We often talk about the 'user journey' in software, but in the physical world, that journey starts the moment your member drives into the car park.

If your members are starting their visit by queuing at a barrier, searching for a fob, or winding down a window to punch in a code, you’ve already introduced friction before they have even reached the front door.

At Doorflow, we believe that the best access systems are the ones you don't even notice. For sports clubs dealing with high volumes of traffic, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) is the practical answer to a logistical problem.

Fixing the car park flow

Every good access system gets people where they need to go with as little resistance as possible. Traditional barriers with keypads or card readers create natural bottlenecks. They force a driver to stop, interact with a machine, and wait.

ANPR removes that physical pause: the camera reads the plate, checks the database, and lifts the barrier. It keeps the traffic moving and stops queues from backing up. For a member rushing to a class or a match, that difference matters.

Knowing who’s on your site

Security often gets complicated, but it usually boils down to knowing exactly who is on your premises and who isn't. An open gate is a liability, but a manned gate is expensive.

ANPR gives you a digital log of every vehicle that enters and exits without requiring a staff member to stand there with a clipboard. If a car isn't on the list, the barrier stays down. It allows you to protect your members and your facilities without turning your club into a fortress.

Handling the match day rush

Events and tournaments are where most manual systems fall apart. When you have hundreds of visitors arriving in a short window, the last thing you want is a volunteer checking names against a paper list in the rain.

By using ANPR, you can register guest vehicles in advance. The system handles the volume automatically, meaning your staff can focus on the event itself rather than managing traffic control.

Ditching the plastic and the paperwork

From an operations perspective, physical passes are a headache. They get lost, they break, and they cost money to replace. Managing a database of physical fobs is time that could be spent on something that actually improves the club.

Connecting your parking control directly to your membership database just makes sense. When a member joins, their car plate becomes their key. When they leave, access is revoked. It keeps your data clean and stops you from having to chase down unreturned passes.

A better experience for the member

Ultimately, we are all designing spaces for humans. Members want to arrive, park, and get on with their sport. They don't care about the technology behind the barrier; they only care that it opens when they approach it.

Why it works

Investing in ANPR might feel like a significant step, but the return is in the time you save. It reduces the admin workload, secures the perimeter, and, most importantly, removes a barrier between your members and the club they pay to visit.

We think that technology works best when it gets out of the way. ANPR is a solid example of that principle in action.

How to get started

We'd love to discuss your project - Book a Demo Today

For more information please see our website at doorflow.com

Contact us by email at hello@doorflow.com