DFS & Sofology
DFS & Sofology · DFS & Sofology
Mobilising nationwide lift maintenance in just 3 weeks.
andwis lifts was appointed through the Mitie Framework Agreement to provide lift maintenance across the DFS and Sofology estate, covering 83 units at locations throughout the UK.
With only three weeks between the initial approach and the required contract start date, the project demanded a fast and highly coordinated mobilisation. Alongside the planned and reactive maintenance, andwis lifts needed to establish an accurate picture of the existing lift portfolio, update emergency communication technology and put the systems and resources in place to support the contract from day one.
The Challenge.
The nationwide portfolio included both customer passenger lifts and large goods lifts used to support day-to-day store operations and stock movement. Maintaining availability was therefore important not only for customers, but also for the operational running of each location.
The big challenge was time. andwis lifts was approached during the first week of June 2026, with the new maintenance service required to begin on 1 July, leaving only three weeks to mobilise the contract across multiple UK sites. Before formally taking responsibility for the portfolio, the team also needed to establish the condition and service status of the existing assets. Initial condition surveys were therefore prioritised to identify existing faults and any overdue servicing, helping to ensure that known issues were captured at the point of mobilisation rather than becoming hidden liabilities within the new contract.
The Solution.
Following an initial project scoping meeting, andwis lifts developed a fully costed maintenance plan and a detailed mobilisation programme. Teams were coordinated across the business to meet the tight mobilisation programme, while asset information and condition data were gathered quickly across the estate. Supply-chain requirements were also reviewed in advance, with key suppliers pre-vetted and high-turnover parts stocked to reduce the risk of procurement delays once the contract went live.
The maintenance scope now covers 83 lifts across the UK, including both passenger and large goods units, with planned preventative maintenance and reactive support managed across the portfolio.
Updating Emergency Communications.
Mobilisation also provided an opportunity to review the communication technology installed within the lifts. Every autodial unit was assessed and updated with current GSM technology, providing continuous two-way communication with the emergency helpdesk.
At the same time, andwis lifts integrated its Simpro system with the client’s existing software infrastructure. This created a clear process for logging reactive callouts, managing planned maintenance schedules and reporting against key performance indicators from the beginning of the contract.
Delivering around active retail environments.
Mobilising quickly couldn’t come at the expense of store operations. The andwis lifts team worked with individual store managers at an early stage to understand trading requirements and coordinate maintenance activity around peak trading periods, sales events and delivery days. This allowed servicing to be planned in a way that minimised disruption to customers while protecting the availability of goods lifts relied upon for stock movement. With access to a UK-wide engineering team, the contract could be supported across multiple locations while retaining the resources required for both planned and reactive activity.
The Result.
The nationwide portfolio was successfully mobilised within the three-week programme, meeting the required 1 July 2026 contract start date. From day one, Mitie and the end client had improved visibility of the lift estate, a structured planned and reactive maintenance programme, updated emergency communication systems and integrated reporting through Simpro.
For andwis lifts, the project demonstrates the ability to mobilise resources quickly across a complex, multi-site portfolio while still carrying out the asset auditing, planning and operational coordination needed to establish an effective long-term maintenance service.
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