Technology and data Pocket power Steve Murphy, managing director at APT Skidata, on the benefits of embracing digital payments for operators and customers raditional car parks were all about cash and paper tickets. This worked for a long time, but required big ticket machines and payment devices that came with a large number of moving parts, making them difficult and often expensive to maintain. These car parks were seldom, if ever, developed with the customer in mind: while they were functional, they only offered one customer journey. Running costs were high, and revenues difficult to forecast. Today, things are different. Now, the customer experience is a major consideration, and innovation in technology and its ability to integrate with wider ecosystems is helping to offer choice and ease of use. Such innovation is not only found within the car park technology, but also in the car parks themselves. We are no longer just looking at a functional entry and exit, with practical payment machines. Instead, we are considering the customer journey and how we match technology to ensure there is a frictionless path to match a variety of different needs. This is why the digitisation of parking is at the forefront of all our minds. T More opportunities Providing a mobile-first solution offers opportunities for all customers to be accommodated: if someone wants to pre-book a space, it provides a reservations platform; if an individual doesnt want to use a pay machine, it provides an autopay solution. Offering options that recognise different preferences pay in advance, pay now or pay later solutions, for example allow different customer journeys to be managed and maximises car park usage. All of this provided in a mobile-first way. Those who fail to harness digital innovation are missing out on potentially significant additional revenues Digitisation of parking means using licence plates as the default identifier, which in turn means a move away from relying on paper tickets. There has been a reduction in the number of payment machines, and, indeed, in all types of associated hardware. This has, in part, been caused by the increased demand for mobile-first, digitally based product offerings. It is enabling car park owners to adopt bespoke solutions for their customers, recognising that one size no longer fits all. It also accepts that those who fail to harness digital innovation are missing out on potentially significant additional revenues. Smart solutions Many people want to interact through their smart devices, and operators need to respond accordingly, whether thats to accommodate a one-off customer using a pay by QR code solution or a more regular visitor with a permit. Doing so means people will return again and again. Innovation in technology and increased digitisation has the potential to drive positive change. However, the focus should always remain on improving the customer journey and fulfilling that for everyone. 42 PN June 2022 pp42-43 APT Skidata.indd 42 24/05/2022 11:48