For many building owners and facility managers, vertical transportation systems operate in the background. Until they do not.

An unexpected elevator shutdown. Repeated callbacks for the same issue. Rising repair costs with little visibility into why. Maintenance reports that provide information, but not always clarity. Across large portfolios, these challenges quickly become difficult to track, compare, and manage effectively.

The problem is not a lack of data. Modern elevator systems generate enormous amounts of operational and maintenance information every day. The challenge is turning that information into something useful.

Historically, most vertical transportation management programs have been reactive and heavily dependent on contractor reporting. Owners often receive large volumes of raw service information without a clear way to evaluate performance trends or understand where corrective action is needed most.

As portfolios grow larger and systems become more complex, the need for a more transparent, data-driven approach has become increasingly important.

That is why Walker Consultants developed Walker KapstoneVT and the KapstoneVT Performance Engine.

Turning Elevator Data into Actionable Insight

Walker KapstoneVT combines independent vertical transportation expertise with advanced portfolio analytics to provide owners and managers with a clearer understanding of how their equipment is performing, how maintenance is being executed, and where operational or financial risks may be developing.

Through the Walker KapstoneVT Performance Engine, users can drill down from portfolio-level metrics to individual elevator units within a single connected platform. The system organizes complex operational and maintenance data into digestible, easy-to-understand dashboards that highlight trends, patterns, and performance indicators that are often difficult to identify through traditional reporting methods.

The platform tracks a wide range of key performance indicators, including:

• Elevator downtime and shutdown frequency
• Callback trends and repeated failures
• Contractor response times
• Time spent onsite performing maintenance, repairs, or testing
• Repair costs and modernization trends
• Overtime callbacks and deferred daytime service activity
• Equipment age, condition, and lifecycle performance

 

Rather than simply displaying raw data, the KapstoneVT Performance Engine helps users understand what the data means and where action may be required.

For example, the platform can identify repeated failures tied to the same subsystem over time, helping owners address the root cause of recurring issues instead of repeatedly treating the problem. It can also identify daytime callbacks that were deferred to overtime response, allowing unnecessary overtime costs to be reviewed, challenged, and potentially reduced.

The system also introduces a unique “Age-Based Cost Analysis” tracking methodology that evaluates equipment not only by age, but also by equipment type and model. This provides a more meaningful understanding of how systems are aging and assistance for budgeting.

Moving From Reactive Decisions to Proactive Operations

One of the most significant advantages of Walker KapstoneVT Performance Engine is its ability to support proactive operational decision-making.

When owners can clearly see how frequently shutdowns are occurring, how maintenance is being performed, and where costs are increasing, they are in a stronger position to improve accountability, strengthen contractor oversight, and make informed operational decisions.

The platform helps teams:

• Identify underperforming equipment before failures escalate
• Evaluate maintenance execution and contractor accountability
• Reduce unnecessary overtime and repeated service calls
• Improve reliability and tenant experience
• Prioritize modernization and major repairs strategically
• Support long-term capital planning with real operational data

 

Instead of relying solely on static maintenance reports or reacting after major failures occur, owners gain a clearer understanding of how their portfolio is operating in real time.

The KapstoneVT Performance Engine combines callback history, equipment age, observed condition, repair costs, and performance trends to help identify assets that may require modernization or long-term investment planning. This allows owners to better forecast future needs, allocate capital more effectively, and avoid reactive emergency spending.

Walker KapstoneVT Is a Game Changer

The vertical transportation industry has historically lacked transparency in how operational performance is measured and evaluated across portfolios. Many owners know when problems occur but have limited tools to identify why they are happening, how trends are developing, or whether maintenance programs are delivering the expected value.

Walker KapstoneVT Performance Engine changes that dynamic.

By transforming complex operational data into actionable lifecycle strategy, the platform gives owners independent visibility into equipment performance, maintenance execution, repair spending, and long-term asset health across their portfolio.

The result is not simply more data; it is better decision-making. Owners can move from reactive management to proactive portfolio oversight. Contractors can be evaluated with greater consistency and accountability. Capital planning can be supported by measurable operational trends rather than assumptions alone. Most importantly, building teams gain the ability to make informed decisions that improve reliability, operational efficiency, tenant experience, and long-term asset performance.

As vertical transportation systems continue to evolve, data-driven oversight will become increasingly essential. Walker KapstoneVT represents a major step forward in helping owners understand not just what is happening within their portfolio, but what actions to take next.

 Charlotte, N.C. (WALKER CONSULTANTS) – A new North Carolina bill has eliminated “off-street parking minimums” statewide, and city and county governments will no longer have a say in parking requirements for new developments.  

In an effort to reduce car dependence and give developers greater flexibility, House Bill 369 removes local government authority to require a minimum number of off-street parking spaces for most new developments. Beginning January 1, 2027, parking will mostly become a market-driven decision rather than a zoning requirement. 

The bill, however, is much more than parking. Supporters of the bill suggest that eliminating these requirements can reduce unnecessary paving, lower development costs, create opportunities for additional housing, and lessen the impacts associated with oversized parking lots. 

Requiring parking beyond what a development actually needs not only increases project construction costs but can consume land that could support additional housing or amenity and other community spaces that would benefit the overall project.  

Although this legislation removes parking minimums, it does not eliminate the need for parking or the benefits of using a parking planner as developers are now left with the responsibility of determining how much parking a project truly needs based on land use, market demand, transportation usage, and overall, long-term operational needs. Not enough parking can create operational disadvantages, and too much parking can unnecessarily increase project costs. 

“Deregulating parking minimums is a win for smarter development. It creates opportunities for more housing, better site design, and more efficient use of land. At the same time, it elevates the importance of data-driven parking planning to ensure each project delivers the right amount of parking—not too much and not too little,” Jim Corbett, Director of Planning at Walker Consultants, said. 

North Carolina is one of several states rethinking how parking is regulated. Washington, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Montana have considered similar reforms, noting a growing conversation around how much parking new developments truly need. 

With the elimination of parking minimums, the conversation is no longer about meeting arbitrary requirements—it is about determining the right amount of parking for project success. Walker is actively tracking these changes and helping clients confidently answer the question: How much parking do I really need?

For more than 50 years, Mary S. Smith, a senior vice president at Walker Consultants, has helped shape the parking industry and the way people think about parking today. In late March, Smith was named one of the 12 inductees in the 2026 inaugural class of the Parking Hall of Fame.

The Parking Hall of Fame recognizes individuals whose leadership, expertise, and lasting contributions have helped shape the future of the industry.

“I have seen firsthand how her dedication to Walker Consultants and the parking industry has shaped so many of us,” John Dorsett, a senior vice president at Walker Consultants, who worked alongside Smith for more than 30 years, said. “Mary’s induction into the Parking Hall of Fame is not only well deserved but also a milestone worth celebrating.”

“Mary S. Smith is one of the most important, if not influential, parking professionals in existence,” Carl Schneeman, managing principal in Walker’s Minneapolis office said. “Her contributions, spanning over 50 years, has shaped the built environment around us. She has tirelessly worked to provide guidance to clients, developers, cities, and so many others so that their ideas can thrive.”

Throughout her career, Smith has been at the forefront of industry innovation. She co-authored three editions of the industry’s most influential textbook, Parking Structures: Planning, Design, Construction, Maintenance, and Repair, and is recognized as one of parking’s most accomplished and influential professionals. According to Schneeman, the third edition has contributed to the, “largest amount of parking reduction while promoting economic benefit of neighborhoods of any text or methodology worldwide.”

In addition, Smith is the only person to receive both the International Parking and Mobility Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and the National Parking Association’s Harwood Leadership and Legends Award in 2020.

Her expertise spans pedestrian and vehicular circulation, wayfinding, flow capacity analysis for complex facilities, accessible parking design, and the alignment of parking management, operations, and facility design. Recently, she has become a leading voice on the effects of ride-hailing and autonomous vehicles on the future of parking.

“Many talk about reshaping economic development – Mary did it,” Schneeman added. “Her process laid a framework for zoning ordinances across the country to define procedures regarding parking design. Provide enough – not too much, not to little – and the community will thrive.”

Today, Smith’s influence can be found around the globe, including parking projects throughout the United States, Canada, Abu Dhabi, China, Dubai, Egypt, Indonesia, Korea, Kuwait, Qatar, Russia, and Turkey.

“Mary’s commitment to her profession is inspiring,” Dorsett said. “Spending half a century with the same organization is extraordinary, but what really stands out is how she’s gone beyond mere presence. She’s been a mentor to countless colleagues, challenging us to grow and pushing boundaries in parking planning design.”

Although Smith officially retired from Walker Consultants two and a half years ago, she remains active in the profession and continues pursuing the work she enjoys doing most. This year alone, she has contributed to the design of three major airport projects.

“As they say, the teacher learns the most, and Mary’s eagerness to keep learning – and to help others do the same – has fostered a culture of collective growth,” Dorsett added.

Her induction into the Parking Hall of Fame recognizes decades of service, industry leadership, and dedication to improving the way people move and experience the built environment.

Walker Consultants congratulates Mary S. Smith on this well-deserved achievement and celebrates her continued impact on the parking and mobility industry.