South Africa-headquartered Massmart, which is owned by Walmart, has partnered with Schneider Electric and Green Wave to implement a centralised asset management and energy monitoring solution across its 300 stores, aimed at engendering cost savings and enhancing efficiency while supporting sustainability efforts.

Massmart manages a network of stores under four major brands: Makro, Game, Jumbo and Builders, varying in size from small mall-based stores to large, big-box outlets.

The company required a versatile technology solution to modernise its facilities, achieve comprehensive oversight and control over building management and power use, it points out.

In 2012, Massmart embarked on a journey to centralise its asset management and energy monitoring across all facilities.

“Our goal was to gain a centralised view of all our facilities’ assets on one platform, enhance energy management, optimise usage, and reduce consumption in our stores,” Massmart Group Facilities technical bureau manager Mfundo Ntuli explains.

Now, over a decade later, Massmart has integrated Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure platform into more than 250 locations, which it says will achieve significant energy savings and visibility across its operations.

Massmart’s property network includes locations of all sizes and configurations, some as large as 20 000 m² with complex refrigeration setups.

The company’s journey began with a recommendation from Walmart, which had experienced several successful installations of Schneider Electric solutions in its own stores, it informs.

Based on the recommendation, Massmart turned to Schneider Electric’s EcoXpert partner in the region, Green Wave, a multi-badge EcoXpert specialising in both building management and critical power solutions.

The company highlights Green Wave’s ability to design, install and maintain Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure solutions as ideal for this partnership.

Green Wave deployed Schneider Electric’s Building Management System (BMS) at three stores as a proof of concept, and with this being successful, Massmart and Green Wave began a phased rollout of the EcoStruxure platform across hundreds of stores.

Green Wave standardised on the EcoStruxure Automation Server, connecting subsystems like power, lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning and security at each location, providing Massmart with central control and store-level visibility.

“Massmart has approached the project in phases, averaging about 20 upgrades per year. New building projects have the EcoStruxure platform designed into the specifications as a standard requirement. Today, more than 250 locations have the new platform, with the rest scheduled for future upgrades,” explains Schneider Electric buildings segment lead Thabang Byl.

Massmart group facilities executive Mark Calderwood says that some store managers were initially hesitant about giving up control of lighting and air conditioning.

“But once they saw the savings on energy costs – often thousands of dollars a month – they were fine with the changes. We make their stores more profitable,” he asserts.

Each store has a local application that enables managers to monitor key aspects in real-time, including air conditioning status, temperature readings and security alarms.

“The equipment is managed centrally, but local staff can see exactly what’s happening and get early warnings if something goes wrong,” Calderwood says.

At the corporate level, the BMS enables Massmart to monitor and maintain all details of its energy use across the entire fleet.

This visibility allows Massmart to spot unusual trends and take early action.

With over 265 stores already on the EcoStruxure platform, the company plans to expand its energy management approach to include water usage and other resources.

Massmart is exploring predictive maintenance options for its critical infrastructure.

“Our next step is to capitalise on the data and begin implementing AI and machine learning models to predict equipment failures before they happen,” Ntuli informs.