A sneak peek into our approach towards innovation: Quality and Speed.

A sneak peek into our approach: Quality and Speed

At ParkBee, innovation follows a specific philosophy: quality first, then speed. This approach shaped our journey with ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) technology—from initial disappointment six years ago to deploying across  hundred of locations in just six months.

The first attempt: Not good enough

ANPR is no stranger to anyone nowadays, but our relationship with the technology started about six years ago. We ran a pilot at one location, and honestly, we were not satisfied.

The detection rate hovered around 95%, which might sound impressive to some, but in practice, it meant hundreds of users would experience friction every day at a busy location. When 5 out of every 100 vehicles require manual intervention or experience access delays, that's not the seamless experience ParkBee demands.

Performance was inconsistent, often affected by weather conditions, sunlight angles, and other environmental factors. A technology that works perfectly in ideal conditions but struggles in rain or at sunrise isn't ready for real-world parking operations across diverse locations.

So we decided not to roll it out further. Better to wait than to deploy technology that would frustrate users and create operational headaches for our garage partners.

Learning behind the scenes

Still, we kept learning. Behind the scenes, we continued testing and collaborating with different suppliers across the market. We studied how the technology evolved, tracked improvements in AI recognition algorithms, and tested systems under various conditions across different locations.

This patient approach defined our strategy—deploy only when quality reaches ParkBee's standards, not when market hype suggests we should.

The breakthrough: A solution we're proud of

About a year ago, our team developed a solution we're proud of: reliable, scalable, and ready for real-world conditions. And not the least, it looks very slick.

The new system delivers the detection accuracy needed for smooth operations—fewer than 1% of users experience any friction, down from the 5% rate that made us reject the earlier technology. The system performs consistently across weather conditions, lighting situations, and the varied environments of our 100+ locations. The design integrates cleanly into parking facilities without the clunky appearance of earlier systems.

This represented the quality threshold where ParkBee felt confident moving from testing to deployment at scale.

The speed challenge: 100+ locations in 6 months

Once quality met our standards, speed became the next challenge. Thanks to our operations team and installation partner, ParkBee has now rolled out ANPR technology across more than 100 locations in the Netherlands in just 6 months.

This rollout pace makes us one of the largest parking providers adopting this technology at scale. Installing sophisticated camera systems across 100+ diverse locations—each with unique layouts, lighting conditions, and technical requirements—in six months required exceptional coordination, planning, and execution from our operations team.

The advantage of this scale deployment? As AI technology advances, improvements scale across the entire network automatically. When recognition algorithms improve, all 100+ locations benefit simultaneously rather than requiring individual upgrades.

Why ANPR matters for users and garage owners

The technology transformation delivers tangible benefits for everyone in ParkBee's network.

For users: No more tickets, barriers, or payment machines. Drive in, park, drive out—the system recognizes your vehicle automatically and handles everything invisibly. This frictionless experience is what modern parking should feel like.

For garage owners: Higher throughput at entry and exit points without queuing at barriers. Reduced operational overhead from eliminating ticket systems and payment machines. Enhanced user experience that drives satisfaction and repeat usage.

For ParkBee's operations: Scalable technology that improves automatically as AI advances. Consistent performance across the entire network. Real-time visibility into system performance and usage patterns.

Not stopping here

Yet, the bullet train isn't stopping at 100 locations. We're on track to equip all our ParkBee locations with ANPR, further enhancing the user experience while maximizing utilization for our garage owners.

The Netherlands rollout represents proof of concept at scale. We've demonstrated that our ANPR solution works reliably across diverse locations, weather conditions, and usage patterns. Now we're expanding deployment to cover our entire network, bringing the same seamless experience to every ParkBee user.

The innovation philosophy behind this success

This ANPR journey illustrates ParkBee's broader approach to innovation: test thoroughly before deploying, prioritize quality over being first to market, scale rapidly once quality standards are met, and choose technologies that improve automatically as underlying AI advances.

We could have deployed ANPR six years ago when we first tested it. Many competitors did exactly that, accepting the 95% detection rate and dealing with user friction as an acceptable trade-off for having "innovative" technology.

ParkBee chose differently. We waited until the technology met our quality standards, then deployed at a pace that few competitors can match—100+ locations in six months, with plans to cover our entire network.

What this means for ParkBee's network

The ANPR rollout represents more than just technology adoption—it's a competitive advantage. Garage owners in ParkBee's network gain access to technology that required years of testing, supplier collaboration, and development work to perfect.

Our garage partners don't need to evaluate ANPR suppliers, manage installations, or worry about technology performance. They simply benefit from ParkBee's proven solution deployed across our network, with ongoing improvements as AI technology advances.

For users, it means consistently excellent experiences across every ParkBee location in the Netherlands. Whether you're parking in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, or any other city where ParkBee operates, the experience is identical: seamless, frictionless, automatic.