In this episode of Harder Than It Looks Parking Uncovered, host Brian Wolff sits down with Bob Murray, CTO at CampusParc, and James Paden, Chief Product Officer at Parker Technology. These tech veterans share their experiences transitioning into the parking industry and offer insights on how outside expertise is driving innovation in parking operations.
Bob and James discuss the challenges of integrating modern technology into legacy parking systems, the potential of AI in improving customer service, and why pairing tech innovators with parking industry veterans is crucial for success. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of parking technology and operations.
Key Takeaways:
1. Pairing outside tech talent with parking industry veterans is essential for successful innovation
2. The parking industry still relies on outdated technologies, creating challenges for modernization
3. AI implementation should be problem-focused, not just adopted for the sake of being trendy
4. Integration between parking vendors remains a significant challenge due to incompatible systems
5. Data quality and governance are critical for successful AI implementation in parking operations
Episode Highlights:
[
00:00:00] Introduction and guest backgrounds
[
00:03:41] The importance of pairing outside talent with parking expertise
[
00:04:10] Technology gaps and legacy systems in parking
[
00:06:22] Integration challenges between parking vendors
[
00:13:00] Managing gaps between parking solutions
[
00:18:05] AI implementation philosophy and strategies
[
00:20:00] Ohio State's complex parking system as an AI use case
[
00:24:00] James's AI experimentation and platform changes
[
00:27:42] Business cases for AI in parking operations
[
00:35:28] Optimism about parking technology's future
"If you're the parking person, get the non-parking person. If you're the non-parking person, think about getting a parking person. Really that combination can help us grow." - Bob Murray
For more information, visit www.parkertechnology.com
What is Harder Than It Looks: Parking Uncovered?
We as parking professionals know that parking is hard. However, we make it look easy to those from the outside looking in. The myriad technologies, processes and people that a parking operator has to wrangle on any given day is mind-numbing, and every parking facility is unique. While certain verticals share similar pain points, we know better than many how nuanced every operation can be.
We created this podcast to facilitate connections and illuminate solutions to common problems within the parking and mobility industry. We aim to do so by highlighting the voices of experts in the space, discussing trends and forward-looking technological innovations, and providing professional food for thought. All in an effort to help one another get better at what we know is harder than it looks…parking a car.