Matt Hopp, general manager, InTempo Software, talks with RER about reducing downtime; software service components; enhanced mobility and operational efficiency.
What are some of the products and capabilities you have added in the past year approximately?
Hopp: We are always expanding our integrations with other best-in-breed software providers. InTempo Enterprise offers rental, service, sales, and accounting capabilities. Then off that center “hub,” we build tight connections to CRM, dispatch, telematics, equipment management, banking, and beyond. By taking this approach, we eliminate development time while giving our customers access to the best software in a particular niche at a very reasonable price. Right now, we are teaming up with Trackunit to expand our existing integration, with the goal of helping our customers reduce downtime and take advantage of telematics data to service equipment more efficiently. And since untethering staff from the office is more important than ever, our mobile app offers key functionality including order creation, check in/out, document signing, equipment transfer, and beyond.
What are customers asking you for now, or what are some of the trends in what they’re asking for?
Our customers are focused on the things that can help them work more efficiently and increase profitability wherever they can. These themes have become more urgent in the last few months. They’re looking for mobility, which can have the added benefit of reducing physical contact among employees. Even something simple such as mobile check in/check out eliminates the need for our customers to come in close contact with their colleagues. There’s also more of a focus on service and equipment uptime, which gets to the heart of our integration with vendors like Trackunit and SmartEquip.
What are some the capabilities of your software that are under-utilized that you wish more companies would pick up on?
Our software features a number of powerful service components, including maintenance steps. For every type of equipment, you can set up steps. For example, every 50 hours we do an oil change, every 200 hours we do an inspection. Then when a mechanic gets the work order, it automatically tells them what to do. Once again, this speeds up the process and eliminates the need for physical contact. Instead of having a mechanic write the work order on paper, then hand it to somebody who types it up and then gives it back to the mechanic, the whole process becomes streamlined. When you factor in our integration with SmartEquip, even parts ordering can be automated. With this integration, when you place an order, the P.O. is generated and the work order updated. The part is then added to your inventory, and the request is sent to the manufacturer. The part number, quantity, price, and cost are updated automatically from the P.O.
A lot of things have changed in the world because of the pandemic. What has changed in the rental industry, and how has your approach to software changed? Greater emphasis in e-commerce capabilities? Other changes?
The goal of any business in this industry has always been about operational efficiency and profitability. The pandemic simply has made the idea of “doing more with less” more urgent. Part of what we are doing is shining a light on features we already have. For example, as lockdowns began back in March, we shared a video on how to temporarily suspend rental contracts. A big focus now continues to be showing our customers how to leverage the software in ways that can enable them to work independently. Our reporting tool is a big piece of the puzzle—everyone in an organization can be on the same page in terms of metrics and tasks without running around handing off printouts. Mechanics or collections or management can look at a phone or large monitor to find out exactly what they should focus on each day. It’s all the information they need with no contact necessary.
In terms of the pandemic, presumably visits to your software users have decreased? Have you improved or enhanced your online training capabilities?
Our customers – independent rental businesses – are the backbone of our economy and it is a privilege to serve them. We are talking to them individually to find out their challenges and how we can help. Recently, we announced that Letty Broussard joined our support team. Letty comes with decades of rental experience. This shows our customers that even in these times full of unknowns, we are investing in their success. We’re also continuing to build out InTempo Academy, an online learning platform that offers video-based tutorials covering all aspects of our system. If any good has come from this pandemic, we’re actually engaging with our customers more than ever. They are out there every day trying to do their best by their own colleagues and customers.
How has your CRM programs improved? How does it make your sales or rental sales personnel more efficient or productive?
Our mobile app puts key customer information into the hands of salespeople wherever they are. And in terms of extended functionality, we integrate with leading CRM providers including Salesforce.
