How do you expand from 4 branches to over 45 locations in just a few years – without compromising the great customer service you’re known for?
That’s the challenge Cooper Equipment Rentals faced when they began expanding in 2013. Having started in a small shed in Markham in 1972, Cooper is now the leading full-service construction equipment rental company in Canada. Much of their growth has been fueled by acquisitions – 9 in the last 8 years.
2 years into their growth, Cooper partnered with SmartEquip, a first of its kind process improvement and procurement software that connects equipment owners to manufacturers. Through innovative technology, SmartEquip procurement makes repairing and maintaining equipment easier and faster.
While Cooper initially adopted SmartEquip to streamline their parts procurement process, they soon found that SmartEquip also helped them expand. By standardizing workflow and providing a solid parts procurement foundation, SmartEquip is now helping Cooper work toward the goal of having the largest rental fleet in Canada.
When they initially began acquiring companies, Cooper found it challenging to have different workflows in each branch. According to Darryl Cooper, President and COO of Cooper Equipment Rentals, “SmartEquip allowed us to standardize workflow across multiple branches. This made it possible to scale our business and bring more branches on without there being a lot of pain.”
Creating this consistency helped acquisitions smoothly transition to being part of Cooper. Instead of a jumble of old and new systems, SmartEquip allowed Cooper to get everyone on the same page.
In addition to standardizing workflows, SmartEquip is user-friendly – making it easy for employees from other branches to use the Cooper workflow. Corey Lee, Inventory Manager, Cooper Equipment Rentals, says new employees “love how SmartEquip streamlines everything and how easy it is to use. They don’t have to pick up the phone for diagrams. Instead, they have everything right there.”
And, for employees from acquired companies already using SmartEquip, Cooper being on the same platform is a huge plus. These employees love SmartEquip, so it makes their transition to Cooper easier.
Even if acquired employees were used to their old procurement process, SmartEquip is so easy to use they don’t mind switching. With little resistance to a new system, Cooper can more easily integrate acquisitions – and focus on growing even more.
Beyond unifying all Cooper Branches with one workflow, SmartEquip makes Cooper’s entire parts procurement process easier.
