What Parking Leaders Should Demand from Technology Vendors

**Episode Overview** In this roundtable episode, Krista Olien, Leigh Thomas, and Clyde Wilson reflect on their conversation with Trent Prior, Manager of Business Services for the Town of Victoria Park in Western Australia. The team discusses how customer choice, vendor integration, communication, and strategic planning helped Vic Park modernize its parking program. They also explore why parking leaders should define their operational needs before beginning the RFP process rather than relying on vendors to shape the solution. From building a clear blueprint to setting high expectations, this episode offers practical guidance for municipalities, universities, property owners, and parking managers selecting new technology. **Why This Matters** Parking technology should solve operational challenges, improve customer experience, and support long-term goals. Too often, organizations select from available products instead of defining what they truly need. This conversation highlights the value of planning, communication, collaboration, and holding vendors accountable. **What You’ll Learn** - Why every parking project should begin with a blueprint - How customer choice and vendor integration improve operations - What questions to ask technology providers during an RFP - Why communication is essential to successful parking leadership **Key Takeaways** - Build the operational plan before selecting technology - Technology should adapt to the facility, not the other way around - Strong vendor collaboration produces better outcomes - Clear communication earns stakeholder support **Episode Breakdown** 00:00 Introduction and recap 00:40 Customer choice and integration 02:00 Communicating operational needs 07:30 Building a better RFP 11:00 Creating a parking blueprint 15:00 Vendor collaboration and customization 18:00 Communication and leadership 21:00 Lessons from Vic Park 27:00 Presenting to stakeholders 30:00 Closing thoughts **About the Hosts** **Krista Olien** President of TPN Consulting and host of the podcast, leading conversations around strategy, transparency, and the future of parking operations. **Leigh Thomas** Project Manager with a background in mathematics and data analysis, focused on improving operational clarity and performance through data-driven insights. **Clyde Wilson** Founder of TPN Consulting, bringing over four decades of industry experience and insight into parking operations, contracts, technology, and financial performance. **Listen & Follow** Catch the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. **Connect with TPN Consulting** Visit: https://www.parkingnetwork.com Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram for industry insights, podcast updates, and more.