Step 4: Explore Occupancy Trends & ROI - Smart Car Park Walkthrough
Analyze parking patterns and calculate business value with ROI calculator
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Step 4 of 4 • 3 minutes
Explore Occupancy Trends & ROI
Analyze occupancy patterns to identify opportunities and calculate return on investment.
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Expected outcome
- You identify peak occupancy hours
- You understand zone-specific patterns
- You calculate ROI for your council's car parks
- You have committee-ready language for business case
Analyzing the 24-hour occupancy pattern
Look at the "Total Occupancy Over Time" line graph on your dashboard. You should see a clear pattern emerging across the 24-hour period:
Peak Hours
Time periods: 8am-10am, 12pm-2pm, 5pm-7pm
Average occupancy: 85% (42-43 out of 50 spaces occupied)
What this means:
- Morning commuters (8-10am) - workers parking for the day
- Lunch period (12-2pm) - shoppers and short-stay visitors
- Evening peak (5-7pm) - workers departing, evening visitors arriving
- Very limited availability - only 7-8 spaces free
Opportunity: During peak hours, you could charge premium rates for Ground Floor (most desirable) or guide overflow traffic to nearby car parks via real-time signage.
Off-Peak Hours
Time periods: 10am-12pm, 2pm-5pm, 7pm-10pm
Average occupancy: 60% (30 out of 50 spaces occupied)
What this means:
- Mid-morning and mid-afternoon lulls
- 20 spaces consistently available
- Good time for planned maintenance or cleaning
- Opportunity to attract more short-stay visitors
Opportunity: Offer discounted rates during off-peak to increase utilization (e.g., "Park for £3 between 10am-2pm"). Every additional occupied space = revenue.
Overnight
Time periods: 10pm-8am
Average occupancy: 20% (10 out of 50 spaces occupied)
What this means:
- Mostly residents with overnight permits
- 40 empty spaces generating no revenue
- Very low utilization (80% of capacity unused)
- Potential for alternative revenue streams
Opportunity: Partner with hotels, night venues, or shift workers. Offer overnight parking packages (6pm-8am) to monetize unused capacity.
Zone-specific insights
Look at the "Occupancy by Zone" stacked area chart. Notice how different zones fill at different rates:
| Zone | Peak Occupancy | Why | Optimization Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Floor | 90% (18/20) | Most convenient, accessible spaces, EV charging | Premium pricing during peak hours |
| Level 1 | 87% (13/15) | Covered parking, short walk | Standard pricing, good for medium-stay |
| Level 2 | 73% (11/15) | Furthest from entrance, less desirable | Discount pricing to increase utilization |
Insight: Level 2 has 4 spaces unused even at peak. By offering £1 discount for Level 2, you could fill those spaces: 4 spaces × £4/day × 260 days = £4,160 additional revenue annually.
Calculate your ROI
Use this interactive calculator to estimate the return on investment for IoT sensors in your council's car parks:
Think about your council
How many car parks does your council manage?
Multiply your ROI calculation by the number of car parks to see total council-wide impact. For example, if you manage 5 car parks of similar size:
- Total annual benefit: £26,000 × 5 = £130,000/year
- Total AWS cost: £145 × 5 = £725/year
- Net benefit: £129,275/year
- Payback period: Less than 1 week
Beyond financial ROI, consider strategic benefits:
- Foundation for smart city initiatives (IoT infrastructure can expand to other uses)
- Improved citizen experience (real-time availability via website/mobile app)
- Reduced congestion and emissions (less circling looking for spaces)
- Data-driven decision making (evidence for future capacity planning)