Case Study: Brandon University

At a Glance

• Industry: Higher Education
• Location: Brandon, Manitoba
• Students: 3,000+
• Staff: 600+
• Parking Lots: 13
• Annual Permits: 9,000+
• Annual Violations: 1,000+
• Modules Implemented: ParkAdmin, ViolationAdmin, IncidentAdmin
• Key Result: Replaced unsearchable spreadsheets and manual processes with a connected parking platform that restored revenue visibility and identified repeat offenders

Overview

Brandon University is a public university located in downtown Brandon, Manitoba, serving approximately 3,000 students and 600 staff across 13 parking lots. The Department of Ancillary Services — responsible for residences, parking, food services, the campus bookstore, and student services — manages parking as part of a broader mandate to support the university community.

When parking revenue dropped unexpectedly between 2016 and 2017, the team couldn’t determine why. Their system at the time simply couldn’t tell them. That gap in visibility was the catalyst for change.

The Challenge

Brandon University’s parking operation was running on a combination of manual processes and spreadsheets that created three compounding problems: no way to identify repeat offenders, no way to diagnose a revenue decline, and no searchable record of permitted drivers or enforcement history.

Key challenges included:

• Revenue dropped year-over-year with no explanation — the existing parking management solution couldn’t produce the reporting needed to understand what was happening or why
• Repeat offenders went untracked — with no searchable violation history, the same vehicles could repeatedly park illegally without escalating consequences
• Excel-based records were unsearchable — staff couldn’t quickly look up a permit holder, vehicle, or violation history without manually scrolling through spreadsheets
• No online self-service for parkers — permit purchases, violation payments, and appeals all required in-person office visits
• No automated temporary parking workflow — providing legal short-term access to a vehicle required manual intervention
• Financial tracking was fragmented — revenue reporting couldn’t reliably connect permit sales, violation income, and payment activity in one view

For a small university with a lean administrative team, these inefficiencies weren’t just frustrating — they were costing real time and real money without any clear way to measure either. This is one of the most common consequences of managing parking across disconnected tools rather than a unified system: problems are hard to see, and harder to fix.

The Solution

Brandon University implemented OperationsCommander (OPSCOM) to replace their spreadsheet-based operation with a connected, cloud-based parking and enforcement platform. Despite being a smaller institution — and initially hesitant about switching systems — the university found that OPSCOM’s modular approach meant they could start with what they needed and grow from there.

ParkAdmin — Parking Management

ParkAdmin replaced manual permit management with a connected, searchable platform:

• Fully searchable permit holder database — staff can look up any driver, vehicle, or permit in seconds rather than scrolling spreadsheets
• Self-service portal for parkers to purchase permits, manage accounts, and make payments online without visiting the office
• Temporary parking management — providing legal short-term parking access to any vehicle takes a few clicks rather than manual paperwork
• Parking lot usage auditing and analytics — giving the team visibility into which lots are underperforming and where revenue opportunities exist
• Complete financial tracking connecting permit sales, payments, and revenue trends in one reporting view

ViolationAdmin — Parking Enforcement

ViolationAdmin gave Brandon University’s enforcement team real-time connected tools and — critically — a searchable violation history that makes repeat offenders visible:

• Android handheld enforcement devices with real-time data access in the field
• Searchable violation history — officers can immediately see whether a vehicle is a repeat offender and respond accordingly
• Digital tire chalking with shared records across all connected devices — replacing manual chalk tracking with a consistent, defensible digital record
• Multiple photos attached to each violation record for clear evidence during disputes
• Online violation payment and appeals — parkers resolve citations without office visits
• Violation analytics for identifying enforcement patterns and planning patrol coverage

IncidentAdmin — Security Operations

IncidentAdmin extended the platform beyond parking into connected security operations:

• Centralized incident reporting for security staff
• Structured reports exportable in formats compatible with local police department requirements — eliminating manual reformatting when sharing security-related information externally
• Role-based access controls — staff see only the data relevant to their responsibilities

The Results

By replacing spreadsheets and disconnected tools with a unified platform, Brandon University restored visibility into their parking operation — and with that visibility, the ability to manage it effectively.

Revenue Visibility Restored

The revenue decline that prompted the switch is now something the university can monitor, understand, and respond to in real time. Permit sales, violation income, and payment activity are all tracked within the same system, giving administrators a clear and accurate picture of financial performance. The parking data and analytics that were impossible with spreadsheets are now a standard part of operations.

Repeat Offenders Now Identifiable and Actionable

With a fully searchable violation history, enforcement staff can immediately identify vehicles with repeated infractions and escalate consequences accordingly. A problem that was previously invisible — repeat parking offenders absorbing violations without consequence — is now manageable. Learn more about how connected enforcement systems support consistent and defensible enforcement decisions.

A Searchable, Reliable Database

The shift from Excel to a centralized permit and enforcement database transformed daily administration. Staff can look up any permit holder, vehicle, or violation record in seconds. Information that previously required manual searching across multiple spreadsheets is now immediately accessible from one system.

Self-Service Reduces Office Workload

Parkers now manage their own accounts, purchase permits, pay violations, and submit appeals online without visiting the parking office. Routine transactions that previously required staff time are now handled through self-service workflows — freeing the team to focus on more complex operational responsibilities.

Connected Security and Police Collaboration

IncidentAdmin allows Brandon University’s security team to produce structured reports for local police in a format they can work with directly — no manual reformatting, no time lost preparing documentation. Security and parking operations that previously existed in separate silos now share a connected operational view.

Why OPSCOM

Brandon University was initially hesitant about switching systems — a common concern for smaller institutions with lean administrative teams and limited tolerance for disruption. What made OPSCOM the right choice was its modular approach: the university could implement what they needed immediately and expand the platform as their operation matured, without committing to complexity they weren’t ready for.

The combination of a searchable database, connected enforcement, self-service workflows, and financial reporting addressed every challenge the university had identified — including the revenue visibility problem that had started the conversation.

For other small and mid-sized Canadian universities evaluating a similar move, the Canadian Mennonite University case study offers a comparable smaller-scale perspective, while the Carleton University case study shows what the platform delivers at much larger scale. See also how OPSCOM supports the higher education parking and security vertical.

About Brandon University

Brandon University is a public liberal arts university located in downtown Brandon, Manitoba. Serving approximately 3,000 students and 600 staff, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs across arts, science, education, music, and health studies. The Department of Ancillary Services oversees a broad portfolio of campus services including residences, parking, food services, the campus bookstore, and the Student ID Centre.