Research Seminar - May 12, 2000

Seminar Announcement

Abstract

RENTSMART (www.rentsmart.com.au)

"RentSmart knew where it wanted to be. Xpedior showed us how we could get there with the kind of strategies that would best realize our vision. It's been a true partnership." Neil Le Febvre, RentSmart Public Relations

Business Challenge
Creating the Concept of Computer Rentals

Traditionally an Australian business in the market for computer equipment had one alternative to the outright purchase æ a lease. But inevitably, leasing was a time-consuming process.

Three and a half years ago, RentSmart set out to change the dynamics of the market by introducing an alternative æ offering the business customer the opportunity to rent the equipment they were about to purchase. The first service of its kind to go into the retail environment, RentSmart made it possible to initiate and complete the approval and financing process at point of sale.

RentSmart executive Ned Montarello realized that providing even shorter turnaround times and simpler point of sale processing was necessary ­ the goal was an integrated web-based process. He wanted to become "the rental CyberCash of online retailing in Australia and Asia." The business objective was to boost the Company's rental contract volume exponentially without a proportional increase in personnel.

Xpedior's Solution
RentSmart and Xpedior Team Up

The Xpedior Process -Imagine-Define-Architect-Build-Deliver- is used to deliver reliable solutions in rapid timeframes. This process was used to achieve RentSmart's business objectives.

During the Imagine stage, Xpedior suggested a truly 'distributed' n-tier architecture that would support RentSmart's business needs today and into the future. This solution would eliminate volume caps, and provide the flexibility for the system to be seamlessly Web-enabled.

In light of the aggressive timeline and criticality of the system, Xpedior architected the solution using their SCAFFOLDS™ for Forté framework (one of Xpedior's eBusiness Xpediators products).

Innovation
Total Redesign/Redevelopment Automation

In nine months, the RentSmart/Xpedior team transformed what was once a manual process into a fully automated, state-of-the-art eFinance solution. By integrating the new distributed back-end with a Web-based front-end, the system is scalable and flexible to achieve market penetration from a number of sources.

Results
A Streamlined Process Benefits Both Customers and Retailers