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Market Report: Software Solutions Knowledge is power Modern hire software can give an invaluable competitive edge in business. Alan Guthrie talks to some of the specialist suppliers serving this market. A few years ago, many hire companies did not have a computer. If they did, it was only used for back office tasks such as invoicing. Since then, however, software development has been prodigious, so that today’s systems can offer much more than handling administrative tasks. They can track business performance in fine detail, offering important management insights, and can help win and retain customers. “It all comes down to functionality,” states Dennis Martin of Orogeny. “From an IT perspective, hire companies are no different from any other business. As technology develops, managers seek the benefits it can bring in performing, monitoring and planning their operations. PDAs, for example, are now commonplace. Much less bulky than laptops, they are routinely used by sales staff and field engineers to keep in touch with their head office. Companies need software that can integrate with these devices and maintain a real-time flow of information. Keeping an accurate record “Features can be incorporated like signature capture to confirm receipt of equipment at the time of delivery, and, on collection, images of damage to machinery can be captured to keep an accurate record. Extranet capabilities can enable approved customers to gain access to their records and check details such as the equipment they currently have on hire, out of normal office hours.” Richard van der Knaap, Managing Director of MCS, states that the quest for greater functionality is currently leading many hirers to completely replace existing systems with a new product, perhaps from a different supplier. “Some hirers may have software that is several years old and no longer supported by the original developer. Also, businesses change, getting larger or perhaps streamlining, and their computer system has to match their new requirements. “Today’s software can provide managers with a genuine competitive edge. We currently find there are two key requirements. One is what can be called business intelligence, being able to analyse the company’s performance from whatever angle may be required. The data in the system can be brought together to show factors such as the best performing sales staff, the most successful depot, or the most profitable customers, and strategic decisions can be made. Second is the capability to enhance customer relations management (CRM). Many hirers offer similar ranges of equipment, and it is often the way they treat their customers that wins business. Software functionality can be enhanced by the ability to make notes, such as when to next contact a customer, and action plans can be developed.” Achieve major efficiencies Graham Dobbs, Sales Director of inspHire, believes that hirers can achieve major efficiencies and cost savings by sending invoices, contract notes and other documents electronically. “Customers can also access their accounts over the internet to request copy invoices or a weekly inventory of everything currently on hire. This means fewer calls have to be fielded by a hirer’s staff, and the records can be accessed any time, day or night. Many tradesmen plan their work requirements in the evening or at weekends, and modern hire software enables them to do this. “We are also seeing developments in other areas, such as asset tracking and theft prevention. Software can now be configured so that an alert is triggered if a machine is taken outside a permitted zone. It can also relay information such as fluid levels and battery condition so that servicing can be planned with greater accuracy, reducing the chance of making unnecessary routine calls.” All the software companies that EHN spoke to in compiling this Market Report stated that the market is strong. This is perhaps exemplified by the Touchstone Group, a relatively new name serving the hire industry, which sees potential amongst businesses of all sizes. It provides integrated systems based on Microsoft Business Solutions’ Axapta platform, a customisable enterprise resource planning (ERP) product. Touchstone’s Enterprise Rental System is targeted at larger hirers with multiple sites, and has been chosen by Speedy, whose system will go live this Spring. “Businesses like this need to have all their software functionality ‘under one roof’, without having to transfer data between different programs,” contends Phil Stride, Managing Director of Touchstone’s Global IT Group. “Enterprise can integrate all aspects, including finance, CRM, distribution, supply chain, project management, human resources and business analysis. It gives genuine control.” Upgrading systems There is certainly evidence that hirers are upgrading their systems to cope with expansion. Katy Williams, Sales & Marketing Manager with Higher Concept Software, says that “an increasing number of companies are upgrading from our Syrinx Solo package, developed for a single PC, to the full version for larger networks. We are also winning business from more organisations with several depots. The key is to listen to customers, discover what they need and develop your software accordingly. We have not lost a customer yet.” Orogeny’s Dennis Martin believes there is considerable potential in the market. “If you add up the quoted total sales that the main software suppliers have made to hire companies (as distinct from the number of depots), you get a figure of less than 2,000. That must leave a lot of organisations running old systems that are now superseded, or without any computer software at all.” To survive in today’s competitive environment, such businesses need to look at their management systems closely. • Executive Hire News › Archives › January 2006 › Market Report › Knowledge is power
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