Electronic cataloging is lost in translation no more

March 21, 2017
With Amazon selling auto parts online, it's clear that digital cataloging is more critical than ever. Amazon’s key aftermarket vendors understand the interconnectedness of the entire online shopping experience that revolves around a content-rich catalog.

Consumers searching to buy the correct auto part rely on electronic catalogs to guide them through the selection process. Retailers and distributors expect their suppliers to provide them with the most complete and descriptive content in order to sell more parts and to keep them sold. However, too many suppliers are struggling to make their catalogs conform to the industry standard because something winds up lost in translation.

Fortunately, says Jared Psak, founder of Wise Auto Data, there’s a practical fix to the suppliers’ struggles that bridges the manufacturers’ unstructured, original cataloging data to the e-commerce marketplace. In a recent interview, Psak discussed his belief that suppliers have the potential to build a highly comprehensive electronic catalog through a combination of awareness, preparation and choice.

Consider awareness. When Amazon kicked into full throttle, by taking on Federal-Mogul, Dorman Products, and Cardone, one thing about e-commerce became vividly clear: digital cataloging is more critical than ever for selling auto parts. Amazon’s vendors understand the interconnectedness of the entire online shopping experience that revolves around a content-rich catalog.

Writing for the New York Post in January 23, 2017, Josh Kosman reported on a recent Wall Street confidential forecast that by year-end, Amazon could clear $5 billion in parts sales. What wiper blades, door handles and brake pads have in common is that they are application-specific. This feature means that an exact year-make-model match with the part number is required. Between the sales potential and product offerings, Amazon’s new suppliers appreciate the value of electronic cataloging that demands an application-specific format.

Only a handful of the auto care industry’s leading suppliers and manufacturers, says Psak, have mastered the ability to organize a trove of scattered automotive data into a compatible format for digital catalog consumption, as governed by the industry standards called ACES (Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard) and PIES (Product Information Exchange Standard). There’s no surprise in Psak’s mind that these high-performing cataloging managers for Federal-Mogul, Dorman and Cardone fit the Amazon model of publicizing the most relevant attributes for making an informed product purchase decision.

Over more than 15 years, ACES has evolved to become the industry norm for the management of the vehicle application data that makes online cataloging possible. An ACES file contains vehicle attributes, auto parts classifications and related qualifiers. These rules enable the supplier to input their product information into their customers’ databases. More suppliers, noted Psak, need to know that an ACES file is not an ACES file unless it is an XML-formatted file enabling aftermarket businesses to communicate with each other.

In a recent column written for Aftermarket Business World, GCommerce Vice President Scott Luckett likened banking ATM standards to ACES and PIES. ACES is the credit card while PIES is the issuing bank. All credit cards share the same common characteristics, notably the rectangular shape, the magnetic strip and the rounded corners. Suppose a bank repositioned the magnetic strip away from the back: no ATM could read the card. That is why a standardized XML-formatted, machine-readable exchange file consisting of vehicle configuration and product classification databases is so critical to both complementary platforms.

PIES is ACES’ cousin, which describes physical attributes for selling like brand identification, dimensions, features and benefits, etc. In banking terms, those attributes would mean credit limits, ATM fees, and logo on the card; all are unique product features that differentiate one bank from the next.

Now consider preparation. Psak notes that the common pitfalls a data manager should avoid are lumping together specific vehicle applications into a single record and stuffing multiple vehicle attributes into a single column. These practices render a part number/vehicle mismatch. Sometimes the data manager may assign an incorrect engine or transmission type, give vehicles an invalid year range, or duplicate applications. These rejection outcomes may force the manager to spend additional time and resources correcting those mistakes, which may delay a timely release or incur additional expense, he maintains.

In instances when the XML file meets the standard, describing the features-and-benefits product attributes in the PIES file is equally important, but the description is often inferior, according to Psak.

So returning to Luckett’s bank analogy, it behooves the manufacturers to differentiate their selling strengths; otherwise, price commoditization may arise if the customer perceives the values of two or more items as the same. Without specific fitment details for the customer to compare, both competing items will appear identical.

Take, for example, a retailer selling two batteries for $199.99 and $149.99. To prevent price cannibalization or product return, the well-informed database manager would describe weight, dimensions, reserve capacity, cold cranking amperage and any other possible differentiators.

“It is not good enough to stop at ACES” warns Psak, to get the application information uploaded. The whole point in electronic cataloging is to arm the DIYer and the repair shop with plenty of visual and descriptive product information.

For roughly 10 years, Amazon and Google (and brick-and-mortar retailers like Advance Auto Parts and NAPA) have pioneered the charge of mandating their suppliers to submit visuals and descriptive information that will make sense for all customer segments.

“Never assume that a DIYer knows what ‘w/mt’ means” says Psak. “It should have read ‘with manual transmission.’” Always translate technical terms that any one might  misunderstand.”

Finally, consider choice. During his 10 years running Wise Auto Data, Psak has observed that most manufacturers in the industry turn to a third party data supplier to finalize the process of providing e-commerce materials, or may skip that step and pass the file onto their retail customers to sort out themselves.

“Before you should entertain the idea of turning your catalog into an ACES/PIES format you must have clean, usable data,” which often times is not the case, Psak mentioned. Otherwise, the recipient may tack on an additional fee and the release to the retailer may end up late; or even worse, the file may not make it to press in time. Ultimately, choosing the proper data provider is a matter of compatibility, because each one has their area of expertise, service or offering. There is no universal solution, but it is important to assess the condition of the cataloging data before deciding who will work on the data catalog.

On occasion, data suppliers or e-retailers will work with catalog specialists like Psak to help them organize and prepare their data before the XML file is processed. These specialists analyze existing catalog data and prepare it for e-commerce. Sometimes organizing the data can be a quick and painless process, while at other times it requires substantial effort. Either way, data preparation saves time and money.

Taking shorts cuts to minimize preparation is a risky option. Amazon’s intent to go directly to Federal-Mogul, Dorman and Cardone has set a new precedent. Those who offer the richest data to Amazon are going to win their loyalty, which is why those manufacturers foresaw the value in ACES and PIES years ago. Amazon will only team up with those suppliers who can offer the most comprehensive and current reference data, because they know that data is the key to empowering their customers to buy parts easily and seamlessly online –– a trend that reflects a customer-centric reality.

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