Getting started with Rentman can feel like a mountain to climb - but with this guide, it is a well-marked trail.
Why planning matters
Many companies start Rentman with great enthusiasm, and rightly so. But without a clear structure, something familiar tends to happen: a project comes up, focus slips, and before you know it, you have lost track of where you were.
Rentman is powerful software, but that power comes with a flip side: there is quite a bit to set up. The key is to break that work into manageable chunks, be realistic about how much time you have, and allow yourself small wins along the way.
Step 1: Set a realistic timeline
Before you touch a single setting in Rentman, do something else first: open your calendar. The biggest pitfall is not that Rentman is complicated - it is that people don’t schedule time for it.
Plan based on two scenarios, depending on what your schedule looks like:
| Scenario | Situation | Timeline | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scenario A | Few projects planned | 6 to 10 weeks | Your calendar has relatively open space, your database is reasonably tidy, and you can block a few fixed hours each week. This is the ideal scenario for going live quickly. |
| Scenario B | Busy project period | 10 to 16 weeks | You have major events planned, your database needs cleaning, or you can only free up limited time. That’s perfectly fine — but be honest about it upfront, so you don’t set unrealistic expectations. |
Step 2: Bring your team in from the start
Introducing a new way of working is more than just setting up software - it is also a change for the people around you. If colleagues are not involved in the decisions you make, you risk them disengaging later, or the system ending up used only by you.
Talk with your team early in the process: how do we work now, and how do we want to work going forward? Which parts of the workflow matter most to everyone? By involving colleagues in the thinking, you build buy-in and gain better insight into how Rentman can best be set up for your company.
Also designate one person as the implementation lead - someone who tracks progress and acts as the point of contact for the team. That can be you, but it does not have to be.
Step 3: The five phases of your implementation
A solid Rentman implementation has five clear phases. Work through them in order - each phase builds on the previous one.
| Phase | Focus | Timing | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Preparation & orientation | Week 1–2 | Explore the software, browse the articles in the Support Center, and write down which modules are relevant for your business. |
| 2 | Building your database | Week 2–6 | This is usually the most work. Enter your equipment, clients, and crew. If you have an existing database (e.g. in Excel or another system), this is the time to clean it up and import it. |
| 3 | Setting up your processes | Week 5–8 | Configure your document templates, set up your quoting process, and arrange your planning workflow. This is the phase where Rentman truly becomes your Rentman. Take time with your templates - you’ll use them every day. |
| 4 | Testing & entering live projects | Week 8–10 | Create test projects and run through your full workflow from quote to invoice. Does everything check out? Then enter your active projects — the ones you want live when you make the switch. Close this phase with a go/no-go decision with the whole team. |
| 5 | Go live | From week 10 | You go live. That doesn’t mean everything is perfect and it does not need to be. Rentman will keep evolving, and so will you. You can always adjust, expand, and refine. Perfect is the enemy of good. |
- Phase 1: Start by mapping out your current workflow — how do you create a quote today, how do you track equipment? Don’t dive straight into all the possibilities Rentman offers. First understand how you work now, then see how Rentman fits into that.
- Phase 2: Start by entering all individual items — each piece of equipment on its own. Only then move on to combinations, kits, and bundles. This gives you a solid foundation before you build the connections.
- Phase 4: Set a fixed deadline in the calendar for the go/no-go decision. Working toward it as a team keeps everyone sharp and prevents the implementation from dragging on indefinitely.
Step 4: Avoid the three biggest pitfalls
Step 5: What you actually need at go-live (optional)
Not everything needs to be ready on day one. If you want or need to go live quickly, it’s completely fine to leave certain things for later. Here’s what truly needs to work before you go live:
- Your equipment is in the system (at minimum, your core inventory).
- You can create a project and send a quote.
- Your basic templates for quotes and invoices are set up.
- Your company details and logo are correctly configured.
- You’ve tested one complete workflow from start to finish.
Going live faster and deliberately leaving some things out? Then it’s worth planning a training session or consult. You’ll get targeted advice on which choices make the most sense for your situation — without having to backtrack later.
Things that can wait: advanced reports, integrations with other software, migrating all your historical data. It’ll all come — just don’t let it delay your start.
Need help? You are not alone
| Resource | What you’ll find there |
|---|---|
| Support Center | In-depth articles on every part of Rentman. Available 24/7, free for all customers. |
| Support | Stuck on something? Our support team is there to help via chat or email. |
| Training & consult | Prefer personal guidance? We offer training sessions and consultations — individually or for your team. Ideal if you want to get started quickly, make informed decisions about what to set up (and what not to), or simply want to talk things through. |
| Professional Services | Complex requirements or a large database? Our Professional Services team provides full hands-on guidance, from planning to go-live. |
A final word: give yourself the time
An implementation is not a sprint - it is a project. And like any project, it goes better when you plan well, are realistic about your capacity, involve your team, and ask for help when you get stuck.