Collision Repair

SEMA Data Co-op connects with industry at SEMA 2015

Nov. 30, 2015

The number of specialty equipment businesses discovering and leveraging quality product data as a tool for increasing sales is on the rise, with hundreds of companies investing time and connecting with the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) during the 2015 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV. The SDC kicked the SEMA Show week off with a dedicated "Education Day" on Monday, followed by four days of one-on-one meetings where companies discovered how to best manage product data in today’s technology heavy marketplace.

"It’s always exciting for us to connect with the industry in person," said Jim Graven, Director of Membership for the SDC. "We were happy to see so many Showgoers take time out of their week to learn about data standardization and how it can help their businesses. We’ve found that over the last few years, more and more members are realizing that this is something that is really important, and it’s something that will help their businesses tremendously."

In one of the most popular seminars, Curt McDowell from Channel Advisor gave insights into how online marketplaces utilize product data to increase sales in his "What Every CEO Needs to Know About Sales and Product Data" presentation. This was followed by a detailed introduction to the industry PIES and ACES standards presented by Stephanie Jones of the SDC.

While the SEMA Show was for many the first real exposure to data standardization, it was also a chance for companies that were already familiar with the topic to connect with the SDC team and see first-hand demonstrations of how the program works. As a result, many existing members had personal meetings where experts were able to review their data. Meanwhile, more than 40 new members joined the program during the week.

Since launching in 2013, the SDC has grown to include more than 425 industry brands and over 725 data Receivers.

The SEMA Data Co-op is an industry-owned and operated project designed to bring full product data management capabilities to participating suppliers at the lowest possible cost. Features include a secure, industry standards based centralized data repository, extensive on-boarding tools, expert live training and technical assistance, and unlimited standard or fully customized data exports. To learn more about the program, visit www.SemaDataCoop.org or contact Jim Graven at [email protected] or call 888-958-6698 ext. 4.

About SEMA
SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association founded in 1963, represents the $36 billion specialty automotive industry of 6,814 member-companies. It is the authoritative source for research, data, trends and market growth information for the specialty auto parts industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles. For more information, contact SEMA at 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765, tel: 909-610-2030, or visit www.sema.org.