Asset Management software helps leading NASCAR team Drive Down Costs and Optimize Performance

• Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)

• Automotive

• Discrete Manufacturing
• Warehouse & Inventory Management

• Track & Trace of Assets
• Inventory Management

• System Integration

Hendrick Motorsports’ manufacturing complex contains six buildings, each with its own inventory warehouse. These include separate buildings for each individual racing team’s facilities. As each car is tested and modified for optimum performance on varying racetracks, its crews use parts from these buildings. Documenting the performance of each part in each possible race car configuration is important. Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) had been tracking these activities manually, which was tedious, time consuming, and costly. Scott Lampe, chief financial officer for HMS, is responsible for optimizing resource use for both on-track performance and cost. Toward this end, he implemented the Microsoft’s Business Solutions-Dynamics SL financial program, which he wanted to integrate into a single, compatible system to manage inventory, track parts usage, and maintain a historical profile of car performance. This integration required overcoming the following challenges: Coordinating information across 6 warehouses that are operated as independent entities, Tracking usage of approximately 150 components on each car, Monitoring performance reliability, Getting the system up and running within 4 months.

Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) is a leading NASCAR team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company operates a 65-acre racing complex where it designs, tests, and builds race cars for notable NASCAR drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte, and Jimmie Johnson. Since its inception in 1984, Hendrick has grown from a one-car race team to a six-team operation that has won five of the last eleven NASCAR Nextel Cup Championships. These include four consecutive titles – the sports first-ever. The manufacturing complex of Hendrick Motorsports contains six buildings, each with its own inventory warehouse. These include separate buildings for each individual racing team’s facilities, such as the 24/48 Shop, which supports Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson and the 5/25 Shop, which supports Kyle Bush and Brian Vickers. There is also an engine shop, body shop, and chassis shop.

After reviewing EAM alternatives, HMS chose the AVEVA EAM solution. AVEVA’ Industrial Rapid Implementation Methodology (InRIM) enabled HMS to install the EAM software in about half the industry standard implementation time. Having met the first critical milestone, which was for centralizing purchasing and warehousing, HMS and AVEVA turned their focus to monitoring parts usage. Approximately 150 components on each car are monitored by condition, such as time-to-failure or usage. Collecting accurate data is critical because HMS builds cars specifically for individual racetracks and tests configurations for each. The AVEVA software helps track the configurations for each race, including changes made during practice. The AVEVA solution also helps HMS track parts usage to assure reliability. With the first phase successfully completed, HMS has recently launched two new initiatives using AVEVA capabilities. HMS also upgraded to Avantis.PRO Enterprise Asset Management with multi-site asset management capabilities. Previously, to track inventory in all six warehouses HMS had to work with multiple instances. Now they can manage and monitor six warehouses from a single instance, which significantly contributes to their corporate directive to streamline operations and standardize parts.

• Multi-site asset management capabilities tracks inventory in all six warehouses
• Integration with existing business and financial operations resulted in significant savings
• Reduced overhead for single instance, multi-facility management

• Reduced cash outlay for inventory within six months by $400,000
• Saved $1,000,000 through reduced inventory by consolidating warehouse management
• Reduced overhead for single instance, multi-facility management and saved $65,000