Pet Retailer Wins Big - Cuts Energy Use and Service Calls

Major specialty retail chains contending with multiple building automation systems across thousands of locations are hard-pressed to reduce energy effectively. Facility and energy managers need powerful software to pull building data together and apply insightful analytics to manage energy at an enterprise level. Learn how a major retail chain used PhoenixET solutions to drastically reduce energy use and building complaint calls across 1,400+ locations while still achieving a strong ROI.

About the Customer 

Our customer is a large pet specialty retailer with over 1,400 retail locations throughout North America. The customer offers unique services that impact their energy use. They must maintain comfort throughout their stores for associates and customers. In addition, they house animals for adoption, boarding, grooming, and medical services in which safety and comfort are of utmost importance.

These unique needs require the conditioning of many small enclosed spaces 24 hours a day while maintaining comfortable store conditions for associates and customers.  Given such requirements, the customer experiences an increasing number of “hot/cold” complaints from their stores and vendors resulting in exorbitant energy costs.

The customer identified some specific changes they wanted to make, including:

• Becoming more proactive on building issues to reduce store complaints
• Capturing energy data more effectively and applying analytics to inform energy and maintenance decisions 
• Reaching a significant energy reduction through a strong measurement and verification (M&V) process 

The Challenge 

Before the customer came to PhoenixET, they managed their energy and building systems through three different building automation systems (BAS). 

The customer sought a U.S.-based Energy Management Services (EMS) monitoring company to support their heavy call load. In addition, they wanted their chosen provider to utilize, centralize, and analyze data across their three building systems to isolate inefficiencies and uncover opportunities. There were three specific opportunities to evaluate, including:

• Optimizing energy use
• Optimizing equipment maintenance schedules and costs
• Avenues to leverage building data to take advantage of reducing pricing across utility energy agreements   

The Solution

Through EnterpriseDX modules, Phoenix integrates the customer's three disparate building systems, bringing store and asset-level information together in real-time. The integration is made possible through proprietary gateways that provide a software overlay across the customer's portfolio.

Phoenix also established and maintains a comprehensive alarm and FDDO program using EDX Event Manager.  This enables proactive maintenance and ensures HVAC equipment is running at optimal performance to provide consistent, comfortable store conditions for associates, pets, and customers.

Daily Call Center Support

Phoenix proudly offers a US-based EMS call center staffed with fully trained and skilled technicians who field store level requests and support requests. The call center also manages HVAC alarms and alerts to help the customer take proactive action each day.   

Out of Hours Accessibility

The customer can access their data 24/7 through web access via any browser enabled device therefore, affording them the ability to respond or react to a situation after hours.  

The Results

The customer has experienced exceptional results since partnering with PhoenixET and leveraging EnterpriseDX. 

In just one year, the customer's gains include:

• A 60% reduction in store and vendor support call volumes
• Achieved savings target and significant ROI
• Reduced maintenance truck rolls with an additional cost avoidance and hundreds of thousands saved
  
• Freed up hundreds of store manager man-hours in fielding complaint calls 

Phoenix ensured the customer achieved their goal to become proactive on store comfort, drastically reducing excessive calls and support tickets. By being data-driven, they maintain critical store comfort more efficiently without additional costs. The customer also exceeded their energy reduction goal at a considerable dollar value.  
 

Let us help you!

Let Phoenix help you with your energy and facility management goals!

Whether you have specific energy demand or cost targets, or long-term sustainability goals, reach out to our experts for an enterprise energy assessment to see how EDX tools and reporting can get you started on managing your locations with real-time data and support!