Managed solution transactions take hold

Managed solution transactions (MST) or MST-like structures are becoming a major new offering of equipment leasing and finance companies and are very likely to continue growing as a proportion of US equipment leasing volumes, according to a new research study released by the Equipment Leasing and Finance foundation.

The study, conducted by the Alta Group under a Foundation research grant, sought to research, analyze, and report on the impact of MSTs. These combine equipment with services into a single “bundle” that enables customers to make use of third-party service providers in order to avoid the hazards and obligations of equipment ownership, and realize the benefits of aligning their costs more closely with their business demands through more flexible payment, pricing, termination, and re-financing terms.

The report, Managed Solutions: Evolutionary or Revolutionary examines these market drivers that will provide material growth and investment return opportunities for industry participants.

The findings indicate that MSTs will continue to grow organically along a continuum of increasingly “bundled” equipment, financing, and services. They present growth opportunities for captive, bank and independent lessors across a wide variety of industries.

“The research confirms that managed solutions will be major drivers for the growth and composition of the industry moving forward. In fact, The Alta Group estimates that MSTs in the next three to five years could generate 22% or more of total equipment leasing and finance industry volumes,” said Alta CEO John Deane. “Every leasing organization has the potential to benefit from this development, as there will be many opportunities in the marketplace to leverage MSTs for growth.”

However, the research highlights that MSTs require a fair amount of rethinking and retooling of many individual industry practices, disciplines, and functions which comprise the overall business of providing equipment leasing and financing services today.

“The rapid growth of managed solutions is an important strategic trend in commercial finance. The Foundation has undertaken significant, rigorous research on this topic. This Foundation study represents the most comprehensive analysis of managed solutions completed to date by any independent party,” said Bill Verhelle, chairman of the Foundation board of trustees.

Managed Solutions: Evolutionary or Revolutionary is available for free download through the Foundation website at http://www.store.leasefoundation.org/cgi-bin/msascartdll.dll/ProductInfo?productcd=MST2016.