03.11.2016

SmartEquip signs Riwal

Dutch international rental company Riwal has joined the US based online parts and service network SmartEquip.

Riwal plans to utilise SmartEquip’s Enterprise application to automate and streamline its orders for spare parts and materials. The SmartEquip implementation is due to go live in Spain first and is then expected to roll out across the rest of the Riwal group over the following 18 months.

Riwal chief operating officer Søren Rosenkrands said “SmartEquip’s online parts ordering system will allow us to increase efficiency by reducing costs associated with internal service, parts inventory, and back-office. In addition we will be able to improve our service even further as SmartEquip will enable us to increase fleet availability and uptime for our customers.”

Riwal chief executive Norty Turner added: “The investment should be seen in the context of ‘The Riwal Way’ project to increase our operating efficiency and improve customer service. We see SmartEquip as a natural extension of that journey. The Riwal Way has increased our efficiency and our ability to deliver the best customer experience.”

SmartEquip founder Alexander Schuessler said: “By actively supporting its global equipment footprint, we will increase equipment uptime, while also reducing the cost of fleet service and spare parts transactions, both for Riwal and also for its preferred suppliers. We are proud to have been included in the company’s ‘Riwal Way’ project – which already has proven to be very successful in increasing operating efficiency and improving customer service.”

Vertikal Comment

This is in interesting move by Riwal and a significant step forward for SmartEquip, which while well established in North America has found the international market a tougher nut to crack, it first launched in Europe in 2005, but progress in the crane and access rental sector has been painfully slow. However in started making some progress in 2013, signing Ramirent and Boels, both of which has substantial aerial lift fleets.

Suppliers in the lifting market include JLG, Skyjack, Manitou, JCB and Sumner.