SmartEquip last week announced that United Rentals has selected its e-Procurement Enterprise System to manage the company’s purchasing transactions. The system was designed to handle “direct” and “indirect” procurement in asset-intensive industries such as equipment rental.

Fully integrated with United Rentals’ rental, purchase and financial management systems, the SmartEquip system will provide significant cost and time savings as well as improved order accuracy at the company’s rental locations and corporate offices. The system is also designed to benefit vendors by streamlining order placement and fulfillment.

Equipment manufacturers that utilize SmartEquip’s e-FleetPro network are able to provide United Rentals’ users with serial-number-specific product support, including interactive parts catalogs, self-updating service documentation, and real-time information concerning parts and whole goods availability, resulting in more streamlined procurement functionality.

“We selected SmartEquip’s e-Procurement Enterprise System after successfully piloting its parts and service support technology at numerous branches throughout our North American network,” said James Milde, senior vice president and chief information officer for United. “During the last 18 months, our employees have commented that the technology has helped improve productivity. By extending this capability across our entire fleet, services, contractor supplies and parts-purchasing activities, we will create substantial efficiencies for ourselves as well as our suppliers.”

Chris Barnard, president and CEO of Wacker Corp., one of the manufacturers that has utilized SmartEquip technology added: “Wacker and United Rentals have both recognized that an integrated uniform systems platform is critical to eliminating traditional inefficiencies that sustain error-intensive processes. SmartEquip technology offers the whole industry an excellent solution to drive down the total cost of inventory and create significant savings for both the fleet owner and the OEM.”

Alex Schuessler, chairman and CEO of SmartEquip adds that the technology will bridge “the technical exchange between the equipment suppliers and their branch locations.”