As we all look ahead and search for answers to pave the way to a strong and sustainable future in rental, a key topic comes up again and again; digitalisation. Many rental businesses are now recognising the need to turn to more innovative digital solutions that will help them to improve productivity, reduce costs, increase profit and transform customer service. So, how exactly can digitalisation carve a stronger and more sustainable business?
Less time wasted on menial and laborious admin
How many times have you spent re-keying the same information into different places because you have multiple systems that don’t integrate? What about the amount of time you’ve spent manually sifting through paperwork, signing, scanning, or printing? All of this is such unnecessary admin that you could be better spending on other more worthwhile areas of the business.
Digitalising your rental operation means that you can raise the bar with a more sophisticated approach to doing business. You’ll only ever have to enter information once, which will then automatically ripple through to every area of the system that it needs to, saving yourself hours of work. What once took two hours could then take only five minutes.
In bringing your fragmented solutions all under one roof, you can cut out a vast amount of paper from your business processes. You will also save time, giving you more space for growth and new business, and put you in a stronger position to continue to thrive for years to come.
Better communication across the entire business
Do you know what it’s like to have no idea what’s going on with your team on the road or the progress being made in other parts of the business? Digitalisation gives you crystal clear visibility of your entire rental operation. Break down the barriers between different depots and end the struggle of communicating with your team on the road by taking advantage of web and mobile solutions that everyone can access, no matter where they are.
Armed with the power of telematics, you can keep better track of your team on the road so you can improve customer service by offering accurate estimated arrival times. You’ll also be able to adapt to changing business requirements, which could be ad-hoc collections or even urgent repairs or servicing. Improving communication between your teams means that you can provide the ultimate customer experience and retain your clients for the long haul.
Dotting the ‘I’s and crossing the ‘t’s…but not as you know it
Digital signatures are becoming ever more popular throughout the rental industry with hirers using electronic signing as a way to firm up quotes and contracts ahead of rental. A formerly difficult part of the rental process with many hirers forgoing getting paperwork signed at all, E-Sign solutions have meant that you no longer need to wait or chase for signed paperwork. Instead, you can now have formally agreed hire contracts with your customers from the very beginning. This helps reduce disputes further down the line and gives you the confidence that you can rely on a steady cash flow.
The rental desk is also seeing a surge in digital signature capture with the ability to now get digital signatures on the counter. With digital signatures and photographic evidence offering a better layer of security, you are better protected against fraud and theft, all with even less to do than before with the ability to automatically link signatures and photographs to the right place in your hire system, without needing to lift a finger.
If you think it’s time to start or continue your digitalisation journey, read our latest guide, “Digitalising your rental business for success, today and in the future”, or contact the MCS team to discuss your goals and find out how MCS Rental Software can help.