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Implementing a vehicle entry control system takes one to three months from signing the contract to go-live. That time is made up of the pre-implementation analysis, configuration for your process, installation work if any, training and acceptance. The range depends on how many of these stages apply at a given site: a site with the hardware in place and a simple process fits into a month, while a site that needs installation work and agreement between several departments takes three.
If you are shown a schedule shorter than a month, check it for the analysis and the training, because those two stages are the ones most often left out of the count.
Stages of implementing a vehicle entry control system
The first stage, the pre-implementation analysis, establishes how the site works: how many gates it has, which entry types, who makes decisions at the gate, which documents are collected and what should happen with exceptions. Cutting corners on the analysis costs the most, because a misunderstood process only comes to light at acceptance.
Configuration takes days. The system has several hundred switches and configurable form fields, so fitting it to the process is done through settings, without writing code.
Installation work only comes into it when hardware is needed, and often it isn’t, because the system is set up around the installation you already have. Device compatibility is checked during the analysis.
Training is run separately for gate operators and for the administrator. The operator learns one screen; the administrator learns the whole configuration.
Last comes acceptance, which means checking how the system behaves with your process. The acceptance report also records things that can’t be determined earlier, for example how the site behaves when the connection fails in the cloud variant.
What makes an implementation take longer
Implementation takes longer with:
- installation of new hardware, because delivery dates and electrical work are outside our control,
- agreements between departments, when the process involves logistics, security, HR and IT at the same time,
- unusual devices, for example a weighbridge indicator or a controller that isn’t on the tested list,
- no decision on scope, because adding modules part-way through requires a new licence,
- the cloud variant, which adds configuring network access to the devices.
Most often, though, what delays an implementation is decisions not being made on the customer’s side: who signs off the process, who grants permissions, what the data retention period is. So before the start, appoint one person who makes those decisions.
What you can see before signing the contract
Before signing the contract you can see the whole process in a demo, without buying any hardware. We set it up with your gates, entry types and rules, so you can see how the system will handle your process from booking, through arrival, entry, weighing and exit, all the way to the report.
The demo removes the biggest risk of a purchase like this: the hardware has already been bought and installed, and only then does it turn out that the process looks different from what everyone assumed.
How much implementation costs
Implementation costs a percentage of the licence value, with a minimum amount. The rate is the same regardless of how you pay and whether the server is on your premises or in the cloud, because it is the same work. The minimum is there because analysis, configuration and training cost roughly the same at the smallest site as at a larger one.
Implementation by us is optional, because you can implement the system yourself. In the pricing configurator implementation is a separate box to tick and isn’t added automatically, so you can see the amount for your own configuration with and without it.
What implementation does not include
Implementation doesn’t include buying and installing hardware, which is priced separately in three variants: the customer’s own hardware, installation by the customer’s people to our design, or installation by us.
Building an ERP integration is a separate scope of work on the API, because TraxSystem has no ready-made connectors for SAP or Oracle.
Migrating historical data from a previous system isn’t part of the implementation either. Its scope, if it is needed at all, is agreed individually.
Questions and answers
Can we start with one gate and add the rest later?
Yes, and that is often how it is done. Adding gates beyond the base package’s limit requires a new licence to be generated.
Who needs to be involved on our side?
Someone who knows the process at the gate, someone from IT for the network and the server, and a decision-maker who signs off the scope. With the cloud variant the data protection officer is involved as well, because a data processing agreement has to be signed.
Is the training a one-off?
Yes, implementation training takes place once. For day-to-day work there is a manual built into the application, available from every screen.
See also: Do you need new barriers and cameras to implement the system · An access control system contract: what to look out for · Vehicle entry control at a manufacturing plant: where to start