The facility was built to keep up with the exponential growth of Subaru parts sales over the last 10 years, during which time the brand has achieved record vehicle sales in each consecutive year.

Linking Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru’s parent company in Japan, with the 108 Australian dealerships, the new facility features a 12,700 square metre footprint, representing a 63 per cent increase in floor space.

There has also been a 260 per cent increase in volume, while storage capacity has increased to 7000 pallets – 5000 more than the previous warehouse in Wetherill Park, NSW.

The building also incorporates a two level office area of 1100 square metres.

With a key focus being on speed, accuracy and productivity, the warehouse uses the V3 Warehouse Management System.

Fully integrated to Subaru’s IDS system, this enables staff to use handheld barcode scanners and radio frequency devices, giving them a complete list of all parts required to fill a particular order and the exact location.

The barcode scanner instantaneously records when a part has been picked. A picking slip and invoice is immediately generated for the packing staff.

The massive transfer of Subaru inventory from Wetherill Park to Greystanes is now complete.

The relocation and upgrade of the warehouse capacity is the result of Subaru’s ten consecutive years of growth. With more Subaru cars on the road and more parts needed, Subaru and AutoNexus have implemented a strategy to service the increase in volume. The new Greystanes facility will allow this.

Fast facts

• Over 400 tonnes of steel used in construction
• 2800 cubic metres of concrete
• 17,000 square metres of Colorbond metal cladding
• Racking comprised of 240 tonnes of steel, supplied by Schaefer Systems International
• Racking system cost approximately $1.6 million
• Warehouse can receive, on average, 100 x 20 foot containers per month
• Containers comprise 20,000 lines and 300,000 individual parts per month
• Dispatch will process approximately 5000 orders, 74,000 lines and 300,000 parts per month
• $15 million in Subaru inventory comprising 18,000 lines in approximately 100,000 locations