Asset Management Services Keep Yogurt Production Flowing

Yogurt production is highly time-sensitive: fermentation cycles, cold-chain continuity, and strict food safety regulations mean that unplanned equipment downtime can result in batch losses, product recalls, and significant financial exposure. Managing two separate plants — a newly commissioned Chobani facility and an established Gippsland yogurt site — compounded the challenge, as each carried a distinct installed base of automation assets with different maintenance histories and spare parts requirements. Without a structured approach to asset visibility and critical spares management, the risk of extended outages from component failures was substantial, and reactive procurement of parts would inflate both costs and recovery times.

Rockwell Automation deployed a three-tier asset management program across both plants. First, an Installed Base Evaluation (IBE) conducted a site-wide audit to catalog every critical automation asset at the Chobani and Gippsland facilities, establishing a clear picture of equipment lifecycle status, criticality, and spares exposure. Building on that data, a Parts Management Agreement was put in place to stock identified critical spare parts onsite at both locations, enabling 24/7 access without requiring large upfront capital expenditure — costs were absorbed within the existing maintenance budget. Finally, an Assurance Integrated Support agreement provided a fixed-price services contract guaranteeing round-the-clock access to Rockwell Automation specialists, TechConnect™ remote support, scheduled equipment health checks, and periodic audits — eliminating unpredictable service costs and reducing response time for critical failures.

The IBE gave both plants an accurate, site-specific picture of their automation footprint for the first time, enabling targeted maintenance planning rather than reactive guesswork. Key outcomes included:

• Customised spares coverage tailored to the unique installed base of each site, reducing the risk of extended downtime from component failures
• Capital-efficient parts stocking — critical spares funded within the maintenance budget rather than through a separate capital request, reducing financial friction
• Predictable service costs via a fixed-price support agreement covering field service, TechConnect access, spare parts replenishment, and equipment audits
• 24/7/365 specialist access providing maintenance teams with direct support during off-hours incidents, critical in a continuous production environment

• An installed base audit is a prerequisite for effective spare parts strategy — you can't manage what you haven't catalogued.
• Funding critical spares within the maintenance operating budget, rather than as a capital project, removes a common barrier to proactive inventory management.
• Fixed-price service agreements convert unpredictable reactive maintenance costs into foreseeable operational expenses, simplifying financial planning.
• For multi-site operations, each facility requires its own tailored asset assessment — a one-size-fits-all spares list creates gaps at both sites.
• 24/7 specialist access is most valuable when built into a contract before an incident occurs, not sourced reactively during a production stoppage.