Sacramento Production Services, Inc. has been in the event production industry for over 35 years. Founded by Steve Palmer in his late teens, the company has grown from operating in a modest garage into a thriving business that offers a wide range of services, including audio production, equipment rentals, sales, and installations. They do a lot of political, corporate, and religious work.
We sat down with Keith, the Sales and Production Manager, to learn more about their challenges, the search for a solution, as well as how they started using Rentman.
Keith joined Sacramento Production Services, Inc. 18 years ago, bringing with him a lot of industry experience, as well as a loyal client portfolio. Over the years, he has witnessed the company’s transformation and has been a key player in tackling the numerous challenges they faced.
Inventory management challenges
Before Rentman, Sacramento Production Services, Inc. faced significant challenges in managing its inventory. As the company expanded its services, the complexity of tracking and managing equipment became difficult. Traditional inventory management methods like Excel spreadsheets and an outdated rental management platform didn’t help their situation.
“We had another rental program before, and it had lots of bugs, lots of issues, and it was kind of a one-man show.”
One of the biggest challenges was ensuring that all the necessary equipment was packed correctly for each event. Crew members, often working under tight deadlines, would sometimes make mistakes when packing equipment, leading to incomplete or incorrect dispatches. This led to additional costs and time spent solving these mistakes.
“The real challenge was to make sure that we had the correct equipment packed for the event and that we were able to spot shortages on time, to have the opportunity to subrent, purchase or build whatever we needed.”
The warehouse team also struggled to keep track of all the equipment. With more than 340 projects per year and multiple shows and rentals happening simultaneously, it was difficult to have a clear overview of what equipment was available, what was out in the field, and what was back in the warehouse. This lack of visibility often resulted in equipment being lost, stolen, or damaged.
The processes also seemed complicated for their group of 30+ freelancers. They were not familiar with the company’s processes, leading to frequent mistakes and inefficiencies.
The need for a more streamlined, user-friendly solution became increasingly important as these challenges began to impact the company’s profits.
The search for a solution
Keith and his team started searching for a solution that could solve their challenges. They needed a platform that could eliminate packing mistakes, automate work for crew members, centralize all the equipment information for the warehouse team, and simplify the freelancers' processes.
“We’ve looked at just about every single rental software, and it was pretty difficult at the time to find what we wanted, because our rental database was extremely data-hungry.”
After exploring several options, they came across Rentman. Rentman offered the inventory management features that Keith had been searching for. Not only that, but the platform also allowed them to streamline inventory operations, reduce packing errors, and provide equipment visibility and traceability that was lacking in their existing processes.
The decision to implement Rentman was not easy. Keith knew that transitioning to a new platform would require time and effort. However, with Rentman’s localized support, the process became smoother.
The experience with Rentman today
Since implementing Rentman back in 2018, Sacramento Production Services, Inc. has seen a remarkable transformation in how it manages its inventory. The platform brought a new level of efficiency and accuracy to their operations.
One of the most significant improvements has been in the packing process. With Rentman, crew members can now access detailed packing lists that ensure every piece of equipment is tracked before it leaves the warehouse.
The platform also automates the work for crew members, reducing the likelihood of human error. As a result, packing mistakes have been significantly reduced, ensuring that events run smoothly and their clients receive the equipment they need.
On top of that, the warehouse team can view the status of all equipment, what’s in the warehouse, what’s out in the field, and what’s due to return. This means that every piece of equipment can be monitored from the moment it leaves the warehouse until it is returned, significantly reducing the risk of loss or damage.
“The equipment module is so much better. A thousand times better. Being able to define what content should be in the case is great.”
Rentman’s user-friendly interface made it easy for their freelancers to follow packing lists, clock in and out, and track the equipment they are responsible for. This has led to fewer mistakes and a smoother workflow, making the job easier and more efficient for everyone involved.
Keith also shared his appreciation for the latest updates of Rentman, and how easy it is to customize the platform to his liking. To him, customization is crucial, especially considering the volatility of the industry.
“I think that giving companies the ability to be flexible with their equipment is huge. We don't live in a regiment industry. We live in an industry of, ‘I gotta have it, I need it now. Get it here as soon as possible.’ “
The bottom line
Before Rentman, Sacramento Production Services, Inc. faced numerous challenges in managing its growing inventory, freelance talent pool, and business profits. Today, Rentman has addressed these challenges, providing a solution that increases visibility and traceability to the warehouse team and simplifies tasks for their group of freelancers.
As they continue to expand and evolve, Rentman is a key part of their operations, helping them meet the demands of a volatile industry. Thanks, Keith, for your great insights!
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