By Katherine Beaty
Let’s get this out of the way: I love parking technology. I’ve built it, sold it, implemented it, and used it to solve real operational problems. But you know what I’ve also seen? Tech implemented so poorly it created more issues than it solved.
That’s because the most underused feature in any parking technology stack isn’t artificial intelligence (AI), license plate recognition, or blockchain. It’s common sense.
You can’t automate stupidity (but people keep trying)
Some operators want a shiny system that promises to do everything short of brewing their morning coffee. But automation without forethought is just a faster route to failure.
Take enforcement automation, for example. I once saw an automated system flag a delivery vehicle for a violation while it was actively unloading equipment for the city’s own parking department. It wasn’t in a no-parking zone, and it was doing its job. The citation was triggered because the license plate wasn’t white-listed, and no one had thought to include municipal service vehicles in the rule’s engine.
Technology needs context. And humans, preferably ones who understand the parking operations, need to provide it.
If the user doesn’t use it, it’s useless
Too many “cutting-edge” platforms are built for boardroom demos, not for the frontline worker standing in 90-degree heat trying to process a monthly parker while juggling cones and calming a confused guest.
If your tech solution requires a 30-page manual and a secret handshake to operate, it’s not a solution, it’s an obstacle.
Ask your enforcement officers. Ask your valet staff. Ask the 3 a.m. overnight manager dealing with a jammed gate and a line of honking cars. If they’re not using the tool, it doesn’t matter how smart it is.
Tech should support operations, not replace them
We’ve got apps that tell you what space to park in, what price to pay, and when to breathe. But basic things like signage, lighting, and ground markings are still overlooked.
Smart parking doesn’t mean only digital. It means using technology to enhance operational intelligence, not abandoning it. I once walked a facility where the app showed 20 available spaces, but none were visible because the striping had faded to ghost levels and the signage was half blocked by a planter. Drivers circled, confused and frustrated, and eventually left.
That wasn’t a tech failure. That was a failure to connect tech with reality.
Before investing in AI-driven recommendations, make sure your customers can read a sign and see a space. Fancy software doesn’t fix poor fundamentals.
If your rate structure requires a Ph.D., you're doing it wrong
Let’s talk about rates. I’ve seen rate charts that look like astrophysics equations, complete with hourly rates, daily maxes, weekend overrides, special event tiers, early bird exceptions, and validations that expire by the minute. It’s like someone built a pricing strategy using a dartboard, a kitchen timer, and a magic 8-ball.
We have operators asking tech providers to automate all of this and expecting a perfect fit out of the box. The truth? There are more rate variations in parking than stars in the sky, and most of them were built on top of old manual processes that never made sense in the first place.
If your rate rules need a decoder ring to explain and a legal team to interpret, don’t blame the software when it chokes. Technology can do a lot, but it can’t make sense out of chaos.
Before demanding that your provider implement 87 micro-validations and 12 discount layers, maybe pause and ask: Does this help the customer? Does it help operations? Or is it just something that “we’ve always done”?
Simplifying your rate structure might be the most intelligent tech move you have ever made.
The best features are the ones that actually work
Cool doesn’t equal competence. I’ve seen people invest in AI-powered occupancy prediction tools while still tracking their monthly parkers in a spreadsheet named ‘Final_Rates_v8_REALfinal.xlsx’. I’ve seen apps with heat maps and AI route guidance installed in structures where the Wi-Fi signal dies halfway up the ramp.
Just because something is possible doesn’t mean it’s practical. And just because it’s high-tech doesn’t mean it’s high value.
Don’t be the tech that forgot to think
Again, I’m not anti-tech. I’m anti-silly-tech. I’m anti-implement-before-you-think tech. I’m anti-“we’ll fix it in Phase II” tech.
Technology is only as smart as the people deploying it. If we apply a little operational intuition — some street smarts, if you will — we can get these systems to work. Not just in theory. Not just on a slide deck. But in real, messy, unpredictable, delightfully human parking environments. So, before your next upgrade, ask yourself one simple question: Does this make sense?
If the answer isn’t a hard yes, maybe the smartest move is to slow down and think.
KATHERINE BEATY is executive vice president of customer experience for TEZ Technology. She can be reached at katherine@teztechnology.com.
