Qualifying a Large-Scale Facility for Temperature-Controlled Storage
A national third-party logistics (3PL) provider was converting an approximately 700,000-square-foot distribution facility into controlled room temperature (CRT) storage space, with a required temperature range of 20°C to 25°C. Before the facility could begin storing temperature-sensitive products, the client needed to demonstrate that its HVAC systems could maintain the specified conditions throughout the storage environment.
Meeting this requirement involved HVAC commissioning, temperature mapping, and qualification of the permanent monitoring system.
With a tight project timeline, the client engaged Performance Validation (PV) to provide HVAC commissioning, temperature mapping, and permanent monitoring system qualification services to help establish a qualified environment for temperature-controlled storage.
Establishing the Prerequisites for Formal Temperature Mapping
PV worked with the HVAC contractors to complete commissioning activities, verifying that the facility’s HVAC systems were installed and operating as intended. These checks were necessary to establish system readiness before formal temperature mapping could begin and provided supporting documentation for the facility’s qualification package.
The commissioning activities provided supporting documentation for the facility’s qualification package and established the prerequisites needed to proceed with formal temperature mapping.
PROJECT SNAPSHOT
| 700,000 Square-foot distribution facility | 20°C to 25°C Controlled room temperature range |
| 72 hours Formal mapping study duration | First attempt Initial mapping passed without deviations |
Applying Live Temperature Mapping to a Time-Sensitive Qualification
To support the project’s schedule, PV implemented live temperature mapping to streamline data collection and review.
As HVAC commissioning progressed, PV installed the wireless loggers and conducted a preliminary engineering study to evaluate temperature conditions before formal qualification. This early assessment provided insight into the facility’s temperature performance while the remaining commissioning prerequisites were completed.
Once all prerequisites were satisfied, PV proceeded with the formal 72-hour temperature mapping study. Unlike traditional mapping methods, which require collecting individual loggers and downloading their data after the study, the live mapping system allowed PV engineers to remotely access temperature data throughout execution.
At the end of the qualification period, the completed dataset was immediately available, eliminating the additional time required for collecting equipment from the warehouse manual data downloads.
Real-Time Data Access Provides Greater Visibility During Qualification
In addition to faster data retrieval, live temperature mapping gave PV engineers the ability to review temperature conditions during the qualification study. This allowed potential temperature excursions to be identified sooner, rather than waiting until the study concluded to evaluate the data.
PV also configured automated alerts to notify the client if temperatures moved outside the specified limits. Although no deviations occurred during the study, these alerts provided an additional level of assurance that the client would be notified of potential temperature concerns during qualification.
Transitioning from Temperature Mapping to Permanent Monitoring
PV’s live temperature mapping system also offered an option for temporary monitoring during the transition to permanent monitoring. By keeping select wireless sensors in place at the designated permanent monitoring locations, clients may be able to begin storing product while their permanent monitoring system is installed and qualified, subject to quality approval and applicable requirements.
Although this approach was considered, the client elected to wait until the permanent monitoring system was fully qualified before beginning storage operations.
Once the client’s contractors installed the permanent monitoring system, PV performed Installation Qualification and Operational Qualification (IQ/OQ) to verify proper installation, configuration, and operation.
With the permanent monitoring system qualified, the facility had completed another critical requirement before beginning temperature-controlled storage operations.
Demonstrating Facility Readiness Through Documented Qualification
PV successfully completed HVAC commissioning, initial empty-facility temperature mapping, and permanent monitoring system IQ/OQ, providing supporting documentation to demonstrate the facility’s temperature-control capabilities.
The project delivered three key outcomes:
- Successful First-Attempt Mapping: The initial 72-hour temperature mapping study passed on the first attempt, without deviations or corrective actions.
- Improved Qualification Efficiency: Live mapping eliminated manual data downloads and provided immediate access to completed study data, helping PV meet the project’s tight timeline.
- Qualified Permanent Monitoring: Mapping results informed permanent sensor locations, and PV completed IQ/OQ to verify that the monitoring system was installed and operating as intended.
The project demonstrates how live temperature mapping, combined with a structured commissioning and qualification approach, can help 3PL providers efficiently qualify large-scale temperature-controlled facilities while maintaining the technical rigor and documentation required for regulated storage operations.
