ERA outlines roadmap for AI adoption in rental

The European Rental Association (ERA), in collaboration with KPMG Strategy, has released a new report - ‘From Digitalisation to AI‘ - exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can transform the equipment rental industry.

Building on ERA’s long-term work on digitalisation, the study identifies 40 relevant AI use cases across all business functions, from fleet management and maintenance to sales, finance, and HR, showing how AI can boost efficiency, safety, and customer experience.

Among these, fleet management optimisation, predictive maintenance, inventory planning, and dynamic pricing emerge as the most strategic opportunities for rental companies. The report also highlights ‘quick wins’, such as customer chatbots, delivery-route optimisation and cybersecurity tools, which can be implemented with relatively low investment.

The analysis draws on input from 17 experts from 10 European rental companies, as well as insights gathered during ERA’s Convention workshop. It provides practical recommendations for implementation, including governance, data management, risk mitigation, and cultural change.

ERA and KPMG conclude that AI is not a distant goal but an accessible tool for companies of all sizes, provided they start with clear objectives and high-quality data.

The full report can be downloaded here.