Parking lots, along with roofing and HVAC, are a large capital expense and require maintenance. Just like a leaking roof or broken air conditioner, a parking lot littered with potholes will negatively impact your customers. Unlike other areas of your property, the parking lot is the very first and last encounter for your customers. If your store strives to achieve a seamless customer experience regardless of location, success depends, in large part, on the condition of your pavement. When customers leave your facility, what is the final and lasting impression they hold? If your parking lot is in bad shape, it is probably not very positive. Managing your pavement inventory and budgeting in advance for cost-effective, proactive maintenance will help ensure that all of your parking lots stay in good condition. This, in turn, reduces potential liabilities and enhances your overall store image.
For many years, the paving industry has promoted pavement management planning or PMP to help facility professionals optimize pavement maintenance for multiple parking lots. The goal has been to prolong the functionality of each structure over an extended period of time. While PMP is still an important tool for any facility manager, it alone cannot produce real-time condition reports and projected costs for an entire parking lot portfolio. An inventory management system can fill in the gaps and provide valuable benefits. With an inventory, it is possible to track pavement condition for multiple sites without even leaving the office. Furthermore, maintenance history and repair recommendations can be logged to assist with budgeting for and scheduling future preventative or structural maintenance. This article discusses four steps to implementing a proper and effective parking lot inventory management system. Read more…






