Case Studies > Richard Childress Racing: A Drive to Grow and Help Others

Richard Childress Racing: A Drive to Grow and Help Others

Customer Company Size

Large Corporate

Region

America

Country

United States

Product

JobBOSS

Tech Stack

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Productivity Improvements
Brand Awareness

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems

Applicable Industries

Automotive

Applicable Functions

Discrete Manufacturing
Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Manufacturing System Automation
Predictive Maintenance

Services

System Integration

About The Customer

Richard Childress Racing (RCR) is an iconic organization in NASCAR. After owner Richard Childress retired from driving in 1981 and handed over the seat of the No. 3 Chevrolet to young driver Dale Earnhardt, Sr., Childress and Earnhardt went on to win six NASCAR Sprint Cup championships together. Behind every car and driver is a larger team that works day and night to not only make sure the vehicle is working, but to ensure it goes faster than any other car on the track. Over the past 15 years, numerous great drivers, parts, vehicles, and seasons have come and gone for RCR. But the passion to get out there and build the fastest cars remains. RCR has grown tremendously over the years, supporting 11 shops within the company and supplying parts for its alliance teams.

The Challenge

Richard Childress Racing (RCR) faced the challenge of managing their manufacturing process efficiently to meet tight deadlines and adapt to product changes. Initially, they used JobBOSS for scheduling their machines to quickly finish parts and prototypes for testing before race day. However, as the complexity of their operations increased, they needed to schedule programming as well. They were also struggling with communication issues, especially regarding materials needed for building a racecar. The team had to complete a working chassis in less than a week, which required efficient and transparent information relay. The short turnaround time and the delay in getting material requirements to the materials planner were other challenges they faced.

The Solution

RCR expanded the use of JobBOSS to schedule the programming side of the manufacturing process, automating a process that previously required extensive manual attention. This gave them a better understanding of the workload and allowed them to make better decisions within the required timeframe to get a part done. To address the issue of uncertainty regarding materials on hand, RCR used JobBOSS’ Materials Requirements Planning (MRP) module. They moved all the data regarding what alloys they had available in the shops into one centralized source. This cut down on verbal communication and gave everyone involved a clear view of what was going on with the car. The team also moved all the material and part data into JobBOSS’s MRP rather than on whiteboards or inventory sheets, enabling parts to be made and purchased more quickly and feasibly thanks to end-to-end inventory control.

Operational Impact

RCR was able to automate a process that previously required extensive manual attention, improving efficiency.
The team gained greater visibility into their operations, enabling them to complete jobs on new parts the same day.
Communication improved significantly, with all information on inventory accessible at any point through JobBOSS.
The team was able to expand its capabilities, growing from 2,000 to 3,500 unique part numbers over the course of seven years.
RCR was able to support 11 shops within the company, up from three, and also supply parts for its alliance teams.

Quantitative Benefit