HIRE and RENTAL

ith unprecedented
availability of mature
computer hardware and
software Technology,
why do we still hear so many horror
stories about buying computer systems?
Simply stated, it's a case of ignorance.
Few Hire Companies really know
how to select a Rental Management System.
They don't fully understand what
they're buying or how to go about
buying it.
Of course, this isn't an easy process.
But there is a reasonable way to bring it
down to it's essential ingredients. The
process of selecting a Rental Management
System isn't simply a matter of
selecting a computer. This oversimplification
has caused many companies
to buy computer systems based
principally on the label affixed to the
computer or on the system's purchase
price (lowest).
The selection process involves
several key issues that you must fully
understand and resolve before reaching
a final decision. These issues are
presented as a series of questions, so set
up an accompaning sheet on which you
can make notes comparing how various
systems handle the following tasks.
1. How easy is it to enter time periods
other than the standard periods set
up in the system? Ask to see unusual
periods, like 5 hours, three days or
3 weeks.
2. If a customer wants to know how
many a particular item will cost to
rent for an unusual time period (eg:
nine days) Can the system answer
quickly?.
3. How do you use the system to
schedule a delivery and/or pick-up
(A) Upon opening a contract? (B)
Later when the customer calls for
the pick-up? And what reports/
62 - HIRE and RENTAL - APRIL 1990
Edging Out Your
Competition
By Chris Zanchetta -
Solutions By Computer (Australia)
documents are printed to inform
you of schedules, deliveries and
pick-up?
4. Must inventory be selected before
customers or visa versa? How difficult
is it to alter that sequence on
a given contract? How easy is it to
go from one area of the programme
to another? Do you have to remember
special codes and/or numbers?
5. How many ways can you look up an
inventory item? By number? Alphabetically?
Any alternates?
6. What is the minimum number of
key strokes it takes to rent an item
to a repeat customer?
7. Does the system warn you when an
item that is out on Rental and
Reserved for a second Rental, isn't
returned on time?
8. If a customer returns an item
without his contracts, How easily
can you find the contract in the system?
If he has several contracts,
How easily can you find the right
one?
9. When a customer asks a question
about a rental item, can the system
display and print out it's specification
quickly and easily? Does either
Process require restarting the transaction
before continuing?
10. What security controls does the system
supply for changing a rate on a
contract? For permanently changing
a rate? For printing a customer
list?
11. If a question comes up about a contract,
reservation or change, is it
easy to find the name of the
employee who did it?
12. When an invoice is created for a
charge customer, is it posted immediately
to his account?
If not, what process must you perform
to post it? What happens if you forget
the process?
Today's rental management is challenged
by a wide range of Business
problems, increasing competition,
rising costs, decreasing margins and
rapid technology changes, to meet these
challenges, Management must take
positive control of it's most important
asset: information. With this in mind it
isn't a question of "if your rental business
will computerise, but when?
When you do computerise, what features,
options and performance do you
need to look for when selecting a computer
system. A rental system is usually
operated by a non-computer-oriented
person - eg. A Rental Counter person.
This person is asked to write reservations,
contracts, close contracts, answer
questions, check inventory availability,
calculate rates, keep an eye on credit
limits and much more. The mix of tasks
is different in every case... As is the
transaction itself! Menu-driven batch
accounting systems are not well suited
to the complex point-of-sale requirements
of a Rental Business. No company
should try to make an accounting
system into a Rental Management system,
by adding point-of-sale "bells and
whistles" and placing a few terminals on
the counter. The complex tasks required
of a rental counterperson are totally different
from Accounting tasks, as are the
environment, the customer interaction
and the level of operator expertise.
It simply doesn't make sense to place
the rental management needs of your
business in the hands of a computer
that's an accounting system at heart.
Don't be too carried away with trying to
duplicate your current system, be it
manual or an existing computer system
that no longer performs. Look for a sys-