A large multi-national customer of a multinational supplier of commercial cold-chain equipment operates tens of thousands of refrigeration systems across their chain of supermarkets. Equipment failures and downtime lead to millions of losses annually. At the same time, field service teams are constrained by labor shortages and access to the right expertise when they need it.

By applying Aitomatic solutions, with the ability to scale domain expertise for service organizations, the supplier was able to help this customer save millions in downtime costs while driving major productivity improvements for field services in the first 12 months.

Before Aitomatic, our field service solutions required more work than the value we got and our technicians were overwhelmed. With Aitomatic’s AI solution, we were able to scale our domain expertise and service operations.

Operating Costs
Saved

$25M

Time to Production

6 months

Field Operator Productivity

+80%

The Problem

Not Enough Experts to Meet Demand

The refrigeration supply chain (cold chain) is a $250B industry globally. Trucks pick up fresh produce. Sea vessels transport food across the ocean. Neighborhood grocery stores maintain ideal climate-controlled conditions until you make the purchase. Failures in refrigeration and freezer equipment translate into costly repairs, loss of produce, and disruptions to the supply chain.

A global supplier of commercial cold-chain equipment including refrigeration systems had a large customer that is a multi-national supermarket chain. With a large footprint of stores, equipment failures and downtime are a major issue.

The company faced significant challenges in maintaining and servicing their equipment due to a critical shortage of experienced technicians and inefficiencies in field service operations.

For example, first-time fix rate was alarmingly low due to the lack of access to timely and accurate diagnostic support. Technicians often resorted to trial and error, leading to prolonged downtime, increased costs, and diminished customer satisfaction. The company wanted a solution to improve service productivity while empowering service technicians from all levels of expertise.

The Solution

Boosting Productivity with Aitomatic DXAs

Facing the complex operational challenges inherent in their industry, the supplier sought a solution that could revolutionize their maintenance workflows. Their answer came in the form of AITOMATIC’s DXAs, a scalable solution designed to empower technicians with near-perfect accurate responses to intricate operational issues.

By transforming domain-specific operational knowledge into actionable insights, DXAs empowered technicians of all levels with faster, more accurate failure diagnosis and resolution strategies.
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Consider a scenario where a technician encounters a malfunctioning cooling system. Before DXAs, this situation might have stalled for days as the technician searches through various manuals and databases, often waiting for input from more experienced colleagues.

DXAs change this dynamic by not only diagnosing issues based on a deep understanding of historical data and expert insights but also by strategizing a comprehensive repair plan. For instance, recognizing symptoms such as unusual vibrations, poor airflow, and leaks, the agents pinpoint a likely compressor failure.

With DXAs, the company not only streamlined their field service operations but also saved millions in downtime costs, unlocking new avenues for future business expansion.

But DXAs don't stop at diagnosis. They leverage their planning and reasoning capabilities to craft an action plan that factors in the system's current condition, operational demands, and the long-term implications of each proposed solution. For instance, DXAs may recommend prioritizing seemingly minor repairs to preempt more significant issues during peak operational periods, thereby safeguarding the cold chain's integrity with minimal disruption.

This sophisticated approach transforms even the newest technician into an efficient problem solver. DXAs' guidance ensures that maintenance is not only timely but optimally scheduled to align with the store's operational rhythms and sustainability goals. Such strategic planning extends the lifespan of critical equipment, reduces energy consumption, and significantly cuts down on operational costs.

The agents drastically reduced the time from problem identification to resolution, improving field operator productivity by 80% and saving the company $25M in operating costs in only 6 months. This partnership between the company and Aitomatic sets a new standard for the industry, demonstrating that with the right AI tools, companies can overcome substantial operational challenges. With its ability to scale domain expertise and deliver tangible results, DXAs hold immense potential for broader adoption within the cold chain industry, driving further advancements in productivity and cost savings.

The Results

Operating Costs
Saved

$25M

Time to Production

6 months

Field Operator Productivity

+80%

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