Client
University of Birmingham

Context
The University of Birmingham is located in Edgbaston, Birmingham. The student population includes 20,100 undergraduate and 14,060 postgraduate students, making it the fourth largest in the UK.

The car parking facilities are a mixture of staff only and pay and display.  There are a total of 17 pay and display machines on campus provided by Parkeon and a total of 3,500 spaces, including one Multi-Storey Car Park.

The University has implemented cashless parking payments via RingGo and has two codes to allow differential charging for staff and visitors.

The University offers a permit for satellite car parks at a cost of £220 per annum to bring consistency with ‘on campus’ charging and policy. The parking policy has also been extended to cover the new Student Village, Selly Oak Campus and a new secondary school operated by the University.

Staff can pay for parking via a salary-banded scheme, or through a daily charge calculated on usage and barrier access swipes. The daily charge is open to abuse as users can avoid swiping their barrier access card by gaining access via the intercom. Band 1 staff do not pay for parking.

The University employs 4 Traffic Officers to patrol / manage the car parking facilities and to issue Parking Charge Notices (PCNs).  UKPC has held the contract for back office processing of PCNs and debt recovery for a number of years.

The University approached The Parking Consultancy wishing to re-tender for this service using a closed procurement model, with 3-4 preferred suppliers invited to tender.

Client Issues

• The University wanted to ensure it was achieving ‘Value for Money’ with its car parking enforcement, debt collection and back office processing contract;
  
• A robust enforcement regime was required to combat abuse from staff who may have had a permit withdrawn due to future losses in parking through redevelopment;
• Greater transparency was needed over the number of PCNs issued on site, income generated and persistent offenders;
• The Parking Charge Notice (PCN) issuing software did not provide historical data of previous warnings or PCNs issued to a particular registration plate;
• Better management reporting of PCN activity, account management and debt recovery was required; and
• Whilst UKPC had held the contract for back office processing and debt recovery for a number of years, alternative providers may have provided a more University-focused service.

Our Solution
Contracts with parking operators are long-term commitments; it was critical to get it right first time, so that the conditions were suitable for the University of Birmingham and focused on service provision and customer experience, rather than simply issuing PCNs.

With our vast experience in the sector, The Parking Consultancy was able to provide advice on the contract so that the client avoided any pitfalls and secured the service they desired.  We were also well positioned to advise on the operators that might be best suited to their needs.

Services Provided

• Worked closely with the University’s Senior Management and operational staff to develop core requirements of the new contract;
  
• Sourced leading suppliers with a background of work in the University sector;
  
• Worked closely with the Procurement Department to better understand their processes;
• Conducted a complete audit of all enforcement signage across the various campuses;
• Developed a technical specification for enforcement services;
• Prepared the Invitation of Tender (ITT) and sourced a number of preferred suppliers;
• Issued the tender via the electronic ‘In-tend’ portal;
• Developed a scoring matrix / methodology to evaluate received tenders;
  
• Organised and managed a supplier site visit;
• Evaluated submitted tenders in partnership with Procurement;
• Developed clarification questions for interviews;
• Conducted supplier interviews; and
• Provided our final recommendations for the contract award.
  

The Results

• Provided recommendations on enforcement signage improvements, to ensure legal compliance;
  
• Ensured value for money within the new contract through a closed competitive tender;
• Developed a concise assessment methodology to evaluate submitted tenders, ensuring the requirements of the University were achieved;
  
• Implemented the new enforcement contract over the summer to ensure its operation for the new academic year;
• Ensured the new contract for enforcement services provided real-time management reporting and access to historical PCN information and previous contraventions against Vehicle registrations;
• Better account management and support; and
• Improved PCN back office processing, user support and equitable debt recovery.

“TPC’s practical and pragmatic approach to our challenges always provides the sensible solution. Their experience and knowledge of the sector and their network always reassures that you are getting the best and most up to date advice. I would have no hesitation in recommending TPC Consultancy’s services.”  (Gail Eagles, General Manager Support)

Contract Data
Duration: 2 months    
Contact: Ian Goodwin

theparkingconsultancy@outlook.com
Tel: 01430 650343
Mobile: 07410 117113