Municipal Citation Solutions (MCS) created the Violation and Ticketing System (VATS) so companies in the $30 billion U.S. parking industry could help workers in the field more effectively and accurately do their jobs. Find out how the five-year-old, technology-centered parking citation management system based out of Chattanooga, Tenn. transformed business processes through mobility with VMware AirWatch.
The Mission: Hassle-Free Mobile App Innovation
MCS developed an enforcement app for VATS so users could quickly and easily write parking tickets in the field. Parking enforcement officers could take pictures, scan license plates and even populate information to the app from a registration sticker—all from a rugged device.
VATS Permitting from Municipal Citation Solutions on Vimeo.
However, MCS soon realized that the market demanded smaller, more convenient devices that would fit in a pocket, rather than five-pound devices with printers connected to the device. Not only would this help users be more productive, but also clients could save money buying consumer-grade smartphones over expensive rugged devices. So in 2014, MCS developed their enforcement app for Windows smartphones.
Always anticipating and adapting to clients’ needs, the company updated the app monthly, but they realized they could streamline the process for users with an enterprise mobility management solution. For instance, if users reported trouble downloading new updates themselves, the AirWatch EMM platform could help them instantly push updates to devices, creating a lighter touch end-user experience.
“The smartphone is changing every industry, and the parking industry is no different,” said Vice President of Operations at MCS, Isaiah Mouw, who consults with clients on how best to achieve their goals through VATS. “We were one of the first in our industry to offer our parking enforcement solution on a smartphone, but we wanted even more control over releases and changes. An EMM solution was a wonderful solution to complement the capabilities of our enforcement app.”
Their top priority in the buying process: getting the best platform- and OS-specific support for their native Windows app. AirWatch was a clear choice, according to Mouw. A leader in business mobility, AirWatch not only offered comprehensive platform and OS support but also same-day support for new releases.
“We did our research and decided to go with AirWatch in 2015 because at the time, AirWatch was one of the first offering services on the Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows Embedded 8.1 Handheld platforms, which were what our application was running on,” said John Redmon, Senior .Net Developer with MCS.
In addition to diverse platform support and hassle-free updates, the AirWatch platform helped MCS offer clients capabilities like:
- Role-based access for enhanced control and security.
- Blocking phone functionality and specific apps and websites to increase productivity.
- Remotely locating missing phones and viewing battery life to save time.
- GPS tracking to view enforcement officer routes and a “heat map” of parking ticket issuance used for analytics.
- Integration with peripherals (like expanded printer options) and third-party applications for enhanced functionality.
The Results: Client Satisfaction, Growth & Transformation
As a result of their relationship with AirWatch, MCS increased client satisfaction by saving them money, improving user productivity and quickening the pace of innovation at MCS:
- Cost Savings: Because AirWatch supports multiple platforms and devices, MCS can support clients’ cost-saving BYOD programs with their mobile app, and, because users are no longer limited to rugged devices with printers attached, clients can save money by replacing each component separately with Bluetooth-enabled printers and smartphones.
- Improved Productivity: The ability to use BYOD or consumer-grade devices also shortens the replacement process, so users don’t have to wait weeks to receive new devices. MCS receives positive feedback, as well, on eliminating the need for users to manually accept updates (especially from clients with more than 20 handheld devices) and device functionality control (like prohibiting users from selecting “airplane mode” and losing connectivity).
- Rapid Innovation: MCS continues innovating the parking management process, currently adding a feature for tracking broken meters and integrating with a pay-by-phone providers so officers receive payment alerts via the app. AirWatch helps MCS release new updates and customize their solution for new customers at a faster pace by removing hassles and obstacles to pushing these updates to end-user devices.
“Our customer satisfaction has increased significantly” said Mouw. “Our clients are happy to better manage their employees, and we are happy with a solution to implement updates seamlessly.”
Of course, increased client satisfaction also means increased sales and business growth for MCS and RPS. The company expects a 65-percent increase in device enrollment by 2017. “Since moving to the smartphone and to AirWatch, we have gained a significant number of new contracts with municipalities and parking organizations across the country,” said Mouw.
Additionally, the AirWatch platform provides MCS with other potential capabilities (like reporting and compliance) to further transform parking management and maintain a competitive edge. “I know we’re only using five percent of what AirWatch offers, and we want to learn all there is to know about AirWatch because we really like the results so far,” said Mouw.
