Woolworths Video Testimonial | Bueno Refrigeration Analytics

Revolutionising Refrigeration Management Across Woolworths 360

Bueno Analytics’ partnership with Woolworths continues to set new standards in predictive maintenance and data-driven refrigeration management.
In this Woolworths Video Testimonial, Brendan Meller, Data & Insights Manager at Woolworths Facilities Management, shares how Bueno’s predictive analytics are helping prevent refrigeration ice-ups, reduce costs, and transform operations across one of Australia’s largest grocery networks.

This collaboration recently earned Bueno the Realcomm 2024 Digie Award for “Most Intelligent Retail”, recognising the innovation and measurable outcomes delivered through advanced refrigeration analytics and smart asset management.

Understanding the Refrigeration Ice-Up Challenge

In large grocery environments, refrigeration ice-ups are a common and costly challenge. Ice build-up within display cases reduces system efficiency, drives energy waste, and can lead to high-temperature alarms that trigger urgent repair jobs. These P1 and P2 priority alarms often occur after hours, forcing technicians to respond immediately and increasing both cost and disruption.

As Brendan Meller explains in the Woolworths Video Testimonial, the issue extends beyond maintenance: “When refrigeration fails, it affects customers, stock, and store operations. Predicting those failures before they happen is the real opportunity.”

Bueno’s Predictive Analytics Solution

Working closely with Woolworths, Bueno has developed a world-leading predictive analytics system capable of forecasting refrigeration ice-ups five to seven days in advance with 95 % accuracy. This breakthrough means faults can be addressed during normal trading hours rather than through emergency callouts.

The analytics engine integrates data from Building Management Systems (BMS) across Woolworths’ national store network into its central Energy Management Centre (EMC). By analysing patterns in defrost cycles, temperature, and compressor performance, Bueno’s algorithms detect when an ice-up is likely to occur and automatically flag it for proactive maintenance.

This system sits at the core of Bueno’s grocery analytics platform, demonstrating how near real-time insights can be scaled across thousands of refrigeration assets to deliver measurable operational improvements.

Results Highlighted in the Woolworths Video Testimonial

The Woolworths Video Testimonial captures the tangible benefits of predictive analytics in action:

1. Reduced Costs
By shifting urgent after-hours repairs into planned daytime maintenance, Woolworths has significantly lowered contractor expenses while improving resource scheduling.

2. Operational Efficiency
Predictive alerts prevent critical failures, reduce high-priority callouts, and maintain refrigeration uptime — safeguarding product quality and the customer experience.

3. Improved Sustainability
Less reactive maintenance means lower energy use and emissions, aligning with Woolworths’ sustainability and carbon-reduction goals.

4. Scalability for Future Assets
The same data model can be applied across other store systems — from HVAC to lighting — enabling network-wide optimisation and predictive maintenance.

Brendan Meller summarises it best:

“Bueno’s predictive analytics have given us the visibility and control to move from reactive maintenance to proactive management. We’re preventing issues days before they occur — that’s a game-changer.”

The Future of Grocery Analytics at Woolworths

The partnership between Bueno and Woolworths is now evolving through the Smart Asset Monitoring (SAM) initiative — a program designed to connect, monitor, and analyse a wider range of assets across stores.

Building on the success of Woolworths Refrigeration Analytics, this next phase focuses on identifying high-impact equipment and expanding predictive maintenance capabilities across HVAC, lighting, and other operational systems.

Brendan explains in the Woolworths Video Testimonial that this journey represents a broader vision for data-driven facilities management:

“We’re creating a platform that continuously learns, predicts, and prevents. The aim is total asset visibility — a smarter, more sustainable network.”

A Proven Partnership in Smart Retail

Bueno’s collaboration with Woolworths demonstrates how advanced analytics and machine learning can transform traditional maintenance models. What began as a refrigeration challenge has evolved into a benchmark for smart grocery operations, combining efficiency, sustainability, and scalability.

With 1,200 stores now benefiting from near real-time data insights, the Woolworths Video Testimonial stands as proof of how predictive analytics can drive measurable outcomes in retail environments.

As grocery chains worldwide look to cut energy waste and boost reliability, Woolworths and Bueno continue to lead the way — setting a new performance standard for refrigeration and beyond.