--- title: "Using technology and processes to address the retail sector’s asset management challenges" description: "Retail branch managers have a broad set of responsibilities. Some of these responsibilities include staff management, keeping optimal stock levels and" image: https://www.pragmaworld.net/wp-content/uploads/pragma-social-placeholder-blue.jpg canonical: https://www.pragmaworld.net/using-technology-and-processes-to-address-the-retail-sectors-asset-management-challenges/ url: https://pragma-world.getmd.ai/using-technology-and-processes-to-address-the-retail-sectors-asset-management-challenges/.md last_converted: 2026-10-06T02:25:52.369Z --- # Using technology and processes to address the retail sector’s asset management challenges December 10, 2021Retail 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. ##### Subscribe to our newsletter ##### Tags AIV Asset Identification and verification Contractor Management Critical Assets Maintenance Tactics Massmart On Key's Asset Register Retail Retail Sector Retailer Stock levels Maintenance On Key ##### More content ##### AI in maintenance: from CMMS records to better decisions Author | Henk Wynjeterp - Regional Lead – Europe AI is giving maintenance teams new ways to extract, structure and interpret information. But the... ##### Asset Management Masterclass or Awareness Training? Start with the role, not the course Author | Karen Greyling - Business Development Manager, Pragma I get asked this question quite often: Should I do the Asset Management Masterclass, or... ##### The lonely learner problem: why self-paced learning still needs people Author | Karen Greyling - Business Development Manager, Pragma Self-paced learning has solved a very real problem for busy adults. It gives people more... ##### Pragma appoints Stephan Kornelius as Chief Executive Officer Author | Pragma Experienced Pragma executive takes the helm on 1 October as the business continues its next... ##### No time for training? Look at what is taking the time. Author | Karen Greyling - Business Development Manager, Pragma “Not now. The team is too busy.” It is one of the most understandable reasons... ##### When Finance and Operations agree on spares Author | Pragma MRO spares are often the source of a familiar business tension. Finance wants to reduce... ##### You don’t train for a marathon by running a marathon Author | Tim Beavon - Partner Consultant, Pragma Why shutdown readiness depends on applying lessons before the next major event A major shutdown... ##### Pragma announces leadership transition and continues strategic momentum Author | Pragma Pragma has announced an important leadership transition as the business continues to build on... ##### Are we solving the wrong training problem? Author | Karen Greyling - Academy Business Development Manager, Pragma When organisations say they need training, they may already be solving the wrong training problem:... ##### The art of balancing work order feedback with compliance, learning, and wrench time Author | Scheepers Schoeman - Senior Associate, Professional Services Most organisations don’t choose their work order feedback culture. They drift into it. A new... ##### Why a qualified maintenance planner changes more than maintenance Author | Karen Greyling - Academy Business Development Manager, Pragma In many plants, the same pattern repeats itself. Work arrives late. Materials are chased at... ##### Why MRO inventory is different from other inventory classes Author | Andre Jordaan - Partner Consultant, Pragma MRO inventory differs from other inventory classes because demand is irregular, the consequences of stockouts... ##### How failing water infrastructure is quietly reshaping South Africa’s cities Author | Nelson Broden – Business Lead Pragma Managed Services On the school run through... ##### From dead capital to operational certainty: Smarter spare parts management Author: André Jordaan, Partner Consultant, Pragma Most MRO stores aren’t short of parts; they’re short... ##### Asset Management Awareness Training that fits real work Author | Karen Greyling, Business Development Manager If you’ve ever thought, “We don’t need another... ##### Asset Management Masterclass: Strategic training for leaders driving performance, reliability and results Author | Karen Greyling – Business Development Manager In asset-intensive industries, leaders are under growing... ##### Beyond compliance: Why repeated maturity assessments define asset performance leadership Author | Stephan Kornelius – Pragma Professional Services Business Lead In asset-intensive industries, leaders face... ##### OEMs need a connected platform for services Author | Henk Wynjeterp – Regional Lead – Europe | Henk leads Pragma’s OEM after-sales... ##### When rivers cry out: How asset management can help heal South Africa’s waterways Author | Nelson Broden – Business Lead Pragma Managed Services The Hennops River, once part... ##### Ditch the buzzword: OEM after-sales leaders buy execution, not “servitization” Author | Henk Wynjeterp – Regional Lead – Europe | Henk leads Pragma’s OEM after-sales... ##### Beyond the software – embedding your EAMS into your organisation’s DNA for sustainable value The key to a successful EAMS (Enterprise Asset Management System) implementation lies in integrating the... ##### Pragma’s perspective on what the proposed South African budget means for infrastructure governance Author | Stephan Kornelius Author | Stephan Kornelius – Pragma Professional Services Business Lead Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s 2025... ##### Government infrastructure investments must go beyond bricks and mortar – A global perspective Author | Bani Kgosana Author | Bani Kgosana Across the globe, ageing infrastructure threatens economic stability. In the US,... ##### Pragma partners with Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team to power maintenance excellence Author | Liza Schroeder Pragma is proud to announce its support of the Q36.5 Pro... ##### Revitalising South Africa – a better path to infrastructure renewal Author | Bani Kgosana, Pragma CRO South Africa faces an extraordinary opportunity to transform its... ##### Transforming maintenance from a grudge purchase to a strategic investment Author | Scott Gibson, Pragma CEO  With South Africans enjoying a break from load shedding... ##### Pragma 2.0 – CEO of Pragma, Scott Gibson’s vision is to compete with international giants through engineering excellence At Pragma, our roots are deeply embedded in engineering consulting. We are proud to be... ##### Are you proactively shaping your focused improvement process or is it evolving organically? Author | André Jordaan, Pragma Partner Consultant Focused improvement (FI) is the overarching process used... ##### Introducing Pragma’s Enhanced Asset Management Assessment Framework: AMIP Physical assets must be managed effectively for a business to grow and be competitive. Across... ##### Unlocking Asset Management Excellence: Pragma’s Spotlight at the SAAMA Conference, 5-6 June 2024 As anticipation builds for the upcoming South African Asset Management Association (SAAMA) Conference, Pragma is...