For years, repairs, paper ticket jams, and time-consuming cash handling were part of everyday operations for Stadtbetriebe Wolfenbüttel, the city’s municipal parking operator. The result was constant friction in day-to-day operations and countless hours spent on stressful, manual work. With Arivo, Stadtbetriebe fundamentally modernized its parking operations, significantly reduced costs, and improved communication with the local community.
Cash Handling, Breakdowns, and a System Pushed to Its Limits
The previous parking system had been in place for decades and was increasingly reaching its limits. Paper ticket jams, open barriers, and technical issues regularly led to equipment downtime. For Stadtbetriebe, this created a high operational burden: two employees spent a large share of their working hours on repairs, troubleshooting, and short-term fixes.
One example shows just how vulnerable the old system had become. When the manufacturer of the thermal printers moved production to a new facility, the materials used in the devices changed as well — with immediate consequences for daily parking operations. The pay stations began to jam, causing paper jams several times a day. Until replacement equipment could be delivered, Stadtbetriebe employees often had to respond multiple times a day just to keep operations running.
Cash handling added another layer of complexity. This process was managed by an external service provider, but forgotten cash cassettes, incorrectly reassembled pay stations, and slow response times when cassettes were full meant that issues were often only discovered and resolved after several days. During these outages, parking transactions could not be processed as intended, resulting in lost revenue.
Digitalization That Simplifies Parking Operations
The goal of the new system was clear: prevent downtime, reduce manual intervention, and make day-to-day operations more cost-efficient. At the same time, Stadtbetriebe wanted to eliminate its dependence on external cash-handling providers.
By implementing a ticketless, barrier-free, and cashless parking system, managed through the web-based Arivo Parking OS, Stadtbetriebe was able to achieve exactly that. Technical issues, frequent paper jams, and recurring outages are now a thing of the past. Operations are more reliable, more digital, and no longer interrupted by ticketing or cash-handling processes.
The two employees who previously spent much of their time on repairs and troubleshooting have also been significantly relieved. Instead of being called out during working hours, overnight, or on weekends, they can now focus on other tasks.
Eliminating external cash-handling partners has also lowered ongoing operating costs, saving the organization around €1,000 per month.
An Unexpected Side Effect: A Stronger Connection With the Community
The switch to a free-flow parking system sent a clear signal of digital transformation in this small town in Lower Saxony. The visible changes across the parking areas, driven by Arivo’s hardware, sparked curiosity among residents.
Because many parking users are older, one thing was clear from the beginning: the community needed to be brought along in the process, not surprised by the change. Stadtbetriebe therefore supported the transition with extensive communication. Affected long-term parkers and Comfort Card holders received personal letters, press releases were published, and notices were posted on-site.
The rollout led to an outcome that had not been part of the original plan: communication between Stadtbetriebe and the local community improved. People now approach the Stadtbetriebe team in the parking garage, reach out by email, share positive feedback, and ask questions. Within the community, this more direct form of communication is seen as an unexpected positive side effect.
“Residents are actively seeking conversations with us. The exchange is much more direct and personal today, and far less anonymous than it used to be. For Wolfenbüttel, this project has become a visible milestone in digitalization and transformation,” says Daniela Langner of Stadtbetriebe Wolfenbüttel.
Why Arivo Stood Out Among 20 Competitors
Stadtbetriebe Wolfenbüttel evaluated a wide range of providers. After speaking with around 20 companies in the parking management industry, the decision was made in favor of Arivo.
The reasons were clear: the flexibility of the solution and the professional way of working. Stadtbetriebe wanted to remain the operator of its parking areas and avoid implementing a system whose business model was built around penalty revenue. It was also important for Stadtbetriebe Wolfenbüttel to retain control over penalty amounts and to be able to disable enforcement whenever needed.
“We held more than 20 initial conversations, and Arivo stood out from the very beginning. The support throughout the project was consistently excellent — an experience I had never had before in this form with an external service provider,” says Daniela Langner of Stadtbetriebe Wolfenbüttel.
Parking Operations That Finally Run Smoothly
Stadtbetriebe Wolfenbüttel has shown that switching to a modern free-flow system can deliver major benefits, even for a small town. Hardware maintenance has been reduced to a minimum, and operations now benefit from automated processes without equipment downtime. Ongoing costs have also been significantly reduced, while employees have been freed from repairs and manual manual work.
What began as a technical modernization project has become a visible step toward digitalization for Wolfenbüttel — one that benefits Stadtbetriebe, visitors, and residents alike.
 Daniela Langner
Authorized Signatory
Stadtbetriebe Wolfenbüttel GmbH
  Previously, maintaining pay stations and barriers — along with constantly dealing with paper jams — took up a large portion of two employees’ working hours. By switching to a ticketless, cashless, and barrier-free parking system, this unnecessary effort has been eliminated entirely. The system has run reliably from the start and can be managed conveniently online through the Arivo Parking OS." |
