United Rentals unlocks $1B revenue potential with AI and IoT-powered app

Challenge

Managing tool rental for 500,000+ customers in 6 countries

United Rentals serves construction and industrial customers through one of the world’s largest and most connected equipment rental networks. As customer expectations for visibility, speed and operational intelligence grow, the company identified an opportunity to enhance its managed tool offering with AI and IoT-enabled capabilities.

On complex jobsites, United Rentals deploys managed tool trailers and mobile tool locations staffed by dedicated coordinators who oversee tool distribution, tracking, and reporting for customers. The company wanted to create a faster, more seamless experience for workers accessing tools while giving coordinators and project leaders deeper operational visibility into tool usage, availability and accountability.

"The existing process already delivered strong operational performance, but we saw an opportunity to innovate operations for our customers using AI and IoT," said Chris Bullock, Director of Business Systems at United Rentals. "We wanted to create a more connected, intelligent experience that improves productivity, strengthens visibility, and helps customers keep projects moving."

Solution

A scalable digital foundation built for future-proof operations

Following United Rentals’ acquisition of YAK MAT, a leader in the North American matting industry, the company saw an opportunity to expand proven digital innovation across other business areas. United Rentals was particularly impressed by YAK MAT’s custom software suite. Built on OutSystems with support from valantic, this suite included a powerful inventory management solution that enhanced operational visibility and execution.

United Rentals then tasked Chris Bullock, formerly CIO at YAK MAT, with integrating and scaling these capabilities within the broader United Rentals ecosystem, including connecting them to the company’s core ERP platform. Working alongside valantic, Chris and his team successfully delivered the complex integration project on schedule, creating a strong digital foundation for future innovation.

Building on that success, United Rentals selected OutSystems to accelerate the next evolution of its managed tool operations.

Chris and his team delivered the solution in just four months, half the time estimated by traditional development teams, and at approximately one-third of the projected cost.

An AI and IoT-enabled platform designed around customer experience

The resulting solution, "Tool Manager", is a web and native mobile solution that works in parallel with United Rentals’ ERP system to support managed tool operations at scale.

The platform integrates with United Rentals’ IoT-enabled jobsite containers to create a faster and frictionless tool management experience. By connecting cameras, RFID technology, and Bluetooth sensors, the system automatically tracks tool activity when workers badge into a container, improving visibility, accountability, and efficiency.

"In addition to valantic, we partnered closely with our internal Advanced Solutions Group, whose expertise was instrumental in delivering the IoT features," Chris added.

The application also delivers real-time operational visibility into tool movements and jobsite activity while integrating with third-party systems through AWS SQS, Lambda and serverless technologies.

United Rentals also developed an AI-powered assistant using OutSystems to further improve the customer experience. The AI agent analyzes rental histories and operational data to generate concise, natural-language summaries for managers, helping teams quickly access insights without manually searching through data. The solution also enables users to create customized dashboards and automate reporting workflows through the OutSystems data grid component.

Results

Achieving zero tool loss through connected intelligence

With the new "Tool Manager" built on OutSystems, customers can check out tools or purchase consumables on the jobsite within seconds, keeping their craft on the jobsite and their productivity high.

This efficiency also prevents tool loss. Through RFID, QR labels and IoT, the company has real-time visibility over rented tools, protecting its assets and ensuring they are always available.

"In our industry, contractors often have to replace 30% or more tools during a project. We did a pilot with a large mechanical contractor that saw 0% tool loss over a 30-week period when using Tools Manager," shared Chris.

"Tools Manager" is now playing a critical role in supporting United Rentals’ ambitious $1 billion revenue target based on the tool’s market performance.

Beyond this solution, United Rentals continues to expand its connected operations ecosystem with additional applications built on OutSystems. The list includes UR Mat Tracker, a back-office, driver and customer platform that enables field teams to manage inventory, track loads, inspect and grade returned mats, and streamline quoting workflows during temporary roadway projects. An AI agent, MATTi, further enhances operational visibility by summarizing location data and Bills of Lading.