Introduction
Co-founded by Mike and Eleanor in 2022, Owen’s Outfitters is a medical equipment lending library located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It is dedicated to providing free donated medical equipment to families in need. Their programs focus on obtaining essential medical supplies more efficiently, supporting critically ill children and their families via humanitarian trips, and providing tangible solutions to healthcare barriers.
Inspired by a similar service in Wisconsin, Mike and Eleanor recognized the lack of such an organization in their community and took action. In their first year, they processed over $500,000 worth of donated medical equipment, making a life-changing impact on hundreds of needy families.
Mike manages the day-to-day operations, and Eleanor handles administrative tasks. Together, they rely on volunteers and efficient systems to keep things running smoothly.
They sought EZRentOut to get help with managing donations, tracking inventory, and streamlining operations.
Challenges before EZRentOut
Before implementing EZRentOut, Owen’s Outfitters faced several operational challenges. It was difficult for them to keep track of donated medical equipment, especially when it came to handling large volumes of donations across multiple sources.
Training volunteers to manage inventory efficiently was becoming time-consuming and leading to errors due to the lack of a streamlined process. They also wanted to expand to multiple locations across the Midwest while having visibility across different sites. However, financials needed to remain separate due to different funding sources.
They realized that they needed a better way to generate reports that would show stakeholders the impact of their work and secure funding.
How EZRentOut helped overcome challenges
EZRentOut provided the tools Owen’s Outfitters needed to streamline its operations and prepare for future growth. The web store integration within the equipment rental software provided real-time inventory updates, helping staff and customers know exactly what equipment is available. This not only saved time but also reduced confusion. The software simplified the process of volunteer onboarding. With the EZRentOut mobile app, the volunteers could sort and manage donations. The intuitive interface of the mobile app helped volunteers quickly learn the system and start contributing effectively.
Mike and Eleanor used customizable reports to track the estimated retail and Medicare value of donations. These reports helped demonstrate the foundation’s impact to stakeholders and secure funding grants.
Volunteers could quickly check web orders, process walk-in donations, and prepare equipment for pickup. Custom fields in EZRentOut allowed them to track specific data points, such as the value of each donation.
Biggest wins with EZRentOut
Owen’s Outfitters has seen significant benefits from using EZRentOut. On being asked about how many donations (in terms of dollars) they processed using our equipment rental software, Mike responded,
“In our first year, we processed over $500,000 worth of donated medical equipment.”
This was made possible with the help of EZRentOut’s inventory tracking and web store features.
The web store integration kept inventory updated in real-time, making it easier for customers to see what was available and reducing back-and-forth communication. The mobile app simplified inventory management, making volunteer onboarding faster and reducing errors. Custom reports provided clear data on the foundation’s operations, helping them show impact to donors, grant providers, and stakeholders.
Goals for the future
Owen’s Outfitters has ambitious plans to expand its reach and impact. In the future, they aim to open new locations in the Midwest, starting with Minnesota, to serve more families in need. They want to leverage EZRentOut’s multi-store features to share inventory across locations while maintaining separate accounting for each site. Ultimately, they want to scale operations from helping hundreds of families to serving millions, ensuring that no one is denied medical equipment due to cost.
The future with EZRentOut
Mike and Eleanor are optimistic about the future with EZRentOut. As they expand, they plan to continue leveraging the platform’s features to manage inventory seamlessly across multiple locations. They are confident that EZRentOut’s flexibility, mobile capabilities, and reporting tools will support their growth in the long run.
With the help of EZRentOut, Owen’s Outfitters is poised to build a network of locations that can share specialized medical equipment while maintaining financial transparency and efficiency. They’re excited to bring their mission of providing free medical equipment to more communities, ensuring that everyone has access to the care they need.
