Richard Childress Racing: a Drive to Grow and Help Others

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING: A DRIVE TO GROW AND HELP OTHERS

When manufacturers run on tight deadlines, change products, and face stiff competition, the only way to go is up. Richard Childress Racing (RCR) understands these challenges and continues to grow thanks to JobBOSS.

www.jobboss.com 02 CUSTOMER STORY - RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING

RCR is one of the iconic organizations in NASCAR. After owner Adapting to New Complexities E icient Communications, Greater Visibility Richard Childress retired from driving in 1981 and handed over the When RCR first began using JobBOSS in 2006, Communication is one of the more important the team members were mainly focused on issues when building a racecar. A single seat of the No. 3 Chevrolet to young driver Dale Earnhardt, Sr., scheduling their machines so they could NASCAR chassis can hold hundreds of Childress and Earnhardt went on to win six NASCAR Sprint Cup quickly get parts and prototypes finished and different parts, each modified to a very specific test them prior to race day. Now, in addition degree in order to ensure a faster car on the championships together. In the process, Earnhardt Sr. made the No. 3 to scheduling machines, they schedule racetrack. The result is a better chance at the car legendary. However, behind every car and driver is a larger team programming. After receiving the CAD files pole position and more opportunities to take from its engineering staff, RCR uses JobBOSS the lead during a race. This gets complicated that works day and night to not only make sure the vehicle is to schedule the programming side of the when the team has to complete a working working, but to ensure it goes faster than any other car on the track. manufacturing process. This has now chassis in less than a week. It’s here that automated a process that required extensive teams must relay information in a transparent manual attention, and in the past, had been and efficient manner, especially when they Over the past 15 years, numerous great drivers, parts, vehicles, and done using a white board. need materials. seasons have come and gone for RCR. But the passion to get out “We’ve been able to understand, not just from “The turnaround time is so short now,” Helms there and build the fastest cars remains – and through growth with inside our building but outside our building, said. “It used to be we would give our lathe what the workload is so we can make better guy a day to complete the part, and he JobBOSS, they achieve success. decisions within the timeframe required to get wouldn’t get the material requirements to a part done,” said Rocky Helms, Manufacturing our materials planner until he had already Manager at RCR. programmed the part. We may not even have the materials ready.” In getting a better grip on programming, they also have greater visibility making it possible In order to combat the issue of uncertainty to complete jobs on new parts the same regarding materials on hand, RCR turned day. This has allowed the team to expand its to JobBOSS’ Materials Requirements capabilities. They’ve grown from 2,000 to Planning (MRP) module. The team moved all 3,500 unique part numbers through the course the data regarding what alloys they had of seven years. available in the shops into one centralized CUSTOMER STORY - RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING 03

source. Rather than verbally communicating seconds, while identifying which alloys are information on the inventory, this information available. That saves a lot of headaches, is accessible at any point through JobBOSS. especially because the recordkeeping in the database is solid. Helms can even recall In cutting down verbal communication prior revisions of parts in case shops need through using the MRP module, the team something that may have worked in the past, not only became more efficient, but it also which can lead to better adjustments overall gave everyone involved a clear view as to based on what worked. what’s going on with the car. This is especially important when the team is constantly changing course. Every week, RCR is building “We’ve been able to understand, new race cars to make sure they are able to outrace other drivers on the track. At the start not just from inside our building of the 2015 Sprint Cup Series, the team was but outside our building, what working with Version 31 of its chassis, based on the Chevrolet SS. When we spoke with the the workload is so we can make members, they were at Version 53. better decisions within the By moving all the material and part data timeframe required.” into JobBOSS’s MRP rather than on – Rocky Helms, Manufacturing Manager RCR whiteboards or inventory sheets, parts can be made and purchased more quickly and feasibly thanks to end-to-end inventory control. Helms cited an example of engineering calling in the morning asking for a chassis part in 12 gauge and needing it by noon. Instead of spending several minutes trying to hunt down that information, an employee can respond within a few 04 CUSTOMER STORY - RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING

Extending a Helping Hand to Win “There are more people running our parts Scheduling has allowed RCR to grow and hard work,” Helms said. “So there’s more tremendously. Before, Helms’ operation was feedback from them on their performance supporting three departments for RCR. Now, with our parts. This helps us make our parts it is handling job duties for 11 shops within more efficient.” the company – including groups specifically focused on Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY He then went on to cite the No. 78 car driven Series cars. by Martin Truex, Jr. for Furniture Row Racing as an example. This year, Truex became the In addition to the internal shops, RCR’s first driver since NASCAR legend Richard Petty manufacturing arm now supplies parts for its in 1969 to have 14 top-10 finishes in the first alliance teams. They accept orders for engines, 15 races of the season. He is a viable contender chassis and other parts as a technical partner for to win the Series as it goes into the Chase for three other Sprint Cup Series teams: Furniture the Championship. Many of his car parts come Row Racing, JTG Daugherty Racing and Germain from Helms and his manufacturing team and Racing. Essentially, many leading contenders in any successes they can bring over to their the series now have parts in their cars produced in-house team to learn what worked well in by Helms and his manufacturing crew, extending these victories. the RCR family. They also work with one other Kevin Harvick racked up 12 wins, two poles No. 3 car. Ryan Newman had an amazing run XFINITY Series team. “It’s a good partnership for us,” Helms said. and four more top five Sprint Cup Series in the 2014 Sprint Cup Series in the No. 31 car, “We provide them with good technical data and finishes in the No. 29 car before leaving the missing the championship by only one point Having an actual customer base outside of the engineering help. It gives us good feedback team in 2013. Paul Menard won the Brickyard in a close last race with former teammate and internal shops has been phenomenal for RCR. on how our equipment works. But it also gives 400, the midseason equivalent of Daytona at current champion Harvick. They now have a new source helping them smaller teams a chance to compete on a bigger Indianapolis, in 2011 in the No. 27 car. Austin expand operations. They also have a greater scale without having to put all the time, money Dillon, Childress’ grandson, won the 2013 All of these successes are made possible chance at victory on the track, even if it’s in an and manpower needed to do so.” Nationwide (now known as XFINITY) Series, with the behind-the-scenes unification, indirect manner. and amazingly debuted in the 2014 Sprint Cup systematization, order, organization and Meanwhile, RCR itself has done well in the last Series by earning the pole at Daytona in the structure of JobBOSS. seven years with the help of JobBOSS.

JobBOSS

3600 American Blvd Suite 250 Bloomington, MN 55431 United States