Equipment Rental Inspection

5 benefits of using a digital equipment inspection form

June 2, 2021 by record_360

Managing your equipment inspection forms can be a total nightmare if you’re running a massive fleet.

Plus, if you’re still using the archaic pen and paper to conduct your equipment inspections to your entire equipment rental process, your process is bound to grow inefficient. (If it isn’t already.)

That’s why choosing the paperless route is crucial.

With dependable equipment inspection software, you can achieve streamlined and efficient asset rental management and inspections, saving you a huge chunk of your time and resources.

This guide covers five reasons why you should use a digital equipment inspection form and how a reliable app with robust features can help with seamless asset inspections and management.

1. A digital equipment inspection form provides complete flexibility

Electronic asset inspection solutions provide an easily customizable equipment checkout form template.

This gives your team the flexibility needed to inspect various pieces of machinery efficiently. Your staff can use a standard, modifiable equipment sign out sheet directly from a mobile device.

This can significantly cut down on the time and energy it takes to conduct your equipment inspections before releasing them to customers and after getting the machinery back.

The Record360 rental equipment inspection software has digital forms that equipment rental companies can use to streamline their inspection processes.

With this feature, your team can conduct inspections quickly, set it to auto-email your customers and fleet managers, and save it on the cloud for easy documentation and access.

Inspectors can sign off on the report and get customer e-signatures on the fly, streamlining the equipment check out sheet and the entire inspection process.

Shane Johnson, Premier Platforms Branch Coordinator, uses Record360 to digitize their processes to maximize the productivity of their 675+ asset fleet.

He stated:

Going to a digital platform such as Record360 has been huge for us.

He added that they use Record360 at the point of delivery and throughout the rental, to document the updates and then as a final check when the asset returns.

Eliminating clunky and time-consuming paper-based inspections helps your team get everything done faster.

Also, the ease and efficiency that a digital equipment inspection form encourages a proactive environment for performing regular and comprehensive inspections.

2. A paperless equipment checkout form allows absolute mobility

Data shows that regular updating and equipment inspections can mitigate some of the risks of construction and save the lives of 582 workers in the U.S. each year.

However, sticking to manual and paper-based equipment inspections can make it easy to miss critical equipment defects and damages. This can lead to malfunctions and accidents in the field, which means potential costly liabilities for your company.

A digital equipment checkout form helps your team cover all the bases, more ground, and project sites since it takes less time to accomplish electronic inspection forms.

Along with using an equipment checkout form template, you can capture visual verification of your asset’s condition and damages with an inspection software that lets you take high-resolution photos and videos via your mobile device and attach it to your reports.

This makes it easier to share, access, and send out your equipment check out sheet, equipment return form, and other inspection data anytime and anywhere.

You can also save and reuse your digital equipment check out form. Your staff won’t need to create a new checklist every time and instead refer to previous data and use an equipment checkout form template.

You can also combine your equipment checkout form or checklist with other data to uncover deeper insights such as your workflow trends. This can give your management team a big-picture view of your operations and make necessary adjustments for process improvement.

3. A digital equipment check out form improves communication and collaboration

Whether from your equipment return form or equipment sheet, all your asset inspection data should be subject to analysis constantly.

Doing so helps you assess what you’re doing right, where you’re losing money, and the areas in your process that are open to high liability risks.

Electronic equipment inspection forms and digital methods make this process more efficient. These eliminate the need for moving mountains of paperwork across people and floors.

A digitized equipment checkout form template and inspection system streamline your asset management. This includes recording data on your equipment return form, filing your equipment sheet, and reviewing and analyzing all your inspection and asset management info.

4. Electronic equipment inspection forms facilitate real-time reporting

Paperless equipment inspections allow real-time reporting. You can do everything digitally, including your equipment check out form, equipment sheet, and other related documents.

This allows for live data capturing and transmitting, expediting your inspection and rental process.

Your team won’t need to wait to receive the paperwork to kick off the asset rental process since your team can send assessments via the equipment inspection software to your managers while the inspection is happening.

This can significantly reduce time spent on gathering and compiling your equipment sheet, encoding, sorting equipment return form data, analyzing, and reporting through multiple channels.

Record360 makes this a seamless and efficient process through the app’s dashboard. It gives you a quick view of your fleet’s condition in real-time.

You’ll get instant insights, learn your assets’ total damages, and access all the information easily for damage disputes.

According to Vicky Cummings, Cummings Leasing Rental Manager:

Record360 gives you the crystal-clear pictures you need to prevent disputes.

A digital equipment inspection form reduces the hoops your team needs to go through to record and relay damages and reports.

It opens up a communication route through equipment inspection software that allows concerned management and staff access to real-time information.

5. A digitized equipment check out sheet boosts asset inspection and management efficiency

A lack of regular and thorough equipment inspection can lead to unexpected malfunctions or, worse, accidents and injuries.

Not only can this open up your company to expensive liabilities, but if the accident happens within your team, you lose significant manpower and precious work hours.

Data shows that more than 235,000 workers were forced to miss work hours due to injuries from contact with equipment and objects.

A streamlined asset inspection process through a digital equipment check out sheet and other electronically acquired data can help mitigate this kind of risk.

Digital equipment inspection checklists can help instill discipline in conducting thorough assessments.

Plus, with everything done electronically, your team can complete inspections in minutes and send the report immediately to a centralized database in your equipment inspection software.

This saves your management staff valuable time spent searching for information, creating reports, and scheduling and planning inspections.

It’s also easier for managers to access previous equipment inspection and management reports and data for corrective actions, comparative purposes, and further data verification.

Frequently asked questions about equipment inventory management

Below are a few of the commonly asked questions about equipment inventory management.

What is an equipment management system?

An equipment management system is essentially a process that includes managing, monitoring, and maintaining your assets.

It helps ensure proper equipment utilization, deployment, and reallocation of assets quickly when and where they are needed.

How do you manage equipment inventory?

Most leading companies opt for user-friendly, modern equipment inventory systems that match the business’s needs.

Reliable software automates many equipment management background work and streamlines processes.

What is an equipment inventory list?

An equipment inventory list includes all the information related to every asset you have, such as the model, serial number, dimensions, purchase date, etc. It helps ensure proper equipment tracking, management, maintenance, and deployment.

Wrapping up the digital equipment inspection form benefits

Using a digital equipment inspection form expedites your workflows, streamlines your rental process, protects your business from damage disputes, and makes your asset management more efficient.

It helps your team do their jobs more effectively.

You also get standardized and easy-to-access equipment inspection data and gain better visibility into your assets and processes.

If you want to get all these and more from one equipment inspection software, schedule a demonstration of Record360 today.

Top 11 equipment inspection software features

June 2, 2021 by record_360

Are you looking for equipment inspection software to replace your tedious, unreliable, and time-consuming manual pen-and-paper process?

We don’t blame you.

Many equipment rental companies suffer from thousands of dollars worth of unfavorable damage disputes, needless staffing costs, and ruined customer relationships because of their inefficient, pen-and-paper documentation processes.

To help you overcome this hurdle and find the best equipment inspection software for your company, we put together this list of top equipment inspection software features you need to consider before making a purchase:

Video & photo capture of equipment utilization
Digital equipment inspection forms and check-out sheets
Quick internal company handoff and response
A real-time dashboard
Secure, digital e-signatures
A cloud-secure system
Seamless customer verification
Inspections and inventory management
Inspections and equipment tracking
An equipment maintenance log
Task assignment capabilities

What is equipment inspection software?

Equipment inspection software is a practical tool for any rental company to streamline manual inspection workflows and accurately document a unit’s condition before and after renting it out. It gives rental companies the capability to conduct equipment inspections, audits, and maintenance plans, without relying on mistake-prone manual processes.

Top 11 equipment inspection software features

To optimize your asset inspection processes, your equipment inspection software should possess the following functionalities:

1. Video & photo capture of equipment utilization

Video and photo captures are among the most critical equipment inspection software features.

They allow you to visually document your equipment’s pre- and post-usage conditions, which are — unfortunately — insufficiently described in traditional handwritten inspection reports.

Clayton Conrad, Coast Counties Peterbilt rental manager, explains his frustrations on the repercussions.

The biggest issue with the paper logs was customers disputing damages… [We] didn’t have clear evidence as to whether or not the customer caused the damage… [and damage losses] were in the thousands, if not tens of thousands per year.

However, with photo and video documentation, you have accurate records of how your equipment appeared before and after utilization and can correctly attribute them to your clients.

Record360 has high-resolution video and photo capturing capabilities. The app also lets you tap on damaged equipment parts shown on your media file and apply damage tags and notes

Record360 then lets you upload these videos and photos to the cloud, send them to your clients to notify them, and attach them to your inspection forms.

With this feature, you upgrade the quality of your inspections and resolve customer disputes fast (or avoid them altogether). You also preserve your company’s integrity, client relationships, and business savings.

Relieved with this Record360 feature, Conrad says, “We can keep our trucks in better shape and sell them for more because we have someone to bill for the damage.”

2. Digital equipment inspection forms and check out sheets

Another practical capability your equipment inspection software should have is creating digital forms, checklists, and check in and check out sheets.

Why?

Because an equipment check out sheet (and check in sheet) can do wonders for your equipment rental company. It hastens your workflow implementation and service delivery and cuts your administrative costs and resources — boosting your day-to-day productivity.

Pioneer Equipment Rental business owner Michel Allan shares,

If you have a good format and it’s simple to navigate, then it gets done accurately and quickly… With one report… we can process equipment in and out [fast].

Digital inspection forms are also generally more secure than paper files, which can easily get misplaced and damaged, resulting in data loss and low service quality.

Using the Record360 app, you can create digital inspection checklists and forms, load them straight into your mobile devices, and painlessly capture your needed data in standard formats.

Users (whether staff or clients) can simply type in applicable answers, go back to previous pages when needed, and press selected options or tick boxes.

With digital inspection forms, rental companies can complete workflows quickly compared to them taking several minutes when writing and filling up paper forms.

3. Quick internal company handoff and response

If you’re handling an enormous fleet of equipment assets, delegating several urgent inspections to your staff via traditional communication channels can be burdensome.

That’s why you need to select a reliable and feature-packed equipment inspection software. Having one increases the efficiency of your asset inspection activities, making them seamless and automated.

For example, with the digital inspection forms you create on our Record360 app, your staff can conduct inspections offsite and send their results electronically.

You can also perform inspections on any of your company branches. Just send your drivers or contractors a direct link to corresponding Record360 app functions, so they can remotely and promptly fill out and return the digital inspection report.

The Record360 app can also automate and schedule real-time email delivery to responsible departments whenever an inspection fails, needs to kick off on which date, and more.

That way, you and your staff can respond instantly, apply the best corrective action, finish inspections faster, and continue serving your customers with quality equipment.

When Premier Leasing streamlined its vehicle condition review processes through a standard coordinated workflow, rental manager Kevin Etlicher shares:

Having a standardized process means we can get our trucks ready hours before a customer comes in… We receive notice that a rental is going to happen, and we can do the documentation well in advance. That way, when the customer comes in, we can hand over the keys and have them sign the check out form. They’re on their way in no time.

4. A real-time dashboard

A reliable equipment inspection software provides you with a clean, easy-on-the-eyes dashboard showing your overall asset inspection operational performance in real-time.

Record360’s dashboard homepage meets you with inspection-related data graphs and charts, including recent condition reviews, total damages, and more. Get a bird’s-eye view of your equipment inspection operations by reviewing the data on your dashboard.

From the graphs, you can see a summary of ongoing and closed inspections and damages inflicted on the units for a specified period.

The Recent Activity and Recent Inspections panels on the right side update themselves and display those happenings in real-time.

With a comprehensive, informational dashboard like this, you can closely keep tabs on your equipment’s conditions and inspection activities and access rich data to support your claims during disputes.

5. Secure, digital e-signatures

With an electronic signature function in your equipment inspection software, your clients can digitally sign your inspection forms on the fly. They no longer need to drop by your office just to sign a document — they can do this remotely. This saves time, effort, and resources for your client and yourself.

Record360’s eSign feature enables you to send inspection-related and other documents to your clients (even repeatedly) for their digital signature. You can view your eSign request status right from the Record360 dashboard and click in to see more details.

You can also request signatures for multiple documents using a straightforward, customizable email template. Your customers receive a branded email with clear instructions on what to do next.

If your clients have not yet signed the delivered documents in 48 hours (extending to 96 hours), Record360 automatically sends reminders. Once they’ve signed digitally, you and your clients receive a confirmation email with a link to the signed document.

With productivity-boosting features like e-signatures on your equipment inspection software, you can get more done, reduce costs, and improve client satisfaction.

6. A cloud-secure system

Your equipment inspection software should also have a cloud-secure system.

This enables quick file uploads and downloads in a safe repository that’s accessible to you and your authorized employees.

Cloud-secure systems make file sharing much easier because you can immediately save them on a categorized folder online.

You and your staff don’t need to copy and paste inspection-related photos, documents, and videos onto a USB drive, hand it to each other, and risk acquiring computer viruses or accidental file deletions.

7. Seamless customer verification

Equipment rental companies traditionally verify identities by requiring customers to submit copies of authorized IDs and other identification documents in person, via mail, or email.

The rental company personnel then photocopies physical copies or prints electronically sent files and attach them to the rental application and inspection forms.

This makes your rental and inspection workflows tedious, time-consuming, and expensive.

To improve your administrative examination processes, choose equipment inspection software tools with customer verification features.

The Record360 app shows us an example. It has license scanning functionalities that make it safe and quick for your customers to present their identification documents for your verification.

They don’t need to go to your office to submit their files, and you wouldn’t need to buy and use up shedloads of paper and ink to print those documents.

The result: Cost reduction and saved time for both you and your customers.

8. Inspections and inventory management

A handy database of your assets and their respective inspections is vital when getting equipment inspection software.

You should be able to access a ton of information anytime you need it, e.g., when monitoring and assessing your assets, handling repairs, or resolving client debates about damages.

Record360 has the Units panel on its dashboard that lists your rental equipment assets and their details, such as their locations, users, identification numbers, damages, and others.

On every equipment unit’s detail page, you’ll find its photos and videos, essential inspection information, geographic location, inspection history, and activity log (more on this in the next segment).

Record360’s dashboard also has the Inspections panel where it lists the inspected equipment units, plus information similar to those in the Units section.

The Inspections page also has tabs that let you organize and view only the submitted inspection reports and drafts and by other filters. You can also delete listed assets and edit their details (e.g., ID numbers) accordingly.

To download reports on damaged equipment or uncover the business branches that implemented the most inspections for the week, export filtered lists of units and asset condition reviews from the Record360 dashboard.

As you can see, equipment inspection software with an efficient unit and inspection inventory feature streamlines the management of your units, condition checks, and disputes — resulting in better asset protection, brand image, and client relationship protection.

9. Inspections and equipment tracking

Especially if you have multiple office locations, you want to stay on top of things and remain updated with your other branches’ inspections and equipment conditions.

If that applies to you, look for equipment inspection software with asset and inspection tracking capabilities.

As mentioned earlier, the Record360 dashboard homepage shows periodic graphs and real-time updates on your inspections by location.

You can also quickly track your equipment and inspections made on them through the details on the Inventory panel: location, user, ID number, and others. Record360’s activity log and inspection history also let you monitor your equipment and the activities conducted with it.

These are the details summarized by the Inspections History graph on the Record360 dashboard homepage we discussed previously.

With these features, you can closely keep an eye on your assets and equipment inspections and ensure the units are where they should be and regularly examined.

10. An equipment maintenance log

When your inspection reports reveal that your assets need repairs or maintenance visits, you want to supervise these activities smoothly — particularly if you have a large fleet.

That’s why your chosen equipment inspection software must have a systematic equipment maintenance log. For example, Record360 allows you to schedule equipment inspections from the Units section view or an individual asset’s detail page view. Your drivers and other authorized staff can also leave comments about your equipment’s utilization and maintenance status and condition.

Equipment maintenance logs like this let you check that your assets are always in tip-top shape, preventing damages that can harm your customers and ensuring operational continuity.

11. Task assignment capabilities

Equipment inspections involve several recurring tasks.

If you’re still using pen and paper and other manual methods to delegate tasks to your team (such as leaving notes on their desks), your staff can quickly forget or miss your instructions.

In contrast, using equipment inspection software can automate, centralize, and secure your assignments to your personnel.

This translates to efficient task monitoring over time, more systematic staff-manager coordination, and better communication lines in your equipment rental company.

Record360’s new Tasks feature is an example of this software functionality. It allows you to assign specific to-do’s and inspections to the personnel in real-time and notifies them instantly.

As a result, they can complete the equipment inspections, address any arising issues, and serve your customers promptly.

Use the best equipment inspection software for your business

Investing in comprehensive equipment inspection software is among the smartest business decisions you can make as an equipment rental company owner.

It protects your assets, grows your bottom line, and establishes your reputation while strengthening your client relationships.

Don’t miss out on the critical cost-saving benefits of a robust, feature-packed equipment inspection software like Record360.

Interested in learning more about Record360? Schedule a demonstration today.

How rental inspection software protects rental assets large and small

April 14, 2021 by record_360

For both large corporate chains to independent companies, rental inspection software can save thousands of dollars in potential damage disputes, and vastly improve processes. Below are two examples of how equipment rental companies are protecting their assets — from air compressors to large aerial lifts — with Record360. Learn why having access to a world-class rental inspection app can be invaluable to your rental business.

“Everyone wants to save every dime they can save.”

Repairs and replacement parts, even for smaller items such as hoses, valves, fuel caps, fire extinguishers, add up quickly. Paper inspections won’t provide the concrete evidence needed to prove to a customer they are responsible. At Preferred Rentals, their selection of rental equipment runs the gamut:

Back hoes
Excavators (large and mini)
Forklifts
Generators
Compressors

Watch the clip below and see Robert Marvin, who runs counter sales for Preferred Rentals, explain why he believes:

“For the rental business, I would think everyone would want Record360.”

“It’s been a beautiful product for us.”

At Premier Platforms, a 3 location, independently-owned, family business, they use Record360 to protect their 675+ assets during short and long term aerial lift rentals.

In their industry, seemingly insignificant damage to a large boom lift could run in excess of $10,000. And with only paper to rely upon, there is no way to prove to a customer that they are responsible. Record360 mobile inspection app is built to prevent that exact scenario from happening.

In the short video below, Branch Coordinator, Shane Johnson, describes all the ways they use Record360 to improve their day-to-day operations while protecting their valuable assets.

“Going to a digital platform such as Record360 has been huge for us.”

They use Record360 at the point of delivery, and also throughout the rental, especially long-term rentals, to document the updates and then as a final check when the asset returns.

The photo and video evidence collected by Record360 provides indisputable proof where and when damage occurred, including:

Time stamps
Geo-tags to show location
Condition at drop off and return

Don’t wait until after the next repair cost you have to eat. Request a demonstration of Record360 and start saving today.

How technology can drive revenue growth in the rental business

March 15, 2021 by record_360

Record360 CEO, Jesse Buckingham, hosted Franklin Equipment CTO, Harold Goings, for a discussion about how technology can drive growth in the rental business.

It was an in-depth conversation session that included topics ranging from key KPIs, process automation, the impact of new technology and rental inspection software on the rental business, and the importance of aligning sales, rental, and service to grow a successful business. See below for time stamps on specific topics.

“It’s really helped our recovery when it comes to customer damage.”
– Harold Goings, CTO, Franklin Equipment

Highlights

2:35 – About Franklin Equipment
4:30 – Managing Covid and 2020 challenges
6:25 – Hiring challenges and material costs
9:29 – Technology Tools for Rental, Big Data, KPIs
14:01 – Franklin App Development
18:22 – Thoughts on Sales vs Rental
24:31 – How Franklin uses Record360 and its impact
26:58 – Optimizing Rental Processes and Workflows
28:35 – Damage costs before Record360
30:27 – Operations before Record360
32:20 – Ensuring team members follow operational policies and adhere to company culture
34:31 – How the trend towards automation will impact and improve rental operations:
37:19 – Equipment rental trends that give you concern
40:20 – Franklin’s culture of innovation

Ready to see Record360 in action? Request a personalized product demonstration and learn how rental inspection software can transform your rental business.

Managing multiple rental equipment locations efficiently

March 12, 2021 by record_360

Managing multiple equipment rental operation locations can be a logistical nightmare.

After all, you can’t be at all locations at all times. Without a system that gives you visibility to your rental operations, you’ll be hard-pressed to detect and address gaps in your processes that could hamper your operations.

That’s why you need a proven system that lets you manage your equipment rental operations even when you’re offsite.

With the right systems and solutions, you can optimize managing your equipment rental operations remotely — from tracking your assets’ condition, accessing equipment inspection information to comprehensive damage reporting.

This article highlights an interview with Perco Rentals Service Manager, William Strength. We went over the importance of using reliable technology to establish rental processes that streamline managing various equipment rental locations.

Expedite your asset condition monitoring process

One of the biggest challenges you can face as a rental equipment company is knowing your assets’ actual condition throughout the rental process. This can be even more difficult when you’re managing multiple locations and a fleet of dozens, hundreds, or especially thousands of equipment assets.

Relying on paper-based methods to track your equipment’s condition before, during, and after renting is inefficient. Documenting the details and getting copies of the information would take too much time and effort.

What’s more, it’s easy to overlook equipment damages when inspections are done manually, causing your company to rent out malfunctioning equipment to your customers.

This can lead to your rental equipment breaking down in the field, delaying your customer’s project. You’d be left with frustrated clients on top of additional expenses to send replacement machinery and fix the malfunctioning one.

Perco Rentals found a way to address these challenges with Record360.

I’ve been in this industry for 15 years… and the fact that everyone isn’t using this system blows my mind.

Record360’s web and mobile app let you capture and track your equipment’s condition throughout the rental process.

You can capture high-resolution videos and photos of your equipment, add the necessary information, and upload everything to the cloud.

All the information is stored and easily accessible on the web app, giving you a centralized location where you can find out everything about your assets.

As William put it, “We’re really remote, and I control 17 locations. So i’m able to see what the equipment looks like when it’s rent-ready before it goes to a customer. So I’m ensuring that the customer is getting something that they are paying for. And then, in return, we’re getting what we’re supposed to be returned.”

William added, “So we’ll use Record360 a lot to see the equipment because I’m not there (in the company’s other locations) every day. So we’re paying the vendor to make sure and record the data, so I’m able to see it remotely, such as hours documented for PMs and fuel charges there and back.”

With a powerful asset condition recording and monitoring system, you ensure you’re documenting your equipment regardless of the location, including maintenance, availability data, and damages.

“… I couldn’t even calculate the amount of money we’ve saved so far just by holding people accountable.”

According to William, “Having Record360 sets the right processes in place such as putting the right checklist, but it’s more than our vendors in our various locations being able to take the pictures and document the damages. I couldn’t even calculate the amount of money we’ve saved so far just by holding people accountable.”

The process for getting started was also simple and efficient according to William, ” We’re talking about a 10 minute process that can save you thousands upon thousands of dollars. And that is not an exaggeration.”

Leverage customizable equipment inspections technology

Efficient rental inspections are vital to knowing your assets’ true condition and detecting damages instantly.

However, this requires the right technology that best fits your company’s needs, one that goes beyond the basic equipment photo and video capturing features.

Record360 provides a robust solution. The app lets you create digital inspection forms and checklists you can load into your tablet or smartphone, allowing you to capture your equipment rental data in a single standard format.

William stated, “After I spoke with some people at Record360, I realized how customizable it was. So for us to be able to use it for more than a purpose of the images, we went back to the app and built a checklist. We needed something to determine whether or not we’re checking our equipment out properly, because we have 17 locations that I can’t be at.”

He added, “So I need to be able to see what’s going on with these locations. So we use Record360 not only as an insurance, but to be able to document the progress of this equipment through the steps of the shop and be able to monitor it before it goes out. And the maintenance intervals on it as well for all 17 locations.”

With a customizable checklist, you have a reliable and efficient system to conduct equipment inspections that your multiple locations can easily adopt. This ensures thorough documentation of all the damages on your rentals after they come back from your customers.

Cross-check your equipment’s condition with the pre-release equipment inspection information, helping your teams identify defects and issues caused by customers and alert them immediately.

This is what William had to say on how Record360 tailored the solution for Perco Rentals, “So I built a checklist and emailed Support at Record360 saying, ‘Hey, look, this is kind of what I want this generic checklist to look like until we get more specific.’ She immediately called me and elaborated on more of what we could do, even with the checklist we had, even if it was something as simple as maybe a radio button that would be easier than a dropdown menu or things like that we can add to it. She perfected the checklist.”

Implement comprehensive damage reporting

Repairing equipment damages can get very expensive. If you’re not documenting asset damages properly after they come off a customer rental, you incur additional expenses that you shouldn’t have to.

Failing to document all your equipment damage properly also leads to the lack of evidence to back up your claim in a dispute, which is challenging enough when monitoring damages remotely.

You would need to go through the long back and forth with your customer to negotiate the repairs they’re responsible for.

This can increase equipment downtime, and you’ll lose a lot of money on broken or malfunctioning equipment you can’t rent out on top of potentially shouldering hefty damage expenses.

An excellent solution to reduce potential disputes and expenses is Record360’s damage reporting features.

… there was no argument. The customer is aware of it and is buying the ranger because we had proof with the help of Record360.”

William stated, “We had a ranger come back that was pretty torn up. It needed repairs, and it was going to cost more than the unit’s worth. But there was no argument. The customer is aware of it and is buying the ranger because we had proof with the help of Record360.”

He added, “Record360 has made it (damage reporting) to where it’s painless. We get a piece of equipment back, and it’s damaged. We download the Record360 app immediately, and email it to the customer with a quote on what the damages are. There are no questions asked. You have damages they’re visible before and after, making the process really painless.”

The app allows you to capture, create, store, and access damage reports easily, getting your workflows moving smoothly even when your equipment rental operations are working in multiple locations.

As William put it, “At Perco where we’re remote, we don’t have any other employees except for what we have here in the main hub. So we rely on these vendors to be able to do the job that we’re paying them to do. So not only is Record360 insurance against our customers, but it’s also insurance against our vendors to ensure that they’re doing what we’re paying them to do.”

Capturing equipment damages becomes a smooth and swift process with reliable asset documenting and equipment damage inspection technology, saving you thousands of dollars on damage expenses.

What’s next?

What challenges are you facing while running your equipment rental company in multiple locations remotely?

If you are ready to eliminate damage disputes and reduce damage expenses by optimizing your rental equipment operations, contact us today to schedule a free consultation or product demo.

How to protect your rental equipment’s value, status, and readiness

March 3, 2021 by record_360

The success of your rental equipment business relies heavily on your asset’s condition.

If your methods for inspecting and monitoring your assets are paper-based, you won’t have a clear, consistent, and accurate picture of their condition.

Manual processes are error-prone and can lead to critical equipment issues or damages that shorten their service life, rent out malfunction equipment, or worsen your equipment’ damages — all of which can hurt your bottom line.

The good news is, using the right technology can help you protect your assets’ real condition, status, availability, value, and readiness for operations.

This article covers highlights from our case study interview with Michel Allen, President and Co-Owner of Pioneer Equipment. We cover how using robust technology can put your mind at ease knowing you have a clear picture of your assets’ condition. Read the full case study here.

Make documenting damage reports more efficient

Many equipment rental companies struggle to monitor and document their equipment condition, especially those with huge fleets that deliver equipment across the country and overseas.

Anything can happen during transport that can cause significant equipment damages. Without a reliable damage documentation system, proving responsible parties can be challenging. Your company could shoulder damage expenses when your client is at fault.

Pioneer Equipment found a solution in Record360. According to Michel, one of the most significant advantages of using Record360 is it “Gives you cover, especially in terms of damage reports.”

When transporting equipment overseas, Michel said, “So if there’s damage in the port or anywhere that it happens over there, we have it on record as of date X, Y, Z. We can refer back to that date easily.”

Record360 allows you to document your equipment’s condition efficiently through our mobile app and web portal.

For instance, you can take high-quality videos and photos of all your gear and create a digital checklist of its parts so you can cross-check any damages that occur before and after releasing machinery.

You’ll have everything on record and ready to be accessed.

Regarding Record360’s damage reporting features, Michel said, “And that’s very important to us because that’s how you maintain a rental fleet. But in addition to that, that carries over to an export situation where you have a record of what you did for this machine. So if there are any issues when it gets to the other side of the ocean, you go back to the record and say, this is what we did.”

With the Record360 you can protect your equipment and your company’s revenue, saving you from potentially hefty damage fees.

Streamline the equipment servicing process

Keeping track of your assets’ maintenance and servicing schedules using manual methods such as paper logs isn’t just inefficient; it’s also tedious and time-consuming.

If you’re releasing over 10 rental equipment assets in a day, you could easily miss out on critical preventative maintenance schedules and unintentionally send malfunctioning machinery to customers.

This leads to equipment breakdown in the field, which can frustrate your customers and ruin your relationships.

This is where Record360 comes in.

“Before Record360, we were using the Fred Flintstone method, which was writing everything down and trying to keep up with data on a marker board.”

Record360 provides you crystal clear visibility for all your assets by letting you upload and store your equipment’s recent videos, photos, inspections, and damage histories. This makes reviewing your inventory’s condition and scheduling inspections more efficient.

Pioneer Equipment also benefited from the customized checklists offered by Record360 for a more personalized solution.

According to Michel, “As a condition to getting Record360, we needed its software also to cover the service aspect of what we do. So besides the in and out of our rentals, we needed the app to cover servicing the equipment. So that’s one format we came up with and that Record360 worked with us to basically design and also implement.”

The right technology will streamline your equipment servicing process.

You’ll be at ease knowing your asset’s actual condition and avoid delivering faulty machinery to your customers due to missed servicing schedules. Using a mobile app to conduct your inspections also reduces errors and inaccuracies, which frequently happens when documentation is done manually through pen and paper.

According to Michel, “Before Record360, we were using the Fred Flintstone method, which was writing everything down and trying to keep up with data on a marker board. And so once you get five, ten units going a day, that system doesn’t work too efficiently.”

He added, “One of the biggest challenges is to record damage in terms of actual physical evidence, photos, and also reporting that damage where things move very fast in a rental world. So a machine frequently comes in and goes out within a day or two. If you’re not recording that damage, you lost that data, and you have nothing to stand on.”

Michel said investing in Record360’s damage documenting and reporting technology will both save and make you money.

“One is the damage, which is thousands of dollars, that if you don’t record and back up your claim with any customer, then you don’t have a good footing to stand on. So as we’re charging for damages, you have to have a clear picture. Otherwise, it gets into dispute.”

He added, “So if we’re doing it (capturing damage) on a very regular basis and recording that down, it’s actually contributing to a long life of our equipment.”

Using reliable software lets you capture all the equipment information you need to refute damage claims your company didn’t cause, which is a huge time and money-saver. It gives you peace of mind knowing any damages your team didn’t cause will be covered by responsible parties.

Improve team collaboration

An airtight equipment inspection and documentation process gives you the confidence to know your assets are in tip-top condition.

However, achieving this requires reliable tools to make equipment inspections and damage reports easier to accomplish.

Record360 removes the complexities of conducting inspections and damage recording and reporting, streamlining workflows, and improving team collaboration.

Michel said, “But if you have a good format and it’s simple to navigate, then it gets done accurately and quickly. That’s what’s important. And what you see with Record360 is it’s integrated all of our departments to be able to use one single application.”

He added, “So as we have rentals going out and coming back in, the administrative side of our business works closely with the techs, with one report so that we can process equipment in and out quickly.”

The more efficiently and effectively your team works, the better the condition of your equipment and your company’s quality of service. This increases customer satisfaction, encourages repeat business, and helps you build client relationships.

What’s next?

What challenges have you been facing with running your equipment rental company?

Are you struggling with getting a clear and accurate picture of your assets’ condition? Have you been losing disputes because you lack irrefutable evidence that proves your clients caused damage to your equipment?

If you are ready to modernize and improve your rental operations, request a Record360 product demonstration today.