Paperless Operations Part 2 – Running a Trial (VIDEO)

Signing off a project to replace rental paperwork is not easy.

You are introducing mobile devices and apps to a workforce that has often never been connected to your core IT systems and is resistant to change.

You are replacing manual processes that have supported your operation since day one.

And you are trying to standardise how you pick, deliver, return and service equipment as much as possible.

It is no surprise that leadership teams often pause and decide to do nothing rather than replace paper with integrated mobile apps.

The technical term for preferring paperwork to a fully digital operation is Status Quo Bias.  The status quo bias is an inbuilt human preference that things stay as they are.

There can be a horrible feeling of inertia and fear that giving operations users digital tools is a massive and expensive job.

The results of doing nothing are serious.  The company feels stuck in the past while digitally advanced competitors cut costs and generate more revenue from their equipment.  Advanced technologies such as integrated telematics, artificial intelligence and real-time carbon accounting are closed off behind a paper wall.

The last few years have challenged the status quo more than ever.  The pandemic exposed how difficult it is to manage a paper-based rental operation when most staff are working remotely.

Competition is growing, with some rental companies building new business models that need advanced digital capabilities.  Customers are becoming more demanding, especially for evidence that your products can help them manage and reduce carbon emissions.

A short trial is a proven technique to manage natural fears and help you take that first step toward digital operations.

A well-designed trial will help you understand how much the change will cost, how your users and management teams will adapt to the change and how you can reduce the time, risk and cost of a full rollout.

Running a Paperless Operations Trial

A good paperless operations trial follows five simple principles.

Choose a goal.  The trial should focus on one or two of the most important business goals that have been agreed upon by the rental leadership team.  Remember that the trial is the first step, and choosing a pragmatic, achievable target is more important than trying to demonstrate everything.

Go fast.  Assuming you select the right digital operations partner, you should be aiming to deliver a paperless trial in six weeks or less.

Low cost.  Your technology partner should work with you to keep the costs of configuring and running a trial as low as possible.

Recruit end users.  Choose a couple of ‘super users’ from the operations team that will relish the opportunity to change and be respected by their peers.  The users should take ownership of the workflow configuration and be involved in ‘show and tell’ reviews of the end-user experience.  The users will also play a key role in training and supporting their colleagues throughout the trial.

Measure and share.  Wherever possible, measure the impact of the paperless trial against your chosen goals.  Present the results to the leadership team and suggest possible next steps.

The responsibility for delivering a successful trial often falls on the operations leadership team.  With the support of the finance and IT teams and a proven supplier, operations can deliver a low-cost trial in six weeks or less.

A successful trial gives everyone the confidence that delivering paperless operations can be done safely, on time, on budget and with the support of your end-users.  This confidence will balance the natural human instinct to do nothing and allow you to take the next step from a trial to a full production rollout.