Logistics optimization at Toolog: preventive maintenance and CMMS technology

Maintenance at the heart of Toolog’s logistics activity challenges

Toolog is the logistics subsidiary of the online fashion retailer Spartoo based in Saint-Quentin Fallavier (38) since 2015. It manages all operations related to incoming goods, shipments, and returns within an 88,000m² warehouse where over two million items (shoes, clothing, luggage) are stored. The site employs about a hundred regular staff, a number that can climb to 160 people during sales periods. The shipments are mechanized (3.5 million in 2021), including the boxing and labeling processes. During peak periods, they handle 60 to 70 thousand orders per week (20 to 25 000 during off-peak periods, that is roughly 35,000 items) for a French market constituting nearly half of the revenue. As the site matured, the question of maintenance naturally arose. “Precision is crucial for effectively managing both preventive and corrective maintenance. As the number of conveyors at the site increased and became more complex, it was vital for the team leader to have a clear overall view of their area of responsibility,” explains Thibaut Lazuech, the warehouse manager.

Strategic stakes of preventive maintenance

Reliability is imperative. The deadlines imposed by e-commerce require the site to be constantly operational so that orders made before 2 pm can be dispatched the same day. Preventive work is carried out in advance to minimize corrective maintenance as much as possible. Every element of the processing chain is thoroughly examined. An on-site maintenance company present four days a week takes action as soon as a fault is reported. Meanwhile, Aurélien Favre-Victoire’s team, who is in charge of Methods and Supply, performs first-level interventions.

 

Being able to track interventions and monitor the spare parts inventory adds to our peace of mind. Without tools, no one knew who was doing what, and it was impossible to know the precise status of any given project,” he explains.

Equipping with a CMMS to reduce downtime and increase longevity

Avoiding production downtime is a shared goal among all company stakeholders. The objective is to improve the longevity of machines and thus increase operation time to prevent high long-term costs. Knowing the availability of a part at a specific moment and its history helps to prevent production hold-ups, especially during the critical sales period.

 

The decision to equip ourselves with a system was made some time ago,” Aurélien Favre-Victoire explains.

 

Initially, we wanted to develop an in-house CMMS. However, we were looking for a simple and user-friendly solution, which didn’t require entering too many fields.”

The initial need focused on requesting and transmitting interventions, as well as producing statistics. It was also critical that the deployment time was quick. The creation of the 800 pieces of equipment was the longest phase. In terms of the equipment hierarchy, there are 10 parent equipment pieces. Then, it was necessary to generate all the QR codes and apply them to all the pieces of equipment over more than 80,000m² of storage. The implementation took place in 2021. From the decision-making to the tests and the project implementation, it took 6 to 8 months.

A more detailed monitoring of equipment

In the past, the time-consuming and laborious task of equipment parts referencing was done using Excel. When a technician used a part, they would report the information to the industrial manager. Before the implementation of the CMMS, communication could be complex between the team leaders and the industrial manager. The latter had to indicate the location of the fault which led to significant time losses – and information – with sometimes 15 to 20 minutes response delays. Additionally, every fortnight or month, a resupply of missing parts would take place, with risks of oversights or incomplete information.

Reliable information available to everyone

 

Thanks to the recording of all the equipment in the CMMS, and the QR codes affixed to each piece of equipment, a team leader simply needs to consult the app, scan the QR code, indicate the problem’s nature and associated criticality (blocking, standard, urgent). The intervention request is immediately sent to notify the on-site maintenance technician.

Subcontractors also have access to information on DimoMaint MX. They can validate intervention requests and convert them into work orders and close them once the issue has been resolved.

Fast and effective processes on the go

Aurélien Favre-Victoire sets up primarily preventive schedules on a PC. Team leaders have user access to make intervention requests. The maintenance technician receiving the requests can create and close work orders on the go, as well as generate intervention reports.

 

“We are currently inventorying our entire stock and filling our database to then integrate it into the CMMS to achieve more detailed tracking of our parts. So the impact will indeed be significant on the practices that have been in place until now,” acknowledges Thibaut Lazuech. He will be informed of each stock item’s exit in real time and will be able to view dormant stock. The CMMS is a valuable decision-making tool: “With statistics, we can identify wear zones or specific components where repeated failures may occur. Now, our preventive scheduling takes place smoothly.”

Time savings, global vision, better planning, downtime reduction, peace of mind…

 

“We observe time savings at every level,” admits Aurélien Favre-Victoire. “Team leaders and subcontractors appreciate the ease of use of the solution. They can report a malfunction in two clicks, without the need to send multiple emails. Thanks to the QR codes, technicians know where each piece of equipment is located and can quickly identify a fault. Plus, they have instant access to additional information about a piece of equipment, such as electrical diagrams, as everything is integrated. It’s also a practical gain: they don’t need to contact me because they can find answers on their own. This allows me to be more effective in planning and anticipating orders for spare parts. As such, we are assured of never experiencing any breakdowns or production stoppages. We can therefore do technical improvements on critical equipment to counter specific malfunctions. Once the system is optimally established, the next step will be to estimate the financial ROI the CMMS can bring, especially in terms of valuing inventory once we have integrated all the references into the database.”

And to start off on the right foot with your CMMS project?

Drawing from his experience with DimoMaint MX, Aurélien Favre-Victoire believes it is essential to carefully consider the purpose of the CMMS tool before implementing it, thinking about the longevity of equipment and productivity:

 

such an implementation has an impact on everyone’s well-being as it reduces stress in case of a production outage. It also smooths out relationships with governance and maintenance since everyone has access to the same overview of what is happening. Even those who aren’t computer experts can understand an issue.”