.g., Full Time Staff) matches one of the user types you allowed to access the lot you setup.
3. Click Login as User for your test user.
4. On the User-Side Dashboard, navigate to Permits.
5. Check if the lot you created is available to be reserved. If the user type you are testing does not match the lot's allowed user types, the lot will not be visible on the user side.

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Best Practices & Considerations

• Test Thoroughly: Always perform a Login as User test with various user types after configuring a new lot or modifying its settings. This ensures that visibility and availability match your intentions.
• User Type Alignment: The most common reason a lot isn't visible is a mismatch between the lot's User Types setting and the logged-in user's actual user type. Double-check this setting carefully.
• Sales Window Dates: Ensure your permit sales windows are always current. An expired sales window will make the lot unavailable, even if all other settings are correct.
• Permit Allocation: A lot without allocated permits, even if visible, will not allow users to purchase permits, as there's nothing to sell. Always allocate permits after lot creation.
• Clear Naming Conventions: Use descriptive Lot Names and Lot Short Names that clearly indicate the lot's purpose or location to users.

Permit Sales Window Management

Permit Sales Windows in OPS-COM define the specific timeframes during which parking permits can be purchased and when they are valid. This article guides OPS-COM administrators through the process of creating and activating new permit sales windows, ensuring that permits are available for sale and valid for use according to your organization's academic terms or operational periods.

The Manage Permit Sales Window page allows you to create, configure, and activate sales windows.

Creating a New Sales Window

1. Hover over Parking Management, and click Sales Windows.
   

2. Click the +Add Sale Window button. 

   • Enter a Name for your sales window.
   • Choose your allocation type. Will it be Monthly, Yearly, Semester or Other.
   • Enter your Sale Start Date, Permit Start Date and End Date (see the Defining your Key Dates section below)
   • Choose a color for your sales window.
3. Click Save Changes to save your information. The newly created sales window will now appear in the list on the Manage Permit Sales Window page.

Defining your Key Dates

When creating a new sales window, you will need to define the following key dates:

• Sale Start Date:
  • Purpose: This is the first day that permits associated with this sales window will be available for purchase by users.
  • Example: December 29, 2025.
• Permit Start Date:
  • Purpose: This is the first day the purchased permit becomes officially valid and usable (e.g., scannable, recognized by LPR). This allows for pre-selling permits before their validity period begins.
  • Example: January 1, 2026.
• End Date:
  • Purpose: This is the official last day permits can be sold within this sales window, and also the date on which the permits become invalid.
  • Example: December 31, 2026.

Example Scenario: If a sales window is configured with a Sale Start Date of December 29, 2025, a Permit Start Date of January 1, 2026, and an End Date of December 31, 2026:

• Permits can be purchased anytime between December 29, 2025, and December 31, 2026.

• These permits would be valid from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026.

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Activating the Sales Window

Once a sales window has been configured, it needs to be made Active for permits to be sold.

1. Locate the sales window you wish to activate on the Manage Permit Sales Window screen.
2. In the Active column, click the dropdown menu for that sales window.
3. Choose Active.

Note: If you activate a yearly sales window, other existing yearly sales windows will automatically switch to Inactive to prevent conflicts.

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Best Practices & Considerations

• Overlap Prevention: Carefully manage sales window dates to avoid unintended overlaps that could confuse users or create accounting issues.
• Future Planning: Create sales windows well in advance of the sale start date to allow ample time for configuration, testing, and marketing of permits.
• Expiration Management: Regularly review the End Date of your sales windows. Past sales windows will be located under Past Permit Sales Window and cannot be reactivated; a new sales window must be created if similar dates are needed.
• Clarity in Naming: Use clear and descriptive names for your sales windows (e.g., "Fall 2025-2026 Annual Permit Sales," "Spring Semester 2026").

Adding Permits to a Lot (Allocation)

This article outlines the process for OPS-COM administrators to add permits to specific parking lots. Permits can be added individually, as a sequential range, or with custom prefixes/postfixes, enabling efficient management of your permit inventory and ensuring lots have available permits for sale.

Using this Feature

1. Hover over Parking Management, Lot Administration and click Allocate.
2. The Permit Number Allocation page lists all configured parking lots. 
3. Locate the specific lot to which you want to add permits and click the Add Permits to Lot button.
4. Within the next window, you have several options for entering permit numbers:
   • Individual Permit Numbers: Enter specific, non-sequential permit numbers, separated by commas (e.g., Staff01, Staff02, Visitor123).
   • Range of Permit Numbers: Enter a numerical range using "to" (e.g., 1 to 20 or 50 to 200). The system will generate all numbers within that range.
   • Prefix or Postfix (Optional):
     • Prefix: Enter text in the Prefix field (e.g., "Staff"). This text will be added before each generated permit number (e.g., Staff01, Staff02).
     • Postfix: Enter text in the Postfix field. This text will be added after each generated permit number (e.g., 01-East, 02-East).

Add Permits

1. Enter the desired permit numbers, ranges, or prefixes/postfixes into the provided fields within the Add Permits to Lot utility.
2. Click the Add Permits button.
3. A confirmation pop-up will appear. Click Add Permits again to confirm and finalize the process.
4. A success message will confirm that your changes were successfully made.

Viewing Added Permits

After permits are added, you can verify their details by navigating to the Permit Search utility.

1. Hover over Permits, and click Permit Search.
2. Filter by the relevant lot to view the newly added permits.

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Best Practices & Considerations

• Planning Permit Ranges: Before adding large batches of permits, plan your numbering scheme to ensure consistency and avoid conflicts.
• Unique Identifiers: While OPS-COM handles uniqueness, consider using prefixes or postfixes for different types of permits or lots for easier identification.
• Verify Allocation: Always perform a quick check in the Permit Search utility after adding permits to confirm they have been correctly allocated to the desired lot.
• Bulk vs. Individual: For small, specific additions, individual entry is efficient. For larger inventories, using ranges and prefixes/postfixes will save significant time.

Setup Lots to Use Text2ParkMe

Text2ParkMe (T2P) allows users to pay for temporary parking via SMS (text) messaging. Text2ParkMe will also send out reminders when their parking time is about to expire and allow users the option to extend their parking time. Text messaging fees do apply based on individual phone plans.

If you have purchased Text2ParkMe, you must have a gateway provider setup to accept T2P payments. You must work with our project manager to ensure this gateway is configured and tested to work with your system. 

You will also require a T2P phone number that your users will text to obtain temporary parking. The OperationsCommander Support team will ensure this number is setup and tested for you.

Quick Steps:

1. Hover over Parking Management, then Lot Administration and click Pricing & Lot Admin.
2. Click a Lot Name to open its settings.
3. Select the Temporary Permits tab.
4. Fill out all fields in the red box (especially the Text Code).
5. Click Update this Lot to save.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Navigate to the Lot Administration page: Hover over Parking Management in the main menu. Click Lot Administration and then select Pricing & Lot Admin.

2. Locate your lots settings: In the window, click on a Lot Name to open the specific lot's settings.

3. Click on Temporary Permits: Select the Temporary Permits tab. You will see several fields. Be sure to fill out all the items in the red box, as these are required. The Text Code is the display name that users will see when choosing this lot to park in.

4. Save Changes: Once all required fields are filled out, click the Update Lot button to save your changes.

Permit Allocations

• Adding Permits to a Lot
• Single Allocate
• Archiving and Restoring Permits

Planning Lot Groups and Lot Zones

Lot Groups allows you to group similar lots together to be seen as a single entity in OPS-COM. A lot may only belong to one group. A lot group is not required, it exists to allow similar lots.

A Lot Zone is a grouping mechanism allowing validation parameters to be applied to a lot.

Quick Steps:

1. Hover over the Parking Management, then Lot Administration, and select Pricing & Lot Admin.
2. Click on the Lot Name. In the Edit Lot page click on the General tab.
3. In the General tab select the lot group you wish to apply to your lot.
4. Hover over System Configuration, then Parking, and click Mange Lot Zones.
5. Click on Add Lot Zone and enter a long and short name.
6. Return to the Edit Lot page and click on Zone & Location.
7. Choose a Zone to add to the lot.
8. Set the valid days/times for the zone under Days or Range with Sales Window and Start Time and End Time.
9. The lot is now linked to the zone.
10. You can assign the same zone to multiple lots (e.g., “RED Zone” to both the Red Lot and Green Lot).
11. Patrols can select either a Lot Group or Lot Zone during enforcement.

Zones allow enforcement based on time/dates, and Groups allow enforcement across multiple lots.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Locate Pricing & Lot Admin: Hover over the Parking Management, then Lot Administration, and select Pricing & Lot Admin.
2. Locate the General Tab: Click on the Lot Name. In the Edit Lot page, click on the General tab.
3. Adding a Lot Group: In the General tab select the lot group you wish to apply to your lot.
4. How to Create a Zone: Hover over System Configuration, then Parking, and click Manage Lot Zones.
   1. Create Zone: Click on add Lot Zone and enter a long and short name.
   2. Return to the Edit Lot page: Return to the Edit Lot page by going to Pricing & Lot Admin, then click on the Lot Name. 
   3. Navigate to the Zone & Location tab: Click on Zone & Location.
      
   4. Select a zone: Use the dropdown on the left to select the zone you wish to apply to the lot.
   5. Select Days or Range within Sales Window: Specify when the zone is valid using Days or Range within Sales Window and the Start Time and End Time.
   6. Confirm: Ensure any permits tied to the lot reflect the same zone settings.

Setting Up for Event Parking

OperationsCommander has a feature that will allow you to setup for Event Parking in a unique way. Using Lot Visibility and Passwords, an event lot can only be booked by users who have been given the direct link to the lot. A direct link may be provided by email or from scanning the lot QR code.

To setup your Lot Visibility settings refer to this page.

To setup your Lot Passwords, refer to this page.

Pricing and Lot Admin

The Pricing and Lot Admin page is a central management tool for OPS-COM administrators to create new parking lots, define their characteristics, and configure pricing and permit settings. This page allows for comprehensive control over lot visibility, access, permit types (standard, temporary, flex), and advanced features like waitlists and LPR settings, helping administrators efficiently manage their parking inventory.

Pricing & Lot Admin Main Page

To access the Pricing & Lot Admin page:

1. Hover over Parking Management, then Lot Administration, and click Pricing & Lot Admin.
2. The Permit Pricing & Lot Administration screen opens so you can manage all lot details.

Tip!   Before setting up new lots, consider your organization's permit types, pricing structures, and any specific access restrictions (e.g., faculty-only lots, temporary parking areas).

Key Information Displayed

• Lot Name: The full name of the lot and its associated permit sales window (e.g., Monthly, Semester, Yearly, Other).
• User Types: The specific user types permitted to book permits for the lot.
• Visibility: Indicates the lot's visibility to users (e.g., Not visible, Visible, Not visible but available).
• Price: The standard base price for permits in the lot.
• Permit types: Icons representing the types of permits enabled for the lot (e.g., standard, temporary, flex).
• Visible to User: The number of permits in the lot currently available for user purchase.
• Usage: The number of permits currently booked or in use within the lot.

Available Actions & Buttons

• Show Archived: Click this button to view or edit lots that have been archived.
• Add Lot: Click this button to create a new parking lot configuration.
• Lot Name (link): Click on the Lot Name of any listed lot to open its detailed edit page, where you can modify various settings across different tabs.
• Export: Click the Export button at the far right of each lot line to export the lot's information to an Excel file.
• Search: Click the Search button on each lot line to navigate to the permit search page and view all permits associated with that specific lot.

Lot Edit Page Tabs

When you click on a Lot Name, the Lot Edit Page opens, divided into several tabs for detailed configuration:

General Tab

• Archive the Lot: Enable the This lot is archived checkbox to archive the lot, making it unavailable for new sales but retaining historical data.
• Visibility to Users: Select one of the following options: Visible, Not Visible, or Hidden but Accessible.
• Lot Name: Enter the full, descriptive name for the lot.
• Lot Short Name: Enter an abbreviated name for the lot.
• Lot Group: Allows you to group similar lots together to be seen as a single entity in OPS-COM.  
• Lot Access: Choose between:
  • Common Lot: Any user type can park here.
  • User Type Lot: Restrict access by specific user types. Hold Ctrl to select multiple user types from the dropdown.
• Lot Password: Setting a password on a lot prevents users from booking a permit in that lot unless they enter the password. This is useful for event parking.
• Special Parking Spaces: Fill this out if your lot has special spaces like EV charging or ADA spaces.

Click Update Lot after making changes in this tab.

Zone & Location Tab

• Location Description: Enter a description of the lot's physical location, which will appear on the user interface.
• Image: Upload an image that will be displayed next to the lot name; users can click it to enlarge.
• Zone: Configure a zone for this lot by selecting a zone and specifying days or a range within the sales window, along with a start and end time.
• Map Detail: Move or Create a Map Marker to pinpoint the lot's location on a map. Once the marker is set, the GPS coordinates will automatically populate.

Click Update Lot after making changes in this tab.

Standard Permits Section

• Default Cost: Enter the base cost for standard permits in this lot.
• Prorated Sales: Choose Enabled, Use Default Setting, or Disabled as required for prorated permit sales.
• Multiple Permits: Enable the This lot can be used for a second permit checkbox to allow users to purchase multiple permits for this lot.
• WaitList Options:
  • Enable the Allow the use of Waitlist with this lot checkbox if you want the waitlist to be available to be joined. 
  • Enable the Only Allow Waiting List after lot is full checkbox if you want a waitlist to become active when permits for this lot are sold out.
• Waitlist Lot Category: Group multiple lots together onto the same waiting list by selecting a category. This is a text field only, so use care when creating this.
  • If a user joins a waiting list that is part of a Lot Category, they will be automatically added to ALL individual lot waitlists that are associated with that specific group.
    
  • Crucially, they will be assigned the same ranking across all these grouped waitlists. This ensures that if a permit becomes available in any one of the lots within that category, the user is eligible to purchase that permit.
• Lot Sales Window: Choose the sales window type for term permits that will be sold here (e.g., Yearly, Monthly).
• Hang Tag Settings: Enable settings for printing physical hang tags if required for this lot.

Click Update Lot after making changes in this tab.

Temporary Parking Tab

• Temporary Parking Only: Enable the This lot is for temporary parking only checkbox if the lot is exclusively for temporary parking.
• Max Permits per Day: Set the maximum number of temporary parking permits available per day for this lot.
• Permit Duration:
  • Enable Allow temp permits up to 30 days to limit temporary permits to 30 days.
  • Enable Allow temp permits to be used over 30 days to permit temporary parking for periods exceeding 30 days.
• Permit Application to All Vehicles: Enable Allow all vehicles on profile to receive the permit to automatically apply the temporary permit to all vehicles on a user’s profile.
• Daily Cost: Enter the maximum fee for parking beyond 6 hours (if applicable).
• Hourly Costs: Enter the hourly fee for parking. If the lot has a flat rate, leave these fields blank.
• Over 30 Days Monthly Cost: Enter the monthly cost for parking permits that extend beyond 30 days.
• Real-Time Map: Enable Allow this lot to appear on the Real-Time Parking Map to display this lot on the Real-Time Parking Map feature.
• QR Code:
  • View the QR Code for this lot.
  • Access the Link to the QR Code.
  • Download or Print the QR Code directly from this page.
  • Add a Logo Image to be displayed in the center of the QR Code.

Click Update Lot after making changes in this tab.

Flex Permits Tab

This tab allows for flexible pricing based on specific times and days.

• Using Flex Permits: Click the checkbox to Enable Flex Permits.
• Add New: Click Add New to create a new Time Slot with a specified Price and a choice for Colour coding. Click Save Changes when complete.
• View & Edit: You can Edit existing Time Slots, Pricing, or Colours individually by clicking the appropriate Edit button. Alternatively, use the Time Slot Chart and the Select button to click and drag time slot information to apply to multiple times and dates simultaneously.
• Clear: Click the Clear button to remove all pricing configurations from the chart.
• Fill: Click the Fill button to populate the chart with all the same pricing.
• Reload: Click Reload to revert the information to your previously saved settings.

Click Update Lot after making changes in this tab.

Lot LPR Settings Tab

• Free Parking Time: Set a grace period during which patrons can register their license plate with a pay-by-plate meter without incurring a charge.

Click Update Lot after making changes in this tab.

Additional Settings Tab

• Banner Detail Code: This field is for use strictly with the Banner system for specific integrations.

Click Update Lot after making changes in this tab.

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Best Practices & Considerations

• Consistent Naming: Establish a consistent naming convention for your lots (e.g., "Lot A - Faculty," "Visitor Parking Garage") to improve clarity for both administrators and users.
• Visibility Control: Carefully consider the Visibility to Users setting for each lot. A lot marked Not visible but available is useful for administrative purposes or specific user groups, while still being accessible if the direct link is provided.
• Waitlist Management: If using waitlists, organizations should develop a clear business rule for when to remove a user from the waitlist, such as after a permit has been offered or after a user has been emailed.
• QR Code Usage: If utilizing QR codes for temporary parking, ensure they are prominently displayed and easily scannable at the lot location.
• Regular Review: Periodically review lot configurations, especially pricing and sales windows, to ensure they remain current and aligned with organizational policies.

Lot Visibility Options

OPS-COM provides enhanced control over parking lot visibility and accessibility, allowing administrators to define how and when users can view and book permits for specific lots. This article explains the three lot visibility options and their implications for both administrators and end-users, ensuring that lots can be precisely tailored for various scenarios, including event parking and restricted access.

Setup & Configuration

Lot visibility is configured within the Lot Edit Page or the View All Lots Page by selecting one of three distinct options.

Configuring Visibility on the Pricing & Lot Admin Page

1. Hover over Parking Management, Lot Administration and click Pricing & Lot Admin.
2. Click on the Lot Name you wish to configure.
3. On the General tab, under Visibility to Users, you will find three radio buttons. Select the desired option (details below).
4. Click Update Lot to save your changes.

Configuring Visibility on the View All Lots Page (Bulk Action)

1. Hover over Parking Management, Lot Administration and click Pricing & Lot Admin.
2. On this page, locate the Visibility column for each lot.
3. Click the current visibility icon next to the desired lot(s) to change the status using the radio buttons that appear.
4. This allows you to change the visibility status of multiple lots at once.

Legend

• - lot is not visible.
  

• - lot is visible.

• - lot is hidden but accessible.

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Using this Feature

The three lot visibility options provide granular control over user access:

• Not Visible:

  • The lot is not visible to end-users on the permit booking page or the real-time map.
  • Users cannot book permits from this lot, even with a direct link. This option is typically used for lots under construction, maintenance, or no longer in use.

• Visible:

  • The lot is visible to end-users on the permit booking page and may appear on the real-time map (if configured).
  • Users can book permits from this lot, provided they meet any other access criteria (e.g., user type, sales window). This is the standard setting for publicly available lots.

• Hidden But Accessible:

  • The lot is not visible to end-users on the general permits page or the real-time map.
  • Users can book permits from this lot if they access it through a direct link. This link can be provided via email, a webpage, or by scanning the lot's QR code.

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Best Practices & Considerations

• Event Parking: The Hidden But Accessible option is ideal for event parking. You can provide a direct link to event attendees, allowing them to book permits without the lot being generally visible to all users.
• Combined with Passwords: For enhanced security, combine Hidden But Accessible with lot passwords. This ensures that only users with both the direct link and the correct password can book permits for the lot.
• User Communication: If using Hidden But Accessible lots, clearly communicate how users can access the lot (e.g., "Scan this QR code," "Click the link in your email").
• Audit Regularly: Periodically review the visibility settings of your lots to ensure they align with current operational needs and access policies.

Using Permit Proration

Proration is a permission that can be given to an admin user. It allows them to sell a permit to a user that is valid for a shorter portion of the active sales window and have the system adjust the cost of the permit accordingly. A good example is a student parker starting to park a vehicle halfway through a year or semester. 

Quick Steps:

1. Hover over the Parking Management then Lot Administration and select Pricing & Lot Admin.
2. Click on the Lot Name. 
3. In the Edit Lot page click on Standard Permits and enable Proration for the desired lot. Click Update Lot to save.
4. Hover over User Management and click User Search. find the user’s profile and click on their username then click on the Parking tab.
5. Select the Standard Parking Permit for the desired lot.
6. Choose the permit number and start date.
7. The cost will be prorated and display as prorated.
8. Click Purchase this Permit to finalize the purchase.
9. The adjusted cost will appear in both the Admin and User's portals.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Locate Pricing & Lot Admin page: Hover over the Parking Management then Lot Administration and select Pricing & Lot Admin.
   1. Configuration/Setup: In Lot Admin & Pricing, select the lot you want to set up for proration.
   2. On the Standard Permit tab, check Proration Enabled. The lot is now set for proration.
2. Hover over User Management and click User Search.
   1. Using Proration for Permits: Search for the user and open their profile by clicking on their username.
   2. Locate the Parking Tab: Click on the Parking tab to begin purchasing a permit. The Parking Permit Registration screen will appear.
   3. Selecting Standard Parking: Select the Standard Parking Permit for the lot where the user will park. The full price of the permit will be displayed.
   4. Configuring the Confirm Parking Permit Registration page: Choose the permit number for the user and select the start date for the permit.
   5. Confirm the Prorated Cost: After selecting the permit number and start date, the cost will be prorated, and the prorated label will appear. Confirm that the cost has been prorated.
   6. Click Purchase this Permit to complete the process. The adjusted permit cost will now show in both the Admin Portal and the User's Portal.

Archiving and Restoring Permits

Lot Allocation allows you to remove and restore permits in any given lot. Permits are removed through archiving. Archived permits are not permanently deleted and can be restored from their archived state.

Quick Steps:

1. Hover over Parking Management then Lot Administration and click Allocate.
2. Locate the lot you wish to archive/restore permits for.
3. Click Archive Permits and Choose either Selected Permits to archive a portion of the permits or All Permits to archive them all.
4. Select the permits you wish to archive.
5. Click Remove and confirm with Remove again.
6. To restore permits click Add Permits To Lot.
7. Choose individual permits or a range (TL2-01 to TL2-05).
8. Click Add Permits then confirm by clicking Add Permits again.
9. Wait for the completion popup.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Navigate to the Lot Administration: Hover over Parking Management in the menu then Lot Administration and then click Allocate.

2. Select the Lot: Locate the lot you wish to remove/restore permits for.

3. Choose Permits to Archive: Click on the Archive Permits dropdown menu. Select Selected Permits to archive only specific permits or click All Permits to remove them all.

4. Select Permits to Archive: Choose the permits you want to archive. Click Remove to start the archiving process.

5. Confirm the Archive: A confirmation screen will appear. Click Remove again to complete the process.

6. Completion Message: A popup message will confirm that the archiving process is complete.

7. Check the Lot: Refresh the list of permits. You’ll see that TL2-01 through TL2-05 have been removed from the lot.

8. Add Permits Back to the Lot: To restore permits, click on Add Permits To Lot.

9. Choose a Method to Add Permits: You can add permits back either individually or as a range: To individually add permits type the permit number in the Permits text box. To add by range add the prefix and postfix (if any) then add the starting and ending numbers for example 01-10 would add permits 1 to 10.

10. Start the Process: Click Add Permits to begin the restoration process.

11. Confirmation Message: A confirmation popup will appear. Note that the message will indicate the permits are "restored," not "created," as they were previously archived.

12. Completion Message: A popup message will confirm that the restoration process is complete.

13. Check the Lot: Refresh the list of permits. You’ll see that TL2-01 through TL2-05 have been restored.

Flex Permits

Introduction

Flex permits allow clients to specify variable prices for a lot, with the possibility of a different price for every hour. This allows more options for the customization of permit prices, useful for situations like making permits more expensive during peak hours.

Flex permits are counted as type of temp permit, as an addition to the existing daily and hourly permits. They function most similarly to hourly permits and their uses have some overlap. 

It is intended for a site to choose between hourly permits and flex permits and not use both, although clients are not restricted from using both at the same time if they choose to.

Flex Permits Tab

Flex permits and related sections can be accessed on the lot edit page, from the new flex permits tab.

The page consists of three sections:

• An options section

• A time slot section, used for defining prices

• An hourly grid, used to assign prices to hours in the week

Options

Time Slots

Flex permits are controlled by a grid of customizable timeslots, which are configured for each lot from the lot edit page.

The time slot section is located below the options section.

Time slots created by the admin are located here.

• Name - a user-friendly name to identify what the slot should be used for

• Price - the price of booking a permit for the selected hour

• Colour - the colour that the time cells in the week grid will be marked with when they are assigned this price

Time-slot Creation

Click the add new button to bring up the add time slot modal.

Fill in the required fields and press save changes to save the new time slot.

The time slot selection menu will reload and the saved item will appear.

The modal will also be brought up when editing the details of an existing time slot.

Once a time slot has been created, there is no way to delete it .

Hourly Cell Grid

Below the time slot section, the hourly cell grid can be found. This is a representation of each hour within the week.

Here, each hour time slot within a week can be assigned a specific cost. When a user books a permit for a number of hours, the final price will be calculated using the prices associated to each hour selected within the booking.

Above the cell grid, several buttons can be found.

• Clear - will clear the grid of all filled cells

• Fill - will fill in the grid with the selected colour

• Reload - will reload the grid data stored within the database, erasing any changes that were made

Hourly Price Assignment

To fill in the cell grid, first select one of the prices to assign to cells on the grid.

This can be done by clicking on the one of the selectable colours.

This will change the active colour to the colour selected, as indicated by the blue outline.

Cells on the grid can now be filled in by clicking and dragging the mouse across the cells.

The grid can be filled in using any number of time slots.

Note that any sections left blank (using the default option) will be set to free.

Cell price layouts will only be saved upon clicking the update lot button.

User-Side Permits

Once the flex permits have been filled in, they will begin to appear for sale on the user side.

On lots where flex permits are enabled, the permits page will show a preview of flex permits as a price range.

Flex permit inputs:

• Date - the day the permit is being booked for.
  
• Start Time - The time the booking will start at.
  • Flex permits are limited to booking on the hour. They do not currently support proration, meaning if a user arrives during the middle of an hour, they must pay for the entire price of the hour.
    
• Duration - the number of hours to book the permit for.
  • A permit can be booked for a limit of 12 hours. If the booking would go beyond the bounds of the day, the user will be required to pick a shorter duration.
    
• Vehicle - like normal for temp permits, the user can either select a vehicle on their account or enter a new plate as a guest vehicle.

Selecting a different day will cause the flex prices box to reload with the new day's prices.

The cost of the permit will be calculated using the prices of each hour in the selected range added together.

Pressing to reserve the permit, the permit will be added to the user's cart.

Real-Time Map

On the real-time map, the flex permits range of cost will be listed under rental costs.

Clicking here to book a permit will take the user to the guest checkout page, the same place as if they had scanned a QR code to access the lot.

If enabled, the user does not need to be logged in to access this page.

In the case where a lot group is used as an icon in place of a single lot, it will also show the range on the lot groups page.

QR Code / Guest Checkout

Similar to the standard temp permit checkout, the flex permit prices for the day will be displayed to the left side of the page.

As guest checkout permits are intended for immediate bookings, the day and time will be limited to the current date.

Upon filling in the information, the permit cost will be calculated and the user will be able to checkout immediately.

Clicking on make payment, the user will be redirected to their selected payment gateway to make a payment.

Lot Passwords

Introduction

The ability to lock lots with a password has been added. Setting a password on a lot prevents users from booking a permit in that lot unless they enter the password.

In support of event parking, this can be used to make a lot intended for an event that can only be booked from by users who have been given the password for the lot.

This can be used in combination with lot visibility settings to make a lot that can only be booked from by users given a direct link and password to the lot.

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Lot Edit Page

Passwords can be managed from the lot edit page.

There are two settings related to lot passwords:

• Password - the password that must be entered to access permit booking for the lot.
• Use Lot Password - enables or disables the application of the password on the lot.

Even if a lot has a password set, the password input will not be enforced unless the lot has password use enabled.

Passwords cannot be enabled for a lot if there is no password set for it.

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View all Lots Page

Password usage will be indicated by a lock icon beside the lot on the lot admin page.

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Usage

• When a lot is password-locked, users trying to access it will be forced to a password input. They will need to enter the password in order to be able to get to the permit reservation page.
  

• Once the password had been input, the user will not need to enter the password again for that single lot until their session data is cleared.
  

• This will only apply to the single lot the password was entered for. Other lots with passwords will still prompt the user for the password.
  

• When a lot has a password on it, a lock icon will appear next to the lot name in places where it appears, including the real-time map.

• Admins are not restricted by lot passwords on the admin-side, and will not need to enter the password to book a permit for a user.