Frequently Asked Questions – Grocery & Retail
Find answers to common questions about smart building analytics for grocery and retail. Learn how Bueno helps with refrigerant leak detection, energy efficiency, ESG reporting, and improving workforce productivity across your store network.
Platform & Deployment FAQs
What systems does Bueno integrate with in grocery stores?
Our platform is designed to be technology-agnostic. We integrate with all critical systems in a grocery environment, including refrigeration controllers and racks, Building Management Systems (BMS), energy and utility sub-meters, HVAC units, and lighting controls. This creates a single, unified view of your entire store’s operational performance.
Can I use Bueno across all my retail locations?
Yes. The platform is built for enterprise scale, allowing you to monitor and benchmark performance across your entire network of stores, whether you have ten locations or thousands. Our portfolio-level dashboards give you the visibility to compare sites, regions, and formats to identify best practices and underperforming assets.
How fast can a grocery site be onboarded onto the Bueno platform?
A typical grocery store can be onboarded and delivering actionable insights in less than 12 weeks. Our structured deployment process and AI-powered tools for data mapping ensure that we can roll out the platform across large store networks efficiently and with minimal disruption to your operations. Learn more on our Deployment & Customer Success page.
Does Bueno replace my BMS or work alongside it?
Bueno works alongside your existing Building Management System (BMS) and refrigeration controllers. Your BMS is the hands—it controls the equipment. Bueno is the brain—it analyses the data from your BMS and other systems to provide insights and recommendations that make it work smarter. There is no need to rip-and-replace your current infrastructure.
Is Bueno scalable for franchise or franchisee models?
Absolutely. Our platform’s flexible, role-based access controls are ideal for franchise models. Corporate teams can maintain portfolio-wide visibility and set standards, while individual franchisees or store managers can be given access only to the specific data and reports relevant to their own location.
Can Bueno integrate with store-level IoT sensors or third-party CMMS platforms?
Yes. Bueno supports integrations with IoT sensors (e.g. temperature or door sensors) and third-party CMMS or ticketing systems.
Refrigerant Compliance & Leak Detection FAQs
How does Bueno help me meet refrigerant compliance requirements with limited data?
Even with minimal data points, Bueno can help you stay compliant. Our AI tools identify refrigerant loss patterns based on available telemetry (e.g., compressor behaviour, temperature, runtime anomalies). We then generate structured alerts, assign them to workflows, and create auditable records that meet the key requirements of
EPA 608, the AIM Act, and F-Gas. It’s compliance-grade leak detection, even without full sensor coverage.
What refrigerant regulations does Bueno support?
Bueno helps you comply with the major refrigerant management frameworks globally. These include:
- US: EPA Section 608 and the AIM Act
- EU/UK: F-Gas Regulation
- Global: Kigali Amendment phase-down targets
Our platform translates these complex regulations into simple, actionable workflows that reduce manual tracking and keep you audit-ready at all times. You can learn more on our Refrigerant Leak Detection page.
Can Bueno automate leak documentation for compliance audits?
Yes. We automatically generate digital leak logs, timestamped diagnostics, and closure records linked to specific assets. These records can be exported for audit purposes or submitted to internal systems via our API. This removes the burden of manual logging and ensures your documentation stands up to regulatory scrutiny.
What happens if I don’t have full refrigerant monitoring hardware installed?
No problem. Bueno’s platform is designed to work even when full sensor coverage is unavailable. Using AI-based inference models, we detect anomalies in how equipment behaves (like changes in compressor run-times) and flag likely leaks or compliance risks. This gives you a path to compliance without requiring expensive upfront sensor installations.
Can I track compliance performance across my store network?
Absolutely. Our dashboards provide a centralised view of leak rates, unresolved issues, and compliance status by store, region, or contractor. You can set benchmarks, track recurring issues, and demonstrate enterprise-wide refrigerant risk management with a single click
Refrigerant Management FAQs
How does Bueno detect refrigerant leaks before they cause failures?
- Our platform uses advanced analytics and machine learning to monitor the performance data from your refrigeration racks and circuits in near real-time. It detects the subtle deviations from normal operation—such as changes in pressure, temperature, or compressor run-times—that are early indicators of a refrigerant leak. This allows us to predict a leak 5-7 days in advance, giving your team time to act before it leads to a catastrophic failure and significant gas loss.
What makes Bueno’s refrigerant leak detection different from standard alarms?
Standard alarms typically only trigger when a significant amount of refrigerant has already been lost, meaning the damage is already done. Bueno’s predictive approach is different. We identify the leading indicators of a leak, allowing for proactive intervention rather than reactive repairs. Our clients have seen up to a 37% reduction in refrigerant leaks by using our platform to move beyond basic alarms.
Can I track refrigerant performance across all my stores?
Yes. Our portfolio-level dashboards provide a centralised view of refrigerant health and performance across your entire network. You can benchmark stores, identify repeat issues, track leak rates, and manage your overall refrigerant inventory from a single interface, making it easier to manage risk and compliance at scale.
Does Bueno help with leak reduction targets and compliance?
Absolutely. By providing early warnings and detailed diagnostics, our platform is a powerful tool for meeting and exceeding your leak reduction targets. We provide the auditable data and historical records needed to demonstrate proactive management and compliance to both internal stakeholders and external regulators.
What refrigerant regulations does Bueno help me comply with?
Our platform is designed to support compliance with major global refrigerant regulations. We help you manage the data and reporting needed for mandates such as the EPA Section 608 Refrigerant Management Program in the US, the EU F-Gas Regulation, and the principles of global phase-downs outlined in the Kigali Amendment.
Energy & Asset Management FAQs
How can I use Bueno to reduce energy consumption in supermarkets?
Supermarkets are incredibly energy-intensive. Our platform helps you reduce consumption by identifying wastage across your entire store. We find inefficiencies in your refrigeration, HVAC, and lighting systems, manage peak demand charges, and ensure all equipment is running optimally. Our holistic approach has helped clients like Woolworths Group achieve an 18% reduction in electricity consumption, saving over $100 million annually. See our Woolworths Case Study to learn more.
What’s the difference between Bueno’s Energy Management and Asset Management modules?
While related, they focus on different outcomes. Our Energy Management module focuses on your utility consumption—tracking how much electricity, gas, and water you use and identifying wastage. Our Asset Management capabilities focus on the operational health and performance of the equipment using that energy, such as your refrigeration racks, cases, and compressors. Using both together gives you a complete picture of performance.
Can Bueno detect refrigeration case ice-ups or compressor cycling?
Yes. These are common and costly issues that our platform excels at identifying. We monitor the performance of individual cases to detect the early signs of ice build-up, preventing product loss and inefficient operation. We also track compressor cycling and staging to ensure your racks are running efficiently and not undergoing excessive wear and tear.
Can I benchmark store energy use across my portfolio?
Yes. Benchmarking is a core feature. Our portfolio dashboards allow you to easily compare energy usage (as kWh per square metre or other metrics) across all your stores. This helps you identify high-performing “model” stores and quickly pinpoint underperforming locations that need attention, driving a consistent standard of efficiency across your network.
Does Bueno support submetering for multi-tenant retail sites?
Yes. If you operate in a shopping centre or a multi-tenant environment, our platform can integrate with your sub-metering infrastructure. This allows for the accurate tracking and allocation of energy costs, which is crucial for managing lease agreements and tenant billing.
Workforce Optimisation FAQs
What is Workforce Optimisation and how does it help my in-store and field service teams?
Workforce Optimisation is the process of using data and analytics to make your maintenance teams more efficient and effective. For grocery and retail, our platform achieves this by replacing guesswork with clear, evidence-based instructions. It helps your technicians and service contractors solve issues faster, reduces unnecessary site visits, and ensures the right person with the right skills is sent to do the job correctly the first time.
Can I use Bueno insights to reduce service contractor visits?
Yes, significantly. Many contractor callouts are for issues that could have been resolved remotely or were misdiagnosed. Our platform provides deep root-cause analysis, allowing your internal teams to solve more problems without needing a contractor. When a contractor is needed, they arrive on-site fully informed, which dramatically reduces diagnostic time and the need for repeat visits.
How does Bueno support predictive maintenance in grocery environments?
In a grocery environment, predictive maintenance is critical for preventing catastrophic failures in refrigeration systems. Our platform continuously analyses equipment performance data to forecast issues like compressor failures or refrigerant leaks days in advance. This allows you to schedule maintenance proactively, avoiding costly, emergency “break-fix” scenarios that lead to product loss and store downtime.
Can Bueno triage issues and assign them automatically to my workforce or contractors?
Yes. Our platform’s workflow engine can be configured to automatically triage and assign detected faults. Based on rules you set, an issue can be routed directly to your internal maintenance team via our mobile interface or sent as a detailed work order to your primary service contractor, ensuring a fast and efficient response without manual intervention.
Can field staff access Bueno insights via mobile?
Yes. Bueno is mobile-optimised and offers tailored interfaces for service teams to view fault detail, confirm resolution, and access equipment history from any device.
Compliance & Refrigerant Regulations FAQs
Does Bueno track compliance with refrigerant phase-out or low GWP mandates?
Yes. Our platform provides the data infrastructure needed to track and manage your transition to low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants. We can monitor the performance of new systems and provide the data required to report on your progress against regulatory phase-out schedules and internal sustainability targets.
Can I generate refrigerant audit trails for inspections or EPA reports?
Absolutely. The Bueno platform maintains a complete historical record of all detected leaks, maintenance actions, and refrigerant performance data. This creates a detailed, auditable trail that can be easily exported to support compliance reporting for bodies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or other regional authorities.
What is refrigerant lifecycle management and does Bueno support it?
Refrigerant lifecycle management involves tracking all aspects of your refrigerant usage, from initial charging and leak detection to recovery and disposal. Our platform is a key tool in this process, providing precise data on leak rates, system performance, and maintenance history to give you better control over your entire refrigerant inventory.
How does Bueno help with global compliance requirements like the AIM Act, F-Gas, and the Kigali Amendment?
While each regulation has unique requirements, they all demand accurate data and proactive management. Our platform helps you meet the standards of the AIM Act in the US, the EU F-Gas Regulation, and the global goals of the Kigali Amendment by providing a robust system for leak detection, detailed record-keeping, and verifiable performance reporting, which are foundational to any compliance strategy.
AI, Reporting & Insights FAQs
How does AI improve fault detection in refrigeration systems?
AI and machine learning significantly improve fault detection by moving beyond simple alarms. Our platform learns the unique operating behaviour of your refrigeration assets and can detect subtle performance deviations that indicate an emerging issue, such as a compressor short-cycling or a slow refrigerant leak. This allows for proactive intervention, which is crucial for preventing costly failures and protecting food safety. Learn more at our AI & Innovation page.
Can I customise dashboards and reports for my grocery network?
Yes. We provide a suite of standard reports designed for grocery operations—including energy consumption, refrigerant leak rates, and asset health—but all dashboards and reports are fully customisable. We can tailor visualisations for different stakeholders, whether it’s a portfolio-level compliance report for your sustainability team or a detailed diagnostic report for a service technician.
Can I track resolution progress and team performance across sites?
Absolutely. Our platform includes an integrated workflow engine that tracks every fault from detection to resolution. You can see which issues are assigned, how long they take to close, and which stores or regions have recurring problems. This provides a clear, data-driven way to measure and manage the performance of both your internal teams and external service contractors.
What kind of reporting does Bueno provide for energy and refrigerant metrics?
We provide comprehensive reporting on all key performance indicators. For energy, this includes tracking kWh consumption, peak demand, and after-hours usage. For refrigerants, it includes leak rate analysis, compliance tracking, and asset performance history. All reports can be automated and scheduled for delivery to any stakeholder. See examples on our Reporting & Dashboards page.
Sustainability & ESG FAQs
How does Bueno support my ESG goals in retail?
Our platform directly supports the “Environmental” pillar of your ESG strategy. By helping you reduce energy consumption and minimise high-GWP refrigerant leaks, we provide a direct and measurable way to lower your carbon footprint. We provide the auditable, asset-level data you need to accurately report on your sustainability progress to investors, boards, and regulatory bodies.
Can I track refrigerant emissions as part of my sustainability reporting?
Yes. Tracking and reducing refrigerant emissions (a key source of Scope 1 emissions) is a core function of our platform. We help you monitor leak rates and refrigerant usage across your entire portfolio, providing the data necessary to quantify your emissions and demonstrate tangible improvements over time.
Does Bueno help reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in supermarkets?
Yes. Our platform is a powerful tool for tackling both. We help reduce Scope 1 emissions by proactively detecting and preventing leaks of high-GWP refrigerants. We reduce Scope 2 emissions by identifying and eliminating electricity waste from your HVAC, lighting, and refrigeration systems, lowering your overall grid energy consumption.
Still Have Questions?
If your question isn’t covered here, we’re ready to help. Our team can explain how our grocery analytics works, answer your compliance or performance queries, and discuss solutions tailored to your stores.