Using technology and processes to address the retail sector’s asset management challenges

Retail branch managers have a broad set of responsibilities. Some of these responsibilities include staff management, keeping optimal stock levels and ensuring that the branch expenditures stay within budget. Ultimately, the retail manager’s responsibility is to create and maintain a welcoming and satisfying experience for customers. Maintenance is part and parcel of this important customer experience. Having a well-ventilated store with the right room temperature, lights and signage on, and fridges and ovens maintaining their required temperature is all dependent on correct maintenance tactics and processes.

A fit for purpose maintenance approach with the right information at hand is imperative for keeping critical assets going and making sure that less critical assets are maintained to curb loss of stock that could potentially result in significant damage.

So, the question is, how can we facilitate better decision making at ground level to prevent failures and save money?

Solution: streamlining retail business operations and efficiency

The ideal solution must be structured around your operation, the criticality of assets and the effect on your operation when they fail, and the processes and technologies that you already have in place.

To start with, it is essential to have all your equipment recorded in a well-structured asset register. A comprehensive Asset Identification and Verification (AIV) project is required to gather and verify the asset information before configuring the asset details in your Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system. To keep the asset register accurate, relevant, and up to date, you will need an asset register business process. This will also help enforce an agreed standard when adding, updating or removing any assets.

With On Key’s Asset Register, you can create a detailed asset registry combined with internal and external parts and support descriptions. You can also define and maintain hierarchical and list-based asset and component structures. Assets can be linked to asset types from where commonality can be defined and configuration inherited.

Managing maintenance costs

The three cost components of general maintenance work are labour, material and travel. An efficient call logging and work management system is incredibly beneficial in accurately measuring these factors. Onsite personnel can immediately log a fault when one is identified and provide the internal maintenance team or contractors who will perform the work with all the necessary information to adequately prepare for the job. The system should be able to support quick feedback on completed work to eliminate an unnecessary administrative burden.

Other challenges that digitalised processes can streamline are internal communication regarding approval of work and payments, and the efficient management of contractors or internal maintenance staff.

Work management based on optimal contractor management

Pragma’s work management process has been developed in alignment with our Contractor Management business process. Contractors manage and administrate their work on the central contractor portal and upload their invoices and documents on your work orders themselves, reducing the administration for your team. Standard rates and travel distances are agreed upon and managed by the system to ensure contractors charge accordingly, saving on costs. This digitalised approach allows the retail sector to seamlessly adapt to the use of technology and automation.

Pragma’s scalable solutions built on industry experience

Pragma’s solutions are scalable, and when we partner with you, we work closely with you to scope the mission-critical functions which must be performed to secure sustainable facility and asset management. Whether you have the internal capacity to perform these responsibilities or need a support service, or even a fully outsourced solution, we are ready to scope your custom requirement with you. Over the years, we have gained a wealth of in-depth experience and understanding with differently sized clients in the retail sector, and we are well-positioned to assist you as well.

Massmart: a prime example of using technology to gain proper maintenance insights

Massmart had the vision to digitalise facility and asset management processes, increase control over cost, and increase efficiencies. Pragma was contracted to implement the On Key EAM system and streamline the workflow process to simplify facilities and assets management.

A Pragma partnership is more than just an outsourced solution. Speak to one of our retail specialists for more about maintenance management for the retail industry.