Technical audit

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Technical inspection includes regular maintenance and inspection of cable cars, lifts and other elements of the mountain railway. This includes the replacement of worn parts, the inspection of electrical and mechanical systems and the cleaning of the systems. This not only ensures the safety of passengers during transportation, but also the proper functioning of the systems and smooth operation.

As a rule, the audit takes place in the off-season between skiing and summer seasons, when the facilities are not as busy. Maintenance and inspection by technicians can be carried out during this time without disrupting normal operation. Through regular technical reviews, problems can be identified and resolved early on before dangerous situations occur.

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Economic audit

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In addition to the technical audit, the off-season should be used to think about the profitability and cost optimization of mountain railway operations. Which investments and innovations can lead to higher process efficiency in the coming peak season? As highly seasonal and weather-dependent businesses, it is particularly relevant for mountain railways to reduce cost factors and identify and exploit revenue potential.

The following points should be evaluated:

Personnel optimization: Many tourist businesses are severely affected by the shortage of skilled workers, so an evaluation of personnel resources is essential. It is examined how tasks can be distributed efficiently without overburdening personnel.

saving time: Saving time also helps to relieve staff. It should therefore be evaluated for which processes automation is possible and how much faster they can run as a result. In the best case, life is also made easier for mountain railway customers and increases their satisfaction.

Generate revenue: In addition, the question should be asked about potential sales in order to generate further income — in addition to the fee for the trips. Particularly in view of the high seasonality of farms, solutions should always be sought in order to create a year-round source of income.

Reduce costs: In addition to an increase in turnover, the reduction of costs also contributes to higher profits. Which cost factors in the company can be reduced and which can be completely avoided?

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This is how Söllereckbahn used the off-season for optimizations

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The operator Söllereckbahn in Oberstdorf, Bavaria, seized the opportunity during the off-season in spring 2023 and equipped its parking areas with the digital parking solution from Peter Park. The decision for the system was made due to the challenges arising from managing the parking area to date. This included the fact that the parking spaces of the mountain railway could be entered and left uncontrollably. It was also difficult to check parking tickets, which parking people had to draw from the vending machine and lay them out in the car — personnel registration could not guarantee complete recording.
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Since May 2023, all incoming and outgoing vehicles on the Söllereckbahn parking areas have been driven by GDPR-compliant license plate recognition captured. Staff who previously had to invest time in staffing can now dedicate themselves to value-adding tasks, and the digital recording of all parking users also makes it possible to generate new income over the entire year.

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Maximum efficiency through digital parking space management

An important factor that should emerge from the analysis of economic aspects is the optimization of parking space management. This approach is too often neglected, but the digital Parking space management for mountain railways numerous opportunities: optimization of processes, relief of personnel, time savings, reduction of costs and generation of a seasonally independent source of income.

A digital parking system makes parking management more profitable and customer-friendly. Conventional barriers are unnecessary here, as the license plates are used when entering the parking lot automatically captured by cameras become. In this way, the parking process is started without the need to stop in front of a barrier.

After completing the parking process, customers can pay as usual at a parking machine via EC/credit card or via their mobile phone. However, it is also possible to simply drive from the parking area and complete the parking process as well as the cashless payment to be processed automatically via a partner parking app. The registration of the license plate when driving in and out is not only used to determine the parking time, but also to automatically process the payment in the background — making it unnecessary for visitors to go to the parking machine.

If you also want your mountain railway to benefit from these benefits, you can here Calculate the potential of your parking area in 3 steps!

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Reducing staff workload through automation

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Setting up a digital parking management system eliminates some unpleasant tasks for mountain railway employees. Managing parking spaces is much more efficient than before, as no more personnel is required and all data can be viewed quickly and easily. In addition, analyses and sales forecasts for employees can be created with minimal effort. Outsourcing the monitoring of parking violations to an external provider provides additional relief. As a result, costs and personnel costs can be saved and more resources are available for other fields of activity.

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Year-round income

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Through digital parking space management, mountain railway operators have the opportunity to tap into new sources of income regardless of season.

Parking fees can be individually adjusted to different customer groups, for example, companies can offer day or season tickets. In addition, can Fremdparker How long-term parkers, campers or ski tourers can be avoided without additional costs or personnel costs. Tracking them generates additional revenue and the parking spaces remain available only for paying mountain railway customers.

Since the parking management system is active around the clock, seven days a week and therefore also runs outside the operating hours of the mountain railways, this can result in additional income outside operating hours. In this way, the high dependence on weather and seasonal conditions can be reduced.

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Lower hardware maintenance costs

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By implementing a digital, barrier-free parking space management system, mountain railway operators can save costs for maintenance, repair and inspection personnel. In addition, downtime due to defective barriers is avoided, as these are replaced by the implementation of ANPR technology and the digital management system. The low-maintenance hardware of the Peter Park system is significantly cheaper to buy and maintain than conventional parking systems and also reduces power consumption. It is not necessary to staff the parking area, as parking tickets for wrong-way parkers are automatically generated and traced. As a result, the operating costs of the parking area can be effectively reduced and additional revenue potential can be tapped.

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Satisfied guests

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Digital parking management solutions offer mountain railway guests many advantages, such as quick and convenient parking processes without backlogs at barriers or queues in front of parking machines. Flexible payment options also ensure greater satisfaction. Since paper tickets are superfluous, loss payments are also omitted. This all results in a more pleasant and relaxed parking experience: Visitors have more time to enjoy nature and mountains and simply an all-round positive experience — and satisfied guests are known to come back again!

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Copyright header image © Oberstdorf Kleinwalsertal Bergbahnen

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