LAS VEGAS -- Saying it is listening to the needs of its customers, Dana Corp. unveiled a new e-commerce platform during Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week.

Calling it "a component of Dana’s overall enterprise strategy of improving customer centricity," Peter Cirulis, vice president of customer experience, strategy, and product planning for the Dana Aftermarket Group, explained that the goal of the portal is "to make it easier to do business with Dana.”

Dana said its new e-commerce solution allows anyone to search for and accurately identify replacement parts, locate a qualified distributor, and request quotes. For aftermarket distributors, it combines search with additional functionality that enables seamless placement and tracking of orders and inventory.

As yet, however, fleets can’t order parts directly from the platform.

The site can be accessed two ways.

“General access provides better information about Dana products and allows users to find parts easier and faster,” Cirulis explained. Customers can make wish lists of parts and check on availability of parts in the Dana network. The site also helps them find Dana channel partner locations. The user then sends an electronic request for quote to get pricing information from a distributor.

Direct channel partners have all that functionality but also can see Dana pricing information and can order parts, Cirulis said.

Darryl Wray, senior manager – aftermarket, said the site has five modules:

• Parts search — parts can be looked up by component by part number, product type, product line, keyword, and interchange part number, as well as year, make, and model of vehicle

• Availability — real time inventory from Dana’s distribution center, regional logistic centers and three manufacturing plants.

• Pricing — distributor costs for stock orders, emergency orders and core deposits

• Order management — a shopping cart process for placing orders with email conformations

• Self service — immediate access to invoices, packaging slips and order status

Although fleets can’t order from the site at this time, they can send request for quotes to distributors, who then will respond with price and availability information and can get parts to the fleet.

Doug Wolma, vice president and general manager, aftermarket, says this is being done in part because Dana does not control pricing. Distributors set their own pricing levels.

He added, however, that this just the company’s initial roll out of the platform and he expects changes will be made and more functionality added in the future.

Currently, the platform’s product scope includes Spicer and SVL brand driveline products in the commercial vehicle and light vehicle markets in North America. The platform will scale to include the other Dana aftermarket brands and regions in the future, according to Cirulis.

“This new e-commerce platform is a significant advancement in Dana’s commitment to digital transformation for the aftermarket community, while improving and enabling access to replacement parts and information in all vehicle markets around the world,” he said.

Dana partnered with an experienced silicon valley firm named PhaseZero Ventures to accelerate their execution of the e-commerce platform.

Access to the online portal is available at www.SpicerParts.com/Aftermarket and www.SVLparts.com/Aftermarket.