Case Study: Subway achieves cost transparency and shifts 5% from run to grow with Apptio

How cost transparency drives digital business to ensure Subway stays fresh

Subway, a global quick-service restaurant with over 44,600 locations and millions of daily customers, needed to move beyond in-restaurant service to engage customers digitally and justify investments in those initiatives. The company lacked a standardized IT financial view and struggled to demonstrate ROI for digital projects, making it difficult to prioritize innovation and win executive buy-in.

Subway implemented Apptio Cost Transparency and the ATUM model, reorganized IT into a dedicated Subway Digital unit, and normalized cost reporting to tie spend to business outcomes. The result: clearer budgeting and accountability, improved executive confidence, a targeted 5% shift from “run” to “grow” spending, and better ability to rationalize vendor spend and fund customer-facing digital innovations.

Subway

Carman Wenkoff

Chief Information Officer & Chief Development Officer