The next catalog revolution is here

June 22, 2016
We’re in the midst of a second catalog revolution, one that once again will separate businesses committed to strong growth from those that are at risk of losing touch with the changing needs of today’s aftermarket customers.

Prior to 1984, the concept of an all-brands aftermarket electronic catalog was almost inconceivable.  True, paper catalogs were (and remain) obsolete almost from the minute they went to press. True, an incorrect part number or application listing in a paper catalog can do untold damage to a business’s reputation until the next volume is printed. And true, the need to dig through multiple, thick print volumes adds unnecessary cost and complexity to most transactions. Still, many distributors and jobbers were reluctant to abandon their catalog racks until someone could provide a compelling reason to invest in the new technology.

The market provided that reason, as it always does, and it is delivering an equally powerful message some 32 years later. In short, we’re in the midst of a second catalog revolution, one that once again will separate businesses committed to strong growth from those that are at risk of losing touch with the changing needs of today’s aftermarket customers.

How we got here

The arrival of parts proliferation in the early 1980s sent shock waves through the aftermarket distribution channel, with wholesalers confronting rapidly escalating capital requirements. At the same time, the increased sophistication of vehicle systems brought difficult new diagnostic challenges to service providers and, by extension, to their parts providers. Suddenly, these wholesalers were faced with the need to sell more parts to more customers for more applications in less time. Not surprisingly, speed, accuracy and efficiency became the defining characteristics of successful parts businesses, with the eCatalog serving as a vital contributor to all three.

Let’s return to 2016. Parts proliferation continues. The average passenger car has more computing power than an Apollo spacecraft. Perhaps more challenging, however, is the ongoing revolution in consumer expectations. The industry’s 5 o’clock promise has become the noon or 2 p.m. demand. Many consumers don’t want to hear about the time needed for comprehensive diagnostics because they believe (often wrongly) Google, YouTube or some other resource has already told them what’s wrong with their vehicles. Some want to provide their own parts. We live in interesting times – times that make the eCatalog, and more specifically its ever-expanding content – a parts wholesaler’s most important competitive asset.

The growth ahead

Microsoft’s Bill Gates declared “Content is king” way back in 1996.  In truth, Gates wasn’t referring to an aftermarket parts catalog, yet his words were indeed prophetic for the thousands of parts distributors and jobbers who today are searching for what Epicor calls the “next 20” – 20 new professional accounts, 20-percent sales growth and/or, hopefully, a 20-percent increase in profitability.  These are lofty goals to be sure, but aiming high is what every market leader must do in an age of increasing competition. And in order to aim high, you must have the right assets: the right business partnerships, employees, brands, products, and, yes, eCatalog content.

In recognition of this fact, our company, which invented the aftermarket eCatalog back in 1984, recently realigned the value proposition of the Epicor PartExpert® electronic catalog.  Whereas parts lookup – in the form of applications listings, interchanges, buyer’s guides and other fundamental tools – has long been the primary interest of eCatalog users, today’s digital content extends into important new areas of value. Any counter professional at any business can look up parts, but only the best can become vital partners in their customers’ repair experience.  This is accomplished through the counterperson’s knowledge combined with such value-added insight as email-able product photos/diagrams, installation instructions, labor estimating information, manufacturer TSBs, data on corresponding OE parts, integrated VIN decoding, access to brands and parts not normally stocked, and much more.

Offering simple make/model/year lookup capabilities no longer meets or anticipates the needs of today’s aftermarket customers.  The future of the parts distribution channel depends on each business’s ability to provide a superior customer experience through every interaction, whether at the counter, on the phone or via a Web portal.

The electronic catalog is central to this challenge, and accessing and using only a fraction of the content available through your eCat is a recipe for lost sales. Many of our own eCatalog users have already discovered they can increase sales and customer loyalty by using the complete bundle of available content. The total customer experience can and should be your competitive advantage in today’s market.

Optimizing the customer experience – through access to extensive new eCatalog content at every counter position – is our industry’s shared challenge and opportunity.  At Epicor, we have made this commitment to the future and hope you will do the same for the benefit of your employees and customers.  Content is indeed “king;” just make sure you, and not some other parts provider, is ruling your market.

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