Baseplan

Background

Founded in 1986, Baseplan Software Group was established with a vision to provide the rental, fleet, dealership and construction industries with a comprehensive ERP solution designed specifically for their needs.

Over the past 30 years, Baseplan has established itself as a prominent force in the ERP software sector, assisting equipment rental businesses all over the world in streamlining operations and taking their organisation to the next level.

The decision to join Omegro

While looking for an acquirer, Baseplan had conversations with over 25 potential buyers ranging from private equity to strategic acquirers in the ERP space but saw a stronger fit with Omegro. What stood out was the opportunity to find a permanent home for the business, while keeping leadership and accountability close to Baseplan and gaining access to Omegro’s Operating System of playbooks, people development and global peer network.

Ultimately, Omegro’s ability to trust leaders to make the best decisions for their business and empower them to continue operating autonomously was the key differentiator for Baseplan. Unlike many other buyers, Omegro is a buy-and-hold forever acquirer, enabling leaders to make decisions that are best for the business in the long-term.

“At Omegro, there is a strong sense of independence, giving us the autonomy to continue building the business as we wanted”. – Chris McArthur, CEO, Baseplan

Equally important to the previous owner was ensuring a secure future for Baseplan’s employees following the acquisition.

Post-acquisition success

Post-acquisition, McArthur and the Baseplan team have enjoyed leveraging the support of a larger organisation, while continuing to grow as an independent business unit. Because Omegro has a highly decentralized structure, the Baseplan leadership team upholds the responsibility to deliver on the goals they have assigned for the business. Since the acquisition in 2018, the company has been able to achieve its healthiest financial position and lowest customer attrition rate.

McArthur notes that Baseplan has been able to position being a part of Omegro (backed by Constellation Software Inc. CSU: TSX), as an upside for security and reduced risk for customers. This advantage allows senior leadership to maintain a long-term perspective of the business as opposed to being driven by short-term cash judgments. The financial backing of Constellation Software Inc. helps promote organic growth at Baseplan, providing more security for both employees and customers. In fact, due to the improved health of the business since the acquisition, Baseplan has seen an improvement in employee retention. In addition to building out their product offering, Baseplan has been able to expand their workforce both onshore and offshore.

Omegro fosters a culture where networking and best practice sharing among employees is critically important to the success of our businesses. Baseplan team members have access to the broader portfolio network to share and learn from other companies both within and outside of the equipment rental market. McArthur has personally found success in engaging in Omegro’s network by asking questions and sharing resources with other business leaders across the group.

Looking to the future, McArthur is focused on growing and improving the Baseplan business based on continuous feedback from customers that will help position the business for long-term growth.

“We can learn from other companies in the Omegro portfolio and bring that learning into our businesses, which provides us the opportunity to learn and expand both geographically and operationally. We couldn’t do that as a private entity.” – Chris McArthur, CEO, Baseplan

As the business continues to grow, McArthur hopes to further expand Baseplan's global footprint beyond Australia and specifically looks forward to building a stronger presence the United States. McArthur is also eager to grow via acquisition of other software businesses to expand the equipment rental portfolio. These initiatives will help grow Baseplan’s presence across the globe and to continue to be a market leader in the equipment rental industry. Omegro will support these growth goals by sharing best practices and resources every step of the way.