Overcoming the dread of new software

If you’re like many business owners, the idea of undertaking a major software upgrade, transitioning to an entirely new platform, or onboarding software for the first time likely fills you with a feeling of dread on par with the prospect of a tax audit. It’s an understandable response, especially for tent and event rental company owners who face intense busy periods where everything must go right. Not only is there the worry that the software won’t function as needed, there’s the added issue of getting staff up to speed as fast as possible so the customer experience—and, consequently, the business—won’t be compromised.

However, when it comes to this latter concern, Karen Gordon, executive vice president and founding team member of Goodshuffle Inc., says rental companies may be selling their employees short. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Goodshuffle offers comprehensive business software to event rental, production and design companies.

“Business owners sometimes give their teams too little credit when it comes to technology adoption,” she says. “If a software platform is well designed, it shouldn’t be complicated for folks of any level of ‘tech comfort’ to learn—especially if the software company offers training for all paid users, which all software companies should.”

And running counter to the old chestnut “good things come to those who wait,” delaying an upgrade or balking at installing a software platform altogether is only going to make life harder, says Brian Beaudry, content marketing manager for Point of Rental, a Fort Worth, Texas-based global software company offering rental management software and services for rental businesses of all types and sizes.

“Just remember that the more data you gather and the longer you wait, the more difficult it’s going to be,” he cautions. “Every day you put off migrating, you’re gathering more data and getting further entrenched in processes you already know need fixing.”

Time to take the leap?

What those hesitant business owners aren’t realizing is how software technology has evolved, becoming more robust and more intuitive. At the same time, software providers—the good ones anyway—have become cognizant of the role customer support and training plays in their own success and as such have dedicated significant resources to this aspect of their operations. As a result, many of the fears that keep some business owners relying on the software equivalent of an abacus are unfounded.

So how to tell if it’s time to take the leap?

One clue is that you start running up against software limitations, noticing all the things it can’t do, and how, consequently, today’s small issues will become bigger problems down the road, says Beaudry.

“Perhaps most importantly, you don’t believe the software is developing along with you to help you tackle those challenges,” he says. “Your software needs to handle business in the 2020s—remote and web accessibility, e-commerce functionality, etc. There are a surprising number of people still using spreadsheets and paperwork. Often it gets the job done, but it really puts a cap on how many people you can serve well.”

Other indications include software that has become so unreliable the company has difficulty delivering to expectations or that is so unwieldy it compromises the customer experience, says Gordon. It’s also important to look ahead at how you want to grow the business and at what scale, the brand/image you want to convey, and if your software can help you achieve these ambitions.

Software platforms

Here’s an abbreviated look at some software tools designed for tent and event rental businesses. Note that the features mentioned here don’t reflect the full capabilities available. 

Headquartered in Clermont, Fla., Party Track provides its Party Track software to tent, linen and full-service party rental companies, says Larry Weeman, owner and president. The software covers multiple areas of operations such as inventory, pricing, document distribution and payment. 

It can also track all of the items necessary for building a tent, notifying you if you’re short on any of the required parts.

“Party Track will let you know so you can reconfigure the tents using other parts or make plans to get the additional parts needed,” Weeman explains. “A new production fee was also added to Party Track at the request of our tent rental companies,” he continues. “This fee allows you to charge an additional percentage based on the total for any tents on the order. This request was made to handle the increased costs of tent labor.”

Other features include the ability to distribute documents—order confirmations, rental agreements, etc.—for electronic signature. Payment links can be included, allowing customers to electronically provide payment information. 

The software will also generate multiple reports, such as those showing which items are in demand and those that are not, allowing rental companies to more effectively manage their inventory and focus on renting certain types of products. Another report lets operators review rentals by event type, helping them to hone their advertising.

Goodshuffle Pro software covers all aspects of event rental operations, says Gordon, including digital signature and payments, automatic inventory tracking and more. Because the platform can easily pinpoint items within a tent posing an inventory conflict, it also prevents overbookings. If an item is booked, alternative pieces that meet the requirements can be swapped in, maximizing inventory usage as well. And website integration automatically updates any pricing changes or inventory additions or removals directly on rental operators’ websites.

“The entire software is also mobile friendly, which means your crew can mark things ‘delivered’ as soon as they arrive on a job, take photos of the setup while out in the field, and even notate damages during pickup,” she says. “You can associate files such as photos with both the client and the venue, allowing you to access them for reference the next time you work together.”

Point of Rental software targets event, heavy equipment, tool rental and multiple other specialty rental businesses. One tool in the suite is the Fulfillment app, designed to replace the prep sheets used in event rental warehouses, Beaudry explains. 

“[It] allows for instant prepping of items with real-time updates, which keeps teams informed of changes on the fly, without having to go back and check the loading area to see if an order has been prepped or digging for paperwork,” he says. “Event contracts tend to have a lot of line items, which can make it difficult to keep track of all the pieces within an order. But Fulfillment makes it easy. This cuts down on second runs due to forgotten items, not to mention saving time and fuel, while keeping customers happier.”

The app allows anyone in the organization to see if the order going out the next day has been prepped. If it has, and the customer has requested an adjustment, an additional fee can be charged. If it hasn’t, the change can be accommodated without the added cost. Fulfillment also integrates with Radio Frequency Identification or RFID, says Beaudry, making counts easier when items are going out or coming back in, automatically assigning these to the right contracts.

Point of Rental One, a mobile app, is designed to make deliveries more efficient by connecting drivers to dispatch and to the route information they need. Notes can be sent via messaging and site photos, and signatures can be collected and stored with the specific contracts. This app will ultimately combine the functionality of all the company’s apps into “one singular app for our users,”  says Beaudry.

Drilling down

With the plethora of software platforms available, figuring out which tool will best meet your needs can seem daunting. The first step may be exploring software specific to the tent and event rental industry. It’s also essential, says Weeman, that business owners know upfront what functions they want the software to manage so they can quickly rule out those not meeting the requirements.

Once you’ve determined this baseline, ask for references, Beaudry advises.

“Particularly of those in your region and who are of similar size, either where you are or where you want to be,” he says. “Ask about the implementation and training processes and what the company does to support users once they’re on board.”

Verify the software features listed actually work reliably and that the customer service support is there if help is needed, suggests Gordon, adding that talking to those who have used the software for more than just a few months can be useful in this respect. 

Those shopping for software tend to make a couple of mistakes, Beaudry adds. First, they frequently neglect to involve key stakeholders in the effort, which can result in frustration and hinder adoption. Second, they evaluate the software based on where their company is currently, rather than thinking about their short- and long-term objectives and how the software can support these.

“Ultimately, choosing a software platform needs to be thought of as an investment in your business and your team and should be treated as such,” he says. “Look for a software partner you can work with today, but that you feel will have your needs in mind in five or 10 years or even further down the road.” 

Pamela Mills-Senn is a freelance writer based in Seal Beach, Calif.