Are You Ready For Automation? ACAP MARCH 2008 NPA Each presenter Introduce your self and answerer these demographic questions: # of lanes of equipment # garages # visitor transactions # spaces visitor and regular Parking budget, debt and debt service Campus population What do you have? research park, stadium, special events, presidential library, performing arts center Peter Lange Associate Director Transportation Service Texas A&M University

About A&M Texas’ first public institution of higher learning Land-Grant, Sea-Grant and Space-Grant university Sixth-largest university in enrollment 12,000 faculty/staff, 46,000 students One of largest campuses – 5200 acres Home to George Bush Presidential Library and Museum

About Transportation Services 36,310 parking spaces 79 buses operating approximately 117,000 hours each year and 1.4 million service miles Ridership over 4.5 million/yr Department budget of $26 million Parking budget of $8 million Transit budget of $5 million 108 employees

What can we Automate? Access Control Revenue Control Permit/Credential Sales Permit/Credential Fulfillment Enforcement – Citations Appeals Customer Self Service Interfaces Integration Workarounds Compromises Business rule changes Loss of functionality Revenue Control - Dispenser tickets – card-in/card-out, in-lane cashier, central cashier, pay-on-foot, pay-by-cell Access Control - Credentials, transponders, manned booths, proximity cards, gates and lane equipment Permits - Application, registration, wait-lists, hangtags, online sales, kiosk, decals Metering Devices - Single-space, multi-space, pay-by-space, pay-and-display, in-car meters, mobile LPR Enforcement - Warnings, tickets, citations, handhelds, appeals, processing, scofflaw, boot, tow Money - Debits, credits, receivables, transfers, collections

Complex Peter parking access and revenue control hardware, management software, LPR, payroll deductions, internet sales, account management, citation issuance, event parking, pay-by-cell, security cameras, signage, DMV data, data warehouse

Technology is best when it is invisible Our Philosophy Technology is best when it is invisible Barbra white the CIO at UGA said “…..an overarching commitment to simplification” We what to be in a place – have an organization, systems, infrastructure that can react and change. Complex systems are difficult to change. I think to succeed you need to change. Game consoles PC – maybe – 4 year old can get to Disney.com Build flexibility in to your applications The gate goes up – customer has no idea of the interfaces, data bases and communications that are in place to raise that gate.

Facility Automation

Facility Automation

Have one system that pulls it all together All financial information to help us manage and report on revenue from multiple sources Allow our customers to pay for anything related to parking at any of our physical or virtual locations Have a complete view into our operation, rather than multiple separate views Manage all our spaces in a consistent unified manner Upgrade one piece without reconfiguring all of the other pieces Have one point of contact for questions and maintenance of the pieces Peter

Cool Stuff Managing all permits and access cards in one database with no duplication of data or data entry. Taking payment for any parking item at any outlet – ISF at the office or online; citations at the pay station in a garage, all online, etc. Unified inventory and management of all parking spaces, audited or access/revenue-controlled. Single point of online access to everything parking for our customers. Unified reporting and business-process configuration and tracking. Patrick

Facility Automation

Permit Distribution Focus limited resources on your core business Improve process Permit Direct 2006 – present All online No lines at customer service Majority (%?) of customers register online during first months of registration Customers call us to find out when registration begins

waitlist

Screenshot of appeals Describe the process Appeal Agreement The appeal process allows a customer to appeal a parking citation believed to have been issued in error. The appeal form must be completed within 14 calendar days of the issue date of the citation. Customers are not required to pay the fine before filing an appeal to receive the early payment discount. There must be substantial and valid evidence that the parking violation was not committed, or that it occurred due to circumstances beyond the customer's control. Valid documentation of the evidence must be provided when the appeal is submitted. Appeals that are vague or incomplete will be rejected. The following are not valid reasons for an appeal: 1. Lack of knowledge of the regulations, for example, new to campus or have not reviewed regulations;2. Other vehicles were parked improperly; 3. Only parked illegally for a short period of time; 4. Stated failure of parking officer to ticket previously for similar offenses; 5. Late to class or appointment; 6. Inability to pay the amount of the fine; 7. No other place to park. Student and Non-Affiliate Appeals The Student Parking Appeals Board receives and adjudicates student appeals. Three members constitute a quorum for all meetings. The board meets on a regularly scheduled basis of not less than semi-weekly during the semester, including summer sessions. The board will not meet during dead week, finals week, Christmas break, or Spring break. Faculty/Staff Appeals The Faculty/Staff Parking Appeals Board receives and adjudicates faculty and staff appeals. Three members constitute a quorum for all meetings. The board meets on a regularly scheduled basis of not less than monthly during the fiscal year. Both appeal boards have the authority to dispose of a case by:1. Upholding the charge(s) completely 2. Upholding the charge(s) but reducing the fine to whatever amount it feels is appropriate in light of extenuating circumstances 3. Dismissing the charges completely The appellant will be notified in writing by the Transportation Services office of the board’s decision. Only student citations are eligible for oral appeals. If you fail to appear at your scheduled time before the board, your appeal will be read without you. All decisions rendered by the Appeals Board are final and re-appeals are not available. I have read and understand the above statements and would like to submit an appeal for a violation received.

What does the staff think

Moving Business to the Web February 2003 – January 2004 1,000 online transactions(%?) $5,000 February 2004 – January 2005 22,854 online transactions (29% of total) $1,703455 (42% of total) 77% of $ automated 47% of transactions automated February 2005 – January 2006 35,083 online transactions (43% of total) $2,581508 ( 57% of total) 81% of $ automated 56% of transactions automated

Communicating With Gen Y Cell Phones Laptop Computers High-Speed Internet Access Instant Messaging MP3 Players (iPod) Personal DVD players Digital Cameras

Generation Y - Technology Spend 1/3 life on the Internet Average student has 2 email addresses; email is preferred method of communication Very tech savvy Video games, cell phones, PDAs, music downloads, MP3 players, instant messaging Do not use lengthy e-mail messages. Try to get message in 1-2 sentences. Internet is the media of choice. First generation to grow up with computers in the home It’s predicted that by 2010, the Gen Y populations will be 32% of the total population Grew up in media saturated, brand conscious world = raised as consumers What do you think students look for in an advertisement? It might surprise you that from our research it is unvarnished truth, irony and humor 75% - 90% of the of the teenagers have a computer at home 50% have access to the Internet from home Using computers since nursery school Graphics oriented, see text as supporting visual methods A picture is worth a thousand words Thrive on change Variety = a few things that change frequently Demand quick, if not instant, gratification Self-Reliant: Used to doing it (and many other things) themselves, multi-taskers

Customer Communications Know your customers and how to communicate with them Comprehensive and up to date website Surf the web for ideas (other universities, eCommerce sites) Can be scaled down for a smaller department Use technology to improve customer service not eliminate it Communicate to drive customers to use the technology

Organizational Philosophy Technology at the table Software guru - knows the technical side and the business side inside out Use the software Hardware becomes less important Business analyst – might be more appropriate Developers Power users Can your commodity computing be done by someone else at the? Fewer staff in some areas but more technical staff needed. Technical staff can accomplish more with less. Focus on core business. IT needs to help improve process in a limited resource world IT must make the functional users job better. Off the shelf applications So often I see or talk to organizations that don’t use PP completely. Someone to bull dog problems – bite on until the problem is solved. Bridge the functional technical gap – IT guy must be able to translate – geek speak to English. Developers focus on improvement to process – interfacing Power users are very important – foster their growth – train them to become more self sufficent Team Programmers Communicators Project Managers Equipment Servers Software

ROI in a University Setting Political Practical Possible

Peter Lange plange@tamu.edu Questions? Peter Lange plange@tamu.edu http://transport.tamu.edu 979-845-9700 Presentation available online: http://transport.tamu.edu/presentations/