OperationsCommander (OPS-COM) is a system with many modules designed to make your Parking and Security organization more efficient and effective. You will be trained based on which modules you have purchased, however, there are some modules that are core OPS-COM; for example, User Management, Payments, System Admin and Configuration.  If this is a new installation, your Account Executive will be in touch right after your Preview site is available to start the discussions about setting up OperationsCommander.  For a complete walk through of the New Client Orientation and Rollout tasks refer to this wiki article.

You will find many links to wiki articles in this document. If there any questions or concerns while you are stepping through a wiki article, please contact support for assistance. 

Module 1 - OPS-COM System Setup

There are a number of items on the New Client Orientation and Rollout tasks checklist that you should read through before proceeding. Please review sections 1 - 3.

It is important that you setup your final configurations on your production system. The preview system is for testing and the information created here is temporary.

System Config

Roles and Permissions

OPS-COM allows System Owners and Administrators the ability to setup roles that will restrict access to information and features in OPS-COM. Roles are a group of permissions that are bundled and assigned to a set of users. For example, you may wish to create a role for Patrol Officer. You will set the permissions for this role and assign users the role of Patrol Officer when you would like to grant them permissions that match that job. Users can be assigned multiple roles. 

For a quick overview video, CLICK HERE.  Refer to this wiki article for more information

Creating Administrator Accounts

When the system is setup for the first time there will only be one Administrator. The OPS-COM team will have set it up and provided the login details to you. To manage your Admin Accounts you must refer to this wiki article.

Setting Up UserTypes

Your Account Executive will help you determine what user types may be useful for you to setup and what the rules appropriate to those users may be. For example, you may want to allow Full-Time Students to park in different lots than Part-Time students. User Types will lay the groundwork for you to do this.  Once you have decided what types you will be using, you can use this wiki article to set them up.  

You will also need to decide what information you will require when a new user creates a profile on your system. Refer to this wiki article for setup information.

Setting up the Admin Options

Many of the Admin Options control your picklists for different options. You can refer to this Wiki article for more information.

Setting up ViolationAdmin Options 

If you have purchased ViolationAdmin then you will need to setup your Ticket Types. Ticket Types are used to distinguish what type of Violation/ticket is being issued. Refer to this wiki article for more information.  You will also need to setup your Offence Types. Fine amounts are set and the discount for each offence is administered here.  Refer to this wiki article for more information. 

System Settings Customization

For more information about System Settings and what each one means, refer to this wiki article.

Email Template Setup

Email Templates that are created for communications with your clients are stored in this area in OPS-COM. Currently, you can edit the look and feel. In the future, you will be able to setup your own email templates. For more information about editing Email Templates, refer to this wiki article.

Invoicing Template Setup

OPS-COM will allow you to prepare/send invoices for permit purchases. The Invoicing feature is used to simplify the monthly billing/invoicing process for bulk payment of permit purchases.  For more information about setting up your Invoice Template refer to this wiki article.

Setting up the Communication/Landing Page for Admins

When initially logging onto OperationsCommander as an administrator, the first landing page you are presented with has a message window that can be edited to suit your specific needs. General information can be placed here. Many ops-com users place schedule information on this landing page as well. For more information refer to this wiki article.

Module 2 - User Management

Users and their profile information form the backbone of the OPS-COM software. They link all modules together and allow you to have a complete history of everything about that user and associated vehicle.   You can Add, Edit and Search for Users. You can also buy Lockers and Permits and pay for Violations through the User Profile.  Merge tools and bulk email filters that allow you to reach out to your users are also available in this module.

Quick registration 

This is the area that you will need when adding a User to the system. Admins can manually add users or users can be asked to log into the User Portal to create and manage their account.  When using this registration form, you will be able to assign the appropriate user type and input all other relevant information. This wiki article covers the Admin registering new users.

User side Registration

For information about User Registration through the User Portal refer to this wiki article.

Working with Existing Users

You must search for Users before you can work with them. Once you have found a user you want to work with you click on their username in the search results. This will bring you to the user profile landing page. This is a quick reference dashboard of the user's profile information and current user history.  For a complete article about this page and what you can expect, refer to this wiki article.

You will notice many tabs across the top of the screen. These are used to manage all aspects of the User Profile. From this page you can:

Merging Users and Vehicles

The Merge Users option is used to combine two profiles for the same person into one user profile. You may require this function if:

Using Bulk Email to Communicate with Users

If you would like to target your email to a specific group, there are many options available in the More... menu. You can also export the 'Consented Report' to allow you to see all users that have given you consent to contact them by email.

Using the Forms Module

If you have purchased the Forms module you can use it to allow users to communicate with the organization about special requests. Some examples of forms used by organizations include;

• University move in/move out

• Special Parking Requests

Administrators have the ability to create custom forms to request the information they need. Refer to these wiki articles for more information.

Module 3 - LockerAdmin 

The LockerAdmin module allows the administrator to manage locker permits. From this section, the administrator can add buildings and building areas, allocate lockers, add costs for lockers, monitor, and manage locker usage.

Setting up your Lockers

To setup your lockers go to the Allocate menu item. This allows Administrator to input all locker related information, including location, quantity, allocation (i.e. yearly, monthly), and cost. At any time, the administrator can use this menu option to update locker information. For more information refer to this wiki article.  You can also single allocate lockers. The Single Allocate option allows the administrator to input locker related information to one specific locker, including location, quantity, allocation (i.e. yearly, monthly), and cost. At any time, the administrator can use this menu option to update locker information.

Creating different User Types for Lockers

User Types for Lockers makes the Locker system more advanced by adding a couple of features. These features add the ability to limit who can purchase a locker in a defined area and add the ability to add an alpha character to a locker number. This makes locker numbering more manageable. For example, you may have locker number 100 existing multiple times in a specific building.  

This feature must be enabled by the OPS-COM support team.

Use Prefixes with your Locker Numbers

Locker Prefix allows the Admin to assign locker numbers which may have an Alphanumeric display on the physical locker and simplify what the User sees.  As the system can only allow numeric numbering of the lockers and also does not allow numbers to be repeated, this functionality was added to facilitate the need to use numbers that might be the same from building to building.

This feature must be enabled by the OPS-COM support team.

Selling your Lockers

You must have an Active Sales window to allow users to purchase Lockers. For more information refer to this wiki article.  From time to time you will have Users that put a locker on order but do not complete the payment process. These lockers can go on the Midnight List. This means that lockers on this list will automatically be released  These lockers will be available for purchase again the next day. Refer to this wiki article for information about using the Midnight List.  The Midnight List must be enabled by the OPS-COM support team.

Searching Lockers and Switching Lockers between Users

The Locker Search option allows administrators to search locker(s) to be able to view/edit details.  The Locker Switch option allows administrators to change the locker that is associated with a particular user.

Troubleshooting Locker Issues

If you can't figure out what has gone wrong with your locker setup you can refer to the flowchart in this wiki article to help troubleshoot the issue.

Module 4 - Permit Management using ParkAdmin

1. How to do permit allocate
2. How to do pricing and lot admin
3. How to manage permit allocations (Allocations button) | Allocate Permits | Single Allocate | Archiving and Restoring Permits
4. How to manage active permit allocations (Allocations button) | Permit Rollovers
5. How to do lot zones 
6. Hang tag printing 
7. Access Cards/Barcodes (if required)
8. Highlight reports

Module 5 - Text2ParkMe 

1. Text2ParkMe 
2. Extend Permit 
3. Updating your Payment Information on the user side
   1. For Reference: /wiki/spaces/PA/pages/3146734

Module 6 - Violations

Enforcement is a critical part of your Parking Management strategy. There are 2 ways to get violations entered into OPS-COM you can enter them in the field using the Android handheld unit or you can have your patrol officers write manual tickets and an OPS-COM Admin can enter the violation manually into the OperationsCommander software.

Note: You must have your Violations options setup before continuing. If you have not completed the Module 1 training for setting up your Violation Options, click here. 

OPS-COM for Android

Setting up your Android Handheld Unit

If you have purchased handheld licenses you will need to get your Android unit setup and ready to go with OPS-COM. The OperationsComander app is free. You will be prompted to allow OPS-COM to access the camera, location services, etc., all of which are used in feeding data to the OPS-COM system. Please ensure you allow these items in order to have OPS-COM for Android to function properly.  For instructions about installing OPS-COM for Android for the first time, refer to this wiki article.

Patrol officers must be setup with the proper roles and permissions to use this application and log in.  Refer to Module 1 training for more information.

You must contact the OperationsCommander team with the ID of your handheld unit. You will need your Device Unique Identifier. You can find this in the settings area. To access your android handheld settings refer to this wiki article. Once you have your device UI email support@ops-com.com for more information.

Once you have setup your app and registered it with the OPS-COM team, you should ensure that your app auto-updates. We frequently update our software with fixes and functionality improvements. It is important to be running the latest software. For more information refer to this wiki article.

You will need to setup your Bluetooth printers so that you can print out your violations. Currently we support Star Micronics prints, specfically the SM-T300 series.  For more information about install your Star Micronics Bluetooth printer refer to this wiki article.

Best Practices for using OPS-COM for Android

The best tips and tricks for successfully using OPS-COM for Android are listed below.

Virtual Chalking

What is virtual Chalking?

• Virtual chalking, or e-chalking is an electronic process that mirrors how an officer would manually chalk a vehicle's tire, in order to see how long they have been parked. 
• Virtual chalking creates a Time-Stamped image, of both the license plate & the entire car, in order to track how long they've been parked
• Virtual chalking provides an image that can be attached to the violation and is acceptable in a court-of-law, provided the date/time stamp is visible & clear.  The chalked image is part of the violation, unless the patrol officer deletes the image. 
• When LPR software is capturing plates, officers can simply click "Virtual Chalk"  to create/save the image 

Why "Chalk" a Vehicle? 

There are some situations where chalking is very useful, for example; If a vehicle is parked and the owner is going to purchase a permit, there can be a grace period to allow the client to obtain the permit and return to the vehicle to display the permit. Alternately, in areas where parking is provided on a timed basis where a vehicle can park free for 2 hours, the officer can virtually chalk the vehicle on a first pass earlier in the day and then be able to check the vehicle later in the day to determine if it has been parked longer than the permitted time frame.

Chalking vehicles manually is time consuming, so being able to virtually-chalk vehicles makes a time-efficient solution for a necessary aspect of parking management. Chalk records stored with a violation help when dealing with Appeals as a time-stamped image is available as "proof" of the infraction.

For information about chalking a vehicle using the Handheld units, refer to this wiki article.

Searching for Vehicles by Plate

The Vehicle Search option allows staff/enforcement officers to search vehicles by plate and view details about that vehicle. This is often an important first step in the Violation Issuance process.  

There are three methods to enter the plate information.

1. Text using the keypad
2. Voice command using the built in mic
3. LPR using OCR technology through the tablet's camera. 

Refer to this wiki article for more information

Search for Permits

The Permit Search option allows staff/enforcement officers to search permits and view details about that permit. This can also an important first step in the Violation Issuance process. There are two ways to search for permits using the OPS-COM for Android app. You can search for the permit by typing it in or use the barcode scanner if your permits have them and have been configured in OPS-COM Admin.  For more information about searching for permits, refer to this wiki article.

Issuing a Violation using OPS-COM for Android

Violation Entry allows your Patrol Officers to create a Violation that can be printed and synced to the OperationsCommander System. Once the Violation is synced, the offender can pay the violation or appeal it.  You have already learned how to Search by Plate and Permit to see if a vehicle has a valid permit to park. Follow the steps in this wiki article to learn about issuing a Violation using OPS-COM for Android.

From time to time you may need to reprint a violation because of computer malfunction, refer to this wiki article for more information.

Receive Alerts in the Field

Patrol officers now have the ability to see important news by viewing message alerts on the handheld device. Alert messages are pushed out to all or individual handhelds by the Administrators of the OPS-COM software. Refer to this wiki article for more information about receiving these messages. Refer to this wiki article for information about pushing these messages out to the handheld units in the field.

ViolationAdmin for OperationsCommander

The ViolationAdmin section of OPS-COM allows you to view the violations information and to sort through it easily. It also allows you to add new violations through the simple violations entry page. You can also view appeals in this section.

Manual Violation Entry 

This is most often used if field officers are issuing paper tickets that need to be manually entered into OPS-COM. There are also enforcement officers that have cars equipped with laptops logged into OperationsCommander web version. These officers would enter their tickets directly through this system. For more information about manually entering violations, refer to this wiki article.

Once issued or synced you may need to search for a violation and make changes. Refer to this wiki article for information about editing a violation. 

Processing Appeals as an Administrator

Your Clients/Users will submit Appeals for their Violations through the User Portal. OPS-COM administrators can review violation appeals to cancel tickets, grant appeals with reduced fines or uphold appealed violations. In the event that the appeal time has expired and no appeal has been applied for, then the Admin can still grant an appeal by editing the violation and using the Appeal area in the edit window. Refer to this wiki article for more information.

Paying a Violation as an Administrator

When an individual comes into the office to pay a ticket in person you can process the payment through the Admin side. Refer to this wiki article for more information.

ViolationAdmin Reports

There are many reports available in ViolationAdmin. Refer to this wiki article for more information.

Module 7 - Incidents

1. How to use dispatch
2. How to do incident entry
3. Highlight reports

Module 8 - Payments

1. Payments & Transaction Flow
2. Payment Processing Models
3. Highlight reports

4. Electronic Funds Transfer Setup

   OPS-COM can accept Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) payments from your clients if you have done the necessary custom development to use this system. Currently, we only offer this service for the Royal Bank of Canada. Contact your Sales Representative if you are using another provider.

   EFT is used as a recurring payment method when paying for permits through the rollover process only. EFT cannot be used in any other way in OPS-COM. For more information, refer to this wiki article.

Setting up the Communication/Landing Page for Admins

When initially logging onto OperationsCommander as an administrator, the first landing page you are presented with has a message window that can be edited to suit your specific needs. General information can be placed here. Many ops-com users place schedule information on this landing page as well. For more information refer to this wiki article.