Pet care retailer

The operation

A leading UK-based pet care retailer, with hundreds of stores nationwide and a growing online channel, introduced an automated zone-picking operation at its main distribution centre in 2019. The system features miles of powered conveyor and multiple carton elevators, transferring order cartons seamlessly across three floors of a mezzanine system.

Automated carton erection and sealing machines operate alongside human pickers in a 24/7 environment to complete approximately 15,000 parcels per day, covering a diverse range of around 10,000 SKUs — from heavy bags of pet food to small accessories such as collars. In addition, a further 8–9,000 daily orders for prescription products are processed in a dedicated area.

The challenge

• Rapid increase in orders
• Reducing downtime
• Meeting customer demand

When lockdowns caused a surge in online orders, the retailer recognised the need to enhance the maintenance and support of its automated warehouse systems by outsourcing to a specialist engineering provider. Ensuring operational uptime was critical to maintaining customer service levels.

The solution

• 24/7 maintenance programme
• Preventative maintenance programme
• Spare parts management

In spring 2020, the engineering provider was engaged to supply a professional team of four on-site engineers, operating 24/7, 364 days a year. Their remit included planned preventative maintenance, rapid fault resolution, spare parts inventory management, and access to wider technical support resources. As online demand grew, the team expanded to five, including a dedicated on-site manager to coordinate operations.

A strict set of service level agreements (SLAs) was implemented to monitor performance:

• System availability target: 96%
• Scanner read rate: 98%
• Recommended vs recorded spare parts: 98%
• Planned vs completed maintenance: 97%
• Engineering shift fulfilment: 99.8%

A comprehensive year-round preventative maintenance schedule was established, involving detailed inspections across the system and proactive replacement of components nearing end-of-life — such as drive motors, rollers, and drive bands. This extended to all subsystems, including carton erectors and packing machines.

Spare parts management was a critical element. The engineering provider planned stock levels and used integrated IT systems to link parts management directly to the preventative maintenance schedule.

The benefits

• Robust and reliable system
• Reduced downtime
• Improved operational efficiency

Operations Manager, Pet Care Retailer:

“The engineering team has been invaluable in helping us refine our preventative maintenance strategy, identify the right spare parts to hold, and plan optimal maintenance windows. This has significantly improved system reliability.

“During our peak retail season, we see a 30–50% increase in volume, and the planned maintenance and support structure has proven resilient under this pressure.

“The past year has tested what is essentially a new system, but we’ve been able to draw on the engineering team’s expertise to resolve challenges quickly. For example, when a key conveyor carousel failed, they had it operational again within hours.”