Product Design, Product Development
Subaru of Indiana (SIA) is a manufacturing plant that covers a massive 820-acre site. It is known for producing some of the most popular Subaru models, including the Ascent, Impreza, Legacy, and Outback. The plant's success can be attributed not only to its advanced manufacturing capabilities but also to the hard work and dedication of its employees.
The year 2020 brought about unprecedented challenges for the automotive industry, with many supply chain disruptions causing lead times for crucial parts to double or even triple. Despite these setbacks, SIA continued to persevere and maintain production of its vehicles. In cases where parts were delayed, SIA moved incomplete vehicles to its work-in-process inventory, where they were completed once the necessary parts arrive. This strategy allowed SIA to maintain steady production and avoid further delays in getting its vehicles to dealerships and ultimately, to customers.
With an unprecedented number of vehicles being moved to work-in-process inventory, SIA needed a solution to streamline the transition of vehicles to and from the production line.
WynHouse collaborated with the SIA team to develop a live inventory tracking application. The responsive application reduces the headache of locating vehicle inventory in the 2.3-million-square-foot facility and across the 820-acre site. The application integrates with GPS tracking devices and SIA’s vehicle database, directing technicians to exact locations.
Employees utilize the digital tool to increase the velocity of work-in-process inventory. Despite the increase in lead time for crucial parts, SIA’s overall production stayed above industry averages during the height of a distressed supply chain.
