Options appraisal
Four routes, scored honestly — including where a tailored build is the weaker choice.
inspHire (now Klipboard) and Point of Rental are good products. The question isn't whether they work, it's whether renting someone else's model of rental beats owning one shaped around Eventmen.
| Criterion | Stay on TSS | inspHire / Klipboard | Point of Rental | Tailored cloud build |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost model What you pay, and what it does as you grow | Sunk cost, ongoing support fee | Per-user subscription, indefinitely | Per-user subscription, indefinitely | Build cost up front, low hosting after |
Fit to event hire Chalets, stalls, fencing bays, bespoke structures | Modelled years ago, worked around since | Strong rental core, plant-hire flavoured | Broad rental feature set, US-first | Modelled around your exact product range |
Xero integration How deep the accounting link actually goes | Export and re-key | Standard connector, invoice-level | Standard connector, invoice-level | Two-way contacts, invoices, credits, payments |
Mobile / on-site use What the crew can do away from the office | Desk-bound | Mobile apps available, extra modules | Mobile apps available, extra modules | Mobile-first by design, included |
Data ownership Who holds your twenty years of history | On your server, in their format | Vendor platform, export on request | Vendor platform, export on request | Your database, full export any time |
Speed to change Adding a product line or a pricing rule | Vendor release cycle | Configuration within their model | Configuration within their model | Days, on your priority order |
Implementation risk Honest read — this is where a build costs you | None — nothing changes | Well-trodden implementation path | Well-trodden implementation path | Needs discovery, phasing and a parallel run |
The short version
Buy a package if…
- You want a proven system live quickly with vendor support behind it.
- Your processes are close enough to standard rental to bend to the product.
- You'd rather have a predictable subscription than a project.
Build tailored if…
- Your edge is the bespoke, flexible work packages handle badly.
- You want the Xero link deep enough to delete the re-keying entirely.
- You intend to keep changing — and want change to cost days, not releases.