The Necessity of ‘Reinventing the Wheel’ in the Parking Industry
When it comes to innovation, it’s often said that we “should not reinvent the wheel.” However, history shows us the flaws in this perspective. The wheel itself has been reinvented countless times, evolving from a simple rounded stone slab to the sophisticated rubber-tired mechanisms on modern vehicles. Each iteration was a reinvention that improved upon the last, driven by the desire to enhance functionality and efficiency.
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This continuous reinvention offers a powerful lesson, especially for industries like parking, where innovation can significantly enhance the user experience and operational efficiency.
Learning Through Reinvention
The main reason to reinvent something is to improve and innovate, often due to lessons learned. Revolutionary ideas rarely emerge in isolation, and often have room for changes and improvements once used and tested. By examining existing technologies, we gain insights into how they work and identify areas for improvement. This process of reinvention is crucial for progress.
Consider the evolution of mobile phones. They began as bulky, suitcase-sized affairs and have been reinvented into sleek, multifunctional smart devices that are essentially computers that fit in our pockets and even on our wrists. This transformation illustrates how continuous reinvention can lead to groundbreaking advancements, providing more value, functionality, and convenience for users.
Today, the mobile phone is not just a communication device. It has become an essential tool for managing various aspects of our daily lives, including parking. With my smartphone, I can reserve a parking spot, pay for parking, and communicate with valets — all via a single device.
The parking meter offers another example of ongoing reinvention. Early parking meters were simple coin-operated devices that, over time, evolved into digital meters that accept credit cards.
An important milestone in the evolution of the parking meter was the introduction of the first pay-on-foot parking meter capable of managing multiple spaces. This innovation drastically improved the efficiency of parking management and provided users with a more streamlined experience.
Today, we have smart meters integrated with mobile apps that offer features such as real-time availability tracking and dynamic pricing. Each reinvention of the parking meter has made parking more convenient for users and more manageable for city parking staff.
Autonomous Vehicles: The Next Frontier of Reinvention
The ongoing development of autonomous vehicles offers another excellent example of reinvention. This reinvention of the traditional automobile incorporates advanced sensors, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to create a more efficient and safer driving experience.
Self-driving cars are revolutionizing the transportation and parking industries at a rapid rate. Autonomous cars are designed to navigate and park themselves, reducing the need for large parking structures and enabling more efficient use of space. Autonomous vehicles also offer the potential for seamless integration with smart parking systems.
Imagine a future where your car drops you off at your destination and then parks itself in an available spot, all while communicating with parking management systems to find the most efficient parking solution. This level of innovation could drastically reduce traffic congestion, optimize parking space utilization, and enhance the overall user experience.
Embracing Innovation in Parking
Where would we be today if someone had persuaded Apple’s Steve Jobs not to reinvent the phone? Technology evolves because people continue to refine it. Therefore, a mindset of “reinventing the wheel” should be encouraged and not discouraged.
Similarly, the parking and mobility industries must embrace a mindset of continuous reinvention to foster ongoing innovation and improvement. By encouraging innovation, we can develop smarter parking systems that provide user and social benefits that we can only begin to imagine today.
KATHERINE BEATY is executive vice president of customer experience for TEZ Technology. She can be reached at katherine@teztechnology.com.
