10 Questions in 60 Seconds… Rado Skender

Rado Skender, Director of Business Development at Papercast based in Japan

Rado is passionate about improving the passenger experience across the globe, with a focus on developing customer relationships and strategic partnerships in the APAC region. He also leads our go-to-market strategy for advanced prediction tools, Better ETA.

1.  Is this what you expected to be doing when you were a child?

I always knew I would work with technology but never imagined it would be in the public transport. For almost 20 years I have been providing solutions that result in a better passenger experience, and ultimately improve peoples’ lives. I certainly can’t complain, I love what I do!

2.  What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Aside from the above, it’s the pure excitement of what the day will bring. What new opportunities or challenges will be waiting for me? We work globally and so the email inbox never sleeps!

3.  What is the best thing about Papercast technology?

There are too many to cover them all! If I must choose one, I would say it’s the way it has simplified the typically complex issue of real-time passenger information.

4.  What do you see as your biggest priority this year?

Apart from increasing the number of deployments across a larger geographical footprint in public transport, I would say finding other outdoor applications for the technology. Our technology is well ahead of the curve and demonstrating proof of concept in other areas is a key priority.

5.  What happened in the market last year that surprised you most?

I would say the speed at which Papercast was adopted by transport authorities. As this is a new technology for outdoor signage, I expected it to take slightly longer to gain traction. My instincts said that 2019 would be our big year, but the market proved otherwise.

6.  What trends do we need to look out for in the next 12 months?

There are quite a few, but I would say we need to keep our eye on the much-needed global standardisation of real-time information, which is now starting to happen. From a user perspective, passengers constantly demand more value-added services and a streamlined experience, and service providers need to keep up. For Papercast, this means exploring new ways to deliver a more immersive user experience. I feel the overreaching challenge in the next 12 months will be commoditisation; how do we digitally enable every bus stop?

7.  What do you believe will shape or shift the market most in the next 12 months?

It’s hard to pinpoint one thing, but I see a convergence between digital bus stop signage and personal devices, such as smartphones, as two main channels for agencies to disseminate passenger information. There are number of ways that bus stop displays can fully communicate with the user’s smartphone (such as iBeacons, low energy Bluetooth and similar technologies), and this can create several benefits for the agency and the user.

8.  What is your view on how e-paper is disrupting the digital bus stop market?

Apart from enabling the provision of real-time information at the bus stop, it’s also delivering on the promise of energy efficient mobility. In my opinion, running power hungry LCDs to provide passenger information doesn’t fit with the overall philosophy of services for social good. I’m waiting for someone to calculate how many hours we could run an electric bus on the energy wasted by such devices.

9.  What question do customers ask you most and what is your response?

Most questions usually focus on the passenger experience and how Papercast can address their requirements in terms of information visibility and design, as well as addressing the needs of people with disabilities, and so on.

I always appreciate these questions as I believe we have one of the most versatile solutions that addresses agency needs in a holistic manner. We offer data accuracy auditing, as well as a flexible management system that can deliver rich content to e-paper displays that enable full visual, audio and electronic interaction with passengers.

10.  What five words of advice would you give to our customers/prospects right now?

Take control of bus stops…

They are your interface with your customers!

Thank you, Rado.

Please look out for future articles in this ongoing series as we introduce you to more of the Papercast team!