Subaru Implements Rebus Labor
Viewing Real-Time Data in Supply Chain Operations and Labor Management
In today’s world, companies need information in real-time on what is happening within their supply chain operations and employee movement. Take, for example, Subaru of America. Subaru builds cars in the U.S.A. and Japan, and like many car manufacturers; different parts are imported from outside the country. Having high demand and tight timelines for shipping the right parts from the right distribution center put a lot of pressure on Subaru’s warehouse management and labor management systems. Unfortunately, their WMS and LMS solution wasn’t operating ‘holistically.’ On top of having integration issues, they were having problems exporting their data.
Looking to get the data they needed out of the WMS to support their labor-management needs and take the headache out of reporting, Subaru inquired Longbow Advantage for help. The first step the Longbow team took was to get a clear picture of what was happening. Longbow took the time to listen and identify critical issues. To help Subaru, Longbow replaced its Legacy LMS application with Rebus Intelligent Labor. Rebus Intelligent Labor is a cloud-based solution with a lower total cost of ownership that leverages transactional data from Subaru’s WMS. Rebus Labor allows them to measure their supply chain operational performance and labor utilization in real-time.
As with any project, there can be unforeseen glitches that arise. Taking this challenge on, Longbow’s team rolled out a series of custom widgets that were specific to meet labor performance objectives. This implementation built out analysts and reporting capabilities to Subaru’s specific business objectives.
~ Sean Gordon, Regional Distribution Center Manager, Subaru of America
Longbow was able to use Subaru’s historical data as a starting point, and now they can adjust staffing based on recent and current, ever-changing demand. By using Rebus Labor, Subaru can more efficiently ship urgent deliveries. With Rebus, Subaru now has access to intuitive reports which eliminates confusion for department supervisors and associates. Gordon explains, “It’s flexible, accurate, and easy to use; you set your widget up, put your criteria in, choose the date range you want, then boom, you got it.”
What might seem like a soft advantage, Rebus Labor facilitated more than just labor improvement. Subaru’s IT department is not getting calls from their operations supervisors and training new employees is easier on this platform. Rebus has also benefited employees. The exactness of Rebus Labor ensures that payroll is 100% accurate. The system also helps Subaru’s management team recognize employees that are meeting and exceeding performance expectations, which creates loyalty that results in worker satisfaction and retention.
Longbow asked Gordon to sum up his partnership and service experience, and he expressed that “Longbow has exceeded my expectations. If I have a request for a new report, it’s never no. They are always willing to create new reports in Rebus Labor that meet our needs.”
By: Stephanie Alvarado
