10 Questions Equipment Rental Companies Are Asking

I read as much as I can about as many topics as I can. I never pass up what other people are saying about the state of technology in Equipment Rental.  Over the past several years, I have seen announcement after announcement of a ‘new feature’ that mimics something that Fame has been doing for a long time.  We must be doing something right.

I particularly like the articles where someone describes what their software platform does, and why it matters to an equipment rental company (shout out to Mike Roth for putting many of those together). What strikes me about them is just how similar they sound – we all seem to be aspiring to the same goals, and that can only help equipment rental companies perform better.  That’s the good news. The bad news is that they are not all created equal – some are simply more modern and more nimble, while others are ‘more proven’.  If you want to change platforms, deciding where to start is daunting.

I thought it would be fun to amplify on the recent interview with Josh Lewis from MCS. As many of you already know, and the rest of you will now know, Josh is my son. He listed 10 questions he’s hearing from the industry, and he’s right – we hear them too. Here’s Fame’s perspective on the questions that everyone seems to be asking.

What are some of the capabilities forward-thinking customers might be asking for or thinking about?

•    How do we automate the full customer journey? Managing rentals across disconnected applications creates frustration for both staff and customers. Missed details slow everything down. With a totally integrated system that handles every aspect of the rental process, your customer’s journey isn’t just ‘full,’ but well paved.
  •    How can we see asset ROI, not just usage? It’s easy to lose track of whether an asset is truly profitable. Without that clarity, margins can disappear. When you capture data on each unit with each transaction, you get real-time P&L by asset – the competitive advantage you need to make confident decisions about your fleet.
  •    How do we integrate with every system we already use? Relying on multiple systems often means fragile connections and extra overhead. When data doesn’t line up, opportunities are lost. Here’s a better approach: why integrate when every function can be best-of-breed and embedded under one roof, on the same database? No silos.  No bridges or tunnels required.
  •    Can the system alert us before things go wrong? When issues aren’t spotted early, they quickly turn into costly problems. Real-time alerts to anyone, anytime, anywhere – by text message, email, or inside the platform – help you act before small issues become major setbacks.
  •    Can we quote with profit in mind, not just speed? Quoting quickly but blindly can eat away at your profit. Smart quoting means sales prices based on a known gross profit and rental prices based on Rouse values – you know before you quote, and you cannot do better than that.
  •    How do we let customers self-serve and still feel supported? Your customers want convenience, but they also need to know help is available. A customer portal that’s been proven for two years gives them self-service options while keeping an easy line open to your rental team. Your customers just became part of your digital enterprise – empowered and supported.

Any other new trends you’d like to discuss?

•    Data access: Business leaders want dashboards, not PDFs. We’re prioritizing SQL access and open dashboard connectors. Static reports often arrive too late to guide real decisions. A single, centralized SQL database with dashboard capabilities gives you immediate access to the insights you need to act in real time. Queries and reports have their place, but not in your analysis and decision making.
  •    Industry-specific workflows: Whether you rent scaffolding or sanitation units, you need a system that speaks your language. Generic workflows force your teams to adapt to the software instead of the other way around. The best approach delivers ‘standard’ processes where they fit, but adapts to your specific terminology and workflows – from logistics to repairs to inspections, your lingo should prevail.
  •    Modern UX: If your platform looks like Windows 95, new hires won’t use it. We’re redesigning for speed and simplicity. Clunky software frustrates your teams and slows adoption. FameAir shows what’s possible when you prioritize modern design – making training easy and daily work faster, so your staff actually wants to use it.
  •    Integrations: Companies don’t want bolt-ons. They want ecosystems that talk to accounting, telematics, and CRMs seamlessly. Disconnected systems create delays and errors in your critical data. The solution: one system, integrated in real-time, accessible from anywhere by anyone at anytime. When every financial transaction is automatically part of your accounting, your financial, operational, and customer information stays perfectly in sync.

Joe Lewis
CEO
Fame Rental

Fame Rental improves rental businesses and the lives of their employees and customers. We do this because we care more deeply, listen more intently, and act more methodically than anyone in the rental industry would ever expect from a software company.

Contact us at sales@fameintel.com to schedule a demo.