Video: Lawson adds to ERP software

By Helen Wright09 June 2011

Lawson was showcasing its latest enterprise resource planning (ERP) software at the International Rental Exhibition in Amsterdam.

Industry marketing director Julian Archer told IRN that demand for ERP software was increasing in the rental sector, and Lawson's Equipment Service Management & Rental package was invaluable in supporting key business areas including finance, procurement, business intelligence, and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul).

In addition to its Equipment Service Management & Rental solution, Lawson also introduced two new products at the show - Equipment Quotation Management (EQM), and Equipment Customer Portal (ECP).

EQM brings together quotations, maintenance contracts and service agreements in one, fully-integrated system, while ECP offers an online portal to customers, enabling purchase and order tracking as well as access to service agreements.

"We have certainly noticed an upturn in the number of people looking for software solutions in rental," Mr Archer said. "Companies are recognising that the limitations of their current systems need to be smoothed out in order to meet the demand for access to business information anywhere in the world."

The International Rental Exhibition (IRE) and European Rental Association (ERA) convention, are being held in Amsterdam at the RAI exhibition centre.

Besides Lawson around 80 companies are exhibiting at the IRE show, including JCB, Terex Construction, Volvo, Atlas Copco, Haulotte, Wacker Neuson and Hilti.

Exhibitors have an enormous range of tools, equipment and technology, all targeted at rental companies, including compact earthmoving equipment, power tools/hand-held tools, pumps, generators, compressors and rental software systems, on their stands.

Rental IT is a definite theme at the show, with more than 10 companies demonstrating rental software or rental IT technology. For an up-to-date list of the exhibitors, see the show website: www.IREshow.com

Participants in the ERA's convention, meanwhile, include Michael Kneeland, CEO of United Rentals, and Alan Blake, CEO of JCB. Senior executives from Ramirent, Harsco, Boels, Loxam, Manitou, Volvo, Cramo, Riwal, HSS, MVS Zeppelin, A-Plant and Lavendon also take part in the seminars and workshops.

Visit www.erarental.org for more details

For those of you who use Twitter, you can now link to a dedicated IRE show Twitter feed, which will bring the latest news on the show direct to your Twitter account.

And, during the event, you'll also get up to the second Tweets from the show floor itself.

You will find IRE's Twitter feed at the following address: @IREshow and the hash tag for the show is #IREShow. The hash tag allows you to see what others are Tweeting about the show and to add your own Tweets too.

KHL journalists at the event will be tweeting comments, quotes, photos and interesting facts during the show.

In addition to the Twitter feed, IRN will be producing two e-newsletters from the show on the Wednesday and the Thursday and will be regularly updating its website with breaking news stories.