Unfiltered with Brian McBroom: AV Rental Runs on Precision. So Why Are So Many Operators Questioning Their Systems?

AV, lighting and broadcast rental doesn't leave much room for delay. Shows start when they start, and your equipment has to work the moment it arrives.

I recently reviewed new benchmark data from rental operators across North America, and one trend stood out immediately. Most operators say they've got a handle on day-to-day operations, but only about a quarter feel confident that their system will support them as things get busier or more complex. That's a big deal, especially in an industry built around split-second timing.

Why This Isn’t Surprising

Look at how these businesses actually book jobs and the uncertainty starts to make sense. Most small and mid-sized operators get the bulk of their bookings on the same day, with little warning. Larger operators have a bit more lead time but plans still regularly shift later on.

That kind of pace puts a lot of pressure on turnaround – how quickly equipment can move from off rent back to rent ready. The faster that happens, the more last-minute demand a business can accommodate. Interestingly, smaller operators tend to turn equipment around faster than larger ones, one of the few places where less scale works in a business's favor.

Technology plays an important role too. Financial systems are generally well connected, but inventory, route optimization and asset tracking often sit in the "good enough" category rather than providing complete operational visibility. The systems talk to each other, but not always in real time, which means someone is usually double-checking behind the scenes.

How It All Comes Together

Eventually, these gaps reach the customer. Delivery delays are by far the most common complaint operators hear, ahead of pricing or equipment quality. Revenue takes a hit too: excess usage and billing errors account for close to a third of unbilled or underbilled rentals, usually because something that happened in the field never quite made it back into the system before the invoice went out.

None of these gaps indicate one broken piece. They point to systems built to keep the business running day to day, not necessarily built for how fast and unforgiving this industry can be.

That's exactly why benchmarking matters. Understanding how other rental businesses are responding to these challenges is often the first step towards identifying opportunities to improve your own operation.

Take a look at the full benchmark data to see how your business compares.