Safelite Case Study Analysis

Robocom

CASE STUDY: Safelite AutoGlass

Safelite AutoGlass Supports Rapid Business Growth, Maintains a Competitive Advantage and Drives Operational Efficiency with R-WMS

SuppORtinG RApiD BuSinESS GROWth

With over 60 years of service, Safelite AutoGlass® has grown from a single store in Wichita, Kansas, to America’s leading auto glass provider, serving more than 4.4 million customers per year. A subsidiary of Belron, the world’s largest dedicated vehicle glass repair and replacement company, Safelite provides services to more than 95 percent of the U.S. population in all 50 states. The Columbus, Ohio-based company employs nearly 10,000 people across the United States and operates from a distribution network that includes a manufacturing facility in Enfield, North Carolina, distribution centers in Braselton, Georgia and Ontario, California, and a series of warehouses spread out across all 50 states. Despite the economic downturn over the past few years, Safelite has managed to accomplish something few companies can boast of—the company has nearly doubled its profits in just five years. Much of that increase can be attributed to its willingness to make the investments necessary to streamline operations, explains Rich Glover, Assistant Vice President, Manufacturing and Distribution for Safelite. “One of our core competencies is supply chain. Our goal is to have the right part at the right time at the right place—and our ability to do that has been key to our business growth.” One area that Safelite has chosen to invest in is technology. Back in 2007, the company was using a primarily manual-based system for managing its inventory process. With a paper sales order in hand, workers would physically walk around the warehouse, marking off items as they were added to the pallet. The process was labor-intensive and lacked the level of validation necessary to ensure accuracy. Despite this inefficient system and the worsening economy, Safelite’s sales were steadily...