Five years ago, Arrow Rental and Supply was nothing more than an internal shop, handling tools, materials, and equipment for projects under a single general contractor. Like many companies in the construction space, we relied on internal systems, spreadsheets, and workarounds to manage assets and handle job site needs. At the time, our setup worked. But as the company evolved, so did the expectations, and our software couldn’t keep up.
We knew we needed more than a basic CMMS. What we were really after was a system that could handle the full life cycle of internal and external rentals, including cost tracking, maintenance, billing, and reporting all under one roof.
Here’s how our journey unfolded and why the solution we landed on wasn’t just about maintenance, but about building a platform for growth.
When Arrow Rental and Supply was first established, it operated like many internal equipment groups within construction firms focused solely on tracking tools and materials for internal projects. As a support department within a larger general contractor, their needs were simple: keep tabs on assets, monitor usage, and ensure job sites had what they needed.
To do that, the team used a small tool tracking product, something lightweight and purpose-built for internal logistics. And for a while, it worked. But as the business matured and took on a more strategic role, it became clear they had outgrown that system.
Moving Beyond a Tool Shop
Over time, Arrow Rental and Supply began to shift from a back-end support function into a standalone business unit. They formalized their structure, created a customer service–oriented culture, and started treating internal job sites as clients—with an eye toward eventually serving external customers as well.
That transition introduced a layer of complexity that basic tool tracking software couldn’t handle.
They needed to:
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Track and bill equipment costs internally to job codes and departments
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Quote, rent, and invoice equipment externally like a traditional rental company
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Manage maintenance and inspections in a way that aligned with asset planning
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Enforce financial controls, including max cap thresholds on internal charges
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Consolidate internal and external operations into one seamless workflow
The original tool tracking software, while helpful early on, lacked the flexibility and financial logic to support this hybrid business model.
A Misstep in Implementation
After realizing their current system wouldn’t scale with them, the Arrow Rental team began searching for a more comprehensive solution. They researched extensively, attended the American Rental Association conference, and consulted with peers in the industry.
Their first attempt at switching systems didn’t go as planned.
The vendor they selected promised internal and external rental capabilities but once implementation began, critical gaps became apparent. The system couldn’t properly support max cap billing, internal workflows were clunky, and external processes weren’t intuitive. Despite initial confidence, the solution failed to meet expectations.
Why RentalResult Was the Right Fit
Following that failed implementation, the team revisited a platform they had evaluated early in the process: RentalResult.
What stood out was that RentalResult was specifically designed for companies that operate in both internal and external equipment environments like Arrow Rental. It could support everything from internal cost allocation to customer-facing invoicing, all while managing fleet maintenance and utilization in a single system.
Some of the key capabilities that mattered most:
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Built-in max cap logic to ensure internal charges stop once cost thresholds are met
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Unified rental workflows that serve both internal teams and third-party clients
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Integrated CMMS functionality for inspections, service, and maintenance
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Scalability to support Arrow’s growth plans—already 5x in recent years
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Data visibility and reporting across all rental activity, internal and external
With leadership aligned and lessons learned from the previous rollout, Arrow Rental moved forward with RentalResult and began preparing for go-live.
Looking Ahead
Today, Arrow Rental is positioned not just as a shop that tracks tools, but as a full-service rental operation ready to scale. By replacing their outdated tool tracking software with a robust platform built for hybrid construction businesses, they’ve unlocked new efficiency, tighter cost control, and a clearer path to long-term growth.
Their journey is a common one in the industry: a small team starts with the right-size tool for the moment, but as operations grow more complex, they need something more powerful.
For Arrow Rental, the turning point was recognizing that they’d outgrown their original system and finding a platform that could support not just where they were, but where they wanted to go next.
Interested in how other construction companies are building scalable rental operations?
Learn more about RentalResult and what it takes to manage internal and external rentals on one platform. Explore RentalResult →
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