Client:Speedy Hire
Region:Europe
Industry:Transportation & Logistics
Speedy Hire improves equipment availability with AI-driven inventory optimization
1 hour vs 1 week
planning time reduced for determining where equipment should be located across the depot network
4% inventory savings
lower inventory levels while maintaining service coverage across depots
8% more demand coverage
greater ability to meet customer demand with optimized equipment placement
Client Overview
Speedy Hire is one of the United Kingdom’s largest providers of tools, equipment, and support services for the construction, infrastructure, and industrial sectors. With thousands of assets circulating across a nationwide depot network, the company must constantly balance equipment availability with fluctuating customer demand.
Unlike traditional retail inventory, rental equipment moves continuously between customers and depots. Tools are returned, inspected, repaired, and redeployed before being rented again. Managing this complex cycle while ensuring equipment is available where customers need it requires accurate forecasting and fast operational decision making.
Improving equipment availability with AI-driven demand forecasting
Speedy Hire implemented AI-driven inventory optimization technology from Peak—now part of the UiPath Platform™—to help predict customer demand and determine the optimal distribution of equipment across its depot network.
The solution analyzes historical rental data, operational patterns, and asset availability to recommend where tools should be located to best meet demand.
By embedding AI directly into operational workflows, Speedy Hire can make faster and more informed inventory decisions. The technology quickly became embedded in key areas of the business, helping teams respond more effectively to demand fluctuations while improving asset utilization across the network.
The success of the initial inventory optimization initiative also led Speedy Hire to expand into additional AI-driven use cases, including pricing optimization—helping the company determine the best pricing strategies across different customer segments to improve margins.
Our growth strategy is based on increasing revenues and ROCE. Peak is yielding results while supporting our near and long-term strategies.
Mark Sutherland, CEO, Speedy Hire
Outcomes:
Better equipment availability across the network AI-driven demand predictions help ensure the right tools are positioned in the right depots so customers can access equipment when and where they need it
Faster, more confident operational decision making AI recommendations enable teams to quickly determine where equipment should be located—reducing planning time and improving responsiveness to changing demand
Improved inventory efficiency and asset utilization optimizing where assets are deployed allows Speedy Hire to reduce overall inventory levels while still increasing demand coverage
Additional resources:
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