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You may have noticed that parking industry professionals often use the terms “parking operations” and “parking management” interchangeably. Depending on the context each is used in, however, they can refer to two different things.    

Parking operations usually involves a human element, and can be defined as the process of actively sustaining and managing smooth day-to-day and repetitive activities that are required for the successful operation of a parking facility. Examples of parking services that fall within this category may be: deploying on-site parking attendants, providing remote or in-person customer service, and parking enforcement. Each of these services is required in order to maintain successful daily parking operations.

Parking management, on the other hand, involves a combination of people, hardware, and software. This term will often get used when referring to a complete parking program. For example, an organization may release a tender for a “Parking Management Solution” that includes services such as on-site parking attendants, a gated parking system, and monthly permit parking technology. In this case, the tender is referring to a full-service parking solution that can successfully manage and control all aspects related to the day-to-day operations of the facility.

Reference

Powell, J. (2020, September 03). How to Manage a Parking Lot 101 [Web log post]. Retrieved April 13, 2021, from

Sgorlon, A. (2020, August 26). Key Considerations When Selecting a Parking Vendor [Web log post]. Retrieved April 13, 2021, from

Tucci, M. (2020, July 27). The Difference Between Parking Operations and Parking Management [Web log post]. Retrieved April 13, 2021, from

Melissa Tucci

Client Relations Manager, Precise ParkLink