Establishing a top-tier automotive parts supplier is a tall order, especially when a company is just starting out. Water pump startup NovaPacific had everything in place to make sure it developed high-quality auto parts.
To help customers find the correct part for their application and provide ACES files to support customers and eCat providers, NovaPacific turned to Vertical Development. With the ShowMeTheParts database system, NovaPacific could get accurate information to customers while still being able to add to its growing portfolio of parts.
NovaPacific offers water pumps that are ISO/TS 16949:2009 and TÜV certified to ensure high quality control. Their kaizen-based production process aims at achieving defect-free products while being able to maintain 99 percent fill rates for customer orders. Since opening about one year ago, NovaPacific has expanded its offerings to cover nearly 98 percent of the light-duty vehicles on the road. That includes 227 SKUs introduced in just the past two months, increasing the total offerings by more than 30 percent.
When NovaPacific saw the capabilities of ShowMeTheParts, the company decided it was the best way to get parts information from its broad portfolio into the hands of thousands of potential buyers.
Vertical Development created ShowMeTheParts as an online complement to its catalog mapping services. It's a large public parts database offering millions of entries with interchange information, specifications, data sheets, photographs and three-dimensional views. All this information is accessible online through a web interface that works on computers and mobile devices. The system is scalable, allowing retail businesses, distributors and manufacturers like NovaPacific to use ShowMeTheParts in a form that best fits their needs.
ShowMeTheParts uses an HTML5-based front end with an API that integrates with existing sites, which means both current and prospective customers can visit NovaPacific's website and look up parts information from any modern browser.
The database gives users four ways to find the information they need for ordering, letting them find what they need without having to contact customer service. Customers search for parts by the vehicle model: once the correct model, year, trim, and other options are selected from the menu, the database shows compatible part numbers. Compatible parts also can be found using the vehicle's VIN, which eliminates confusion about trims, engines and other components that can help determine which pump is correct for an application. Since the VIN is etched onto the vehicle and printed on auto insurance cards, it's easy for customers at parts stores and mechanics to find.
Searches also can be done based on the part itself. A cross-referencing option can find the right NovaPacific part based on the part numbers from other suppliers, while the "Part Search" option displays all the compatible vehicles for an SKU. Both options make it easy to find a replacement part and helps stores and warehouses ensure local coverage.
NovaPacific’s customers say they like how ShowMeTheParts gives them the ability to access and cross-reference its entire product range with a few mouse clicks, letting them find the parts they need from the company's extensive line of merchandise. Employees like the support they've received from Vertical Development as well as using Vertical Development do it for me service to update NovaPacific’s applications and create timely ACES updates. With timelier application and product information, NovaPacific and its clients better utilize existing inventory to increase fill-rate.
The partnership has also been instrumental in presenting NovaPacific as a committed supplier. Meeting TÜV and ISO standards are proof of the quality of NovaPacific parts, similarly, working with Vertical Development ensures the availability and accuracy of parts information.
In a recent two-month period, NovaPacific said it added 68 customers, and it became an approved supplier for TruStar Inc. Through TruStar, NovaPacific can reach independent shops and distributors across the U.S, Canada and Mexico.
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