Software Selection Advisory
Express + Custom · independence rule (no referral fees from vendors)
For operators at peak pain who want someone independent to tell them which platform to buy. The perfect platform doesn't exist — this service is about picking the best trade-off for your stage and priorities, not finding the “best” answer.
The independence rule
We accept no referral fees from vendors for selection recommendations. Ever. Independence is the product. If we did, every recommendation would be suspect — and the only operators we'd serve are the ones who haven't figured that out.
Four failure modes we exist to prevent
- 1Bought on the demo — the team that demos best wins, not the platform that fits best.
- 2Bought for today, not for Stage 3 — the platform that handles Stage 1 ops chokes 18 months later when fleet doubles.
- 3Owner decided alone — the people who will actually live in the software get one demo and a vote that no one counts.
- 4No independent evaluator — vendor sales engineers do the requirements analysis. The output is a requirements list shaped to their product.
The three-phase engagement
1 · Discovery
Operations audit. Requirements drawn from your team — the people who'll live in the software, not just the owner.
2 · Evaluation
Weighted matrix scored against your requirements. Shortlist of 3–5 platforms. Demo script tailored to each vendor — we ask the questions they'd rather not answer.
3 · Decision
Recommendation with the trade-offs named explicitly. Negotiation support if you take the Custom tier. Hand-off into Implementation PM when the contract is signed.
Pricing
Express advisory
$2,500· 5 days
Structured diagnostic against your operation. 90-min requirements call · weighted comparison matrix · scored shortlist · clear recommendation. Improves with every additional review in the directory — the data feeding the algorithm gets sharper every month.
Custom advisory
Contact for scope· 3–6 weeks
For multi-location, multi-software operators with deeper selection criteria — or when demo management and contract negotiation are part of the engagement. Quoted on scope after a discovery call; complexity, locations, and integration depth all factor in.
Market comparison: typical IT advisory firm charges $4,500–9,000 for equivalent scope. RentalWise lands lower because the rental vertical specialism means less discovery overhead — the requirements work doesn’t start from scratch.
Book the requirements call
90 minutes, scoped to your stage and decision timeline. The output of the call is whether Express or Custom is the right tier for you.
Email to enquire