NSF expands certified distributor pool

Dec. 3, 2013
California-based Professional Parts Group is the latest distributor to meet the Automotive Collision Parts Distributor program requirements.
Another parts distributor has achieved certification under NSF International's Automotive Collision Parts Distributor program. Professional Parts Group, a San Dimas, Calif.-based collision parts distributor, is the latest company to achieve certification.

“Our designation as an NSF International Certified Distributor is a key factor in meeting customer’s expectations,” says Christopher Northup, CEO and managing partner of Professional Parts Group. “The Professional Parts Group is focused on quality and integrity at every level and every professional in our company contributed to our success in achieving this important certification from NSF.”

The distributor program was developed in 2011 to complement the NSF Automotive Collision Replacement Parts Certification Program, which certifies aftermarket parts like bumpers, brackets, plastic, lighting, and absorbers. That program competes with the Certified Automotive Parts Association's (CAPA's) similar certification program, and the two associations nearly sparred in court in 2010 after the NSF program was announced.

The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPS) worked closely with NSF to develop the distributor program.

"ABPA approached us about this," says Bob Frayer, director of NSF's automotive parts certification programs. "Through our discussions, it became apparent that in order to grow the parts certification program, we needed to have a strong distributor certification program as well. We spent all this energy on the manufacturers to make sure the parts are the equivalent of the OE service pars, but they weren't getting to the shop for the repairs."

The problem, Frayer says, was parts substitutions at the distributor level. A shop may order a certified part, but if it turned out the part was out of stock, distributors were sending non-certified parts instead just to fill the order. NSF conducted numerous test orders of parts certified under their program, only to have non-certified parts show up at delivery.

"I'd call the distributor back, and he'd say they knew we would just want the part so we could make the vehicle repair," Frayer says. "That really cemented in my mind the importance of having the distributors on board."

That is one of the key requirements of the certification: that if a distributor receives an order for an NSF or CAPA certified part, they are not allowed to make a replacement without the explicit permission of the shop ordering the part. "There has to be documentation on file to indicate who gave that authorization," Frayer says.

The distributor certification focuses on traceability and quality. To become certified, distributors have to demonstrate the effectiveness of their record keeping and inventory systems in tracking orders and parts throughout the supply chain; achieve ISO 9001 quality management certification; establish a defective parts procedure and customer complaint process; be able to administer a manufacturer recall; and be able to develop formal corrective actions for complains and institute immediate recall plans.

The distributors also have to be able to accurately track inventory so that when an order comes in, they know if the certified parts are in stock. "There has to be a way to verify that inventory and track it accurately," Frayer says. "That means you have to have a computer-based system."

The first distributor to receive certification was LKQ Corp. Since then, a number of other companies have been certified, including PartsChannel, Micro Platers and Paint, and National Autobody Parts Warehouse.

According to Frayer, NSF has continued to reach out to shops and distributors at industry meetings. NSF now has a dedicated employee working specifically on shop outreach. NSF also presented a class at NACE on certification of both parts an distributors.

The organization is also working on developing a solution to help shops find certified distributors in their area. "We've been in contact with CCC, Mitchell and Audatex to discuss adding that a s field in the estimating system, so when a shop looks for parts, they can identify if it is from an NSF certified distributor. We're working with the insurers to drive that functionality."

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