Detroit Diesel Corp. (DDC), Detroit, Mich., announces its aftermarket parts operation has reached a milestone -- completion of the first year of operating an online e-parts catalog system

on its Product Information Management (PIM) platform.
The platform, based on Pricedex software, provides web, CD and e-print-on-demand parts books for more than 5 million engines to support its global network of more than 2,700 dealers and distributors.
Efficiency gains and customer service improvements have been significant. They include the ability to publish and distribute product information globally, in local languages, in two or three days instead of several months; significant reduction in comebacks, credit notes and customer service requests due to synchronized data from DDC through to its dealers and distributors; easier on-screen parts interpretation for customers through enhanced image management and image quality; and same day, e-print-on-demand service to dealers and distributors for custom owner/operator parts books.
What started as a need to replace an outdated parts pricing system turned into developing a full-blown PIM system. In the process, the company gained new efficiencies, significantly reduced costs and optimized market share, revenue and profit.
“When we were considering how to make it easier for our customers to do business with us, no one was talking about Product Information Management as a business practice or a business system,” says John Ruck, director of aftermarket parts marketing. “But we knew what we wanted, and where we wanted to go, and with the help of some thought leaders in our IT department and the innovations and expertise of our business partner, Pricedex, we achieved more than we initially anticipated. And because their software is an off-the-shelf solution, the cost has been easily justified several times over in the first year alone.”
He explained that now product information gets into the hands of dealers and distributors even before the product arrives in the warehouse. The process is faster, more accurate and requires fewer people.
DDC’s e-Parts Catalog was officially launched at the beginning of 2004. Because it’s based on the Pricedex PIM platform, it integrates with back-office legacy ERP systems and other sources of product, part and pricing information. In addition, all information is cross-referenced so users can retrieve what they are looking for with a model number or serial number. Cross-referencing enables direct linkage to service manuals, exploded diagrams, parts lists, substitute parts, or even a supersession history for easy parts interpretation.
With the system, DDC publishes in a wide number of formats and can easily exchange XML product data for any business or industry standard such as UCC.NET, the AAIA Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES) and other proprietary formats to suit its heavy-duty, off road and industrial sales channels.
DDC¹s catalog managers use the system's Catalog Management Console to manage images, serial number resources, impart supersession information, and a categorization feature similar to the light aftermarket Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and Vehicle Configuration Data Base (VCDB) catalogs. In fact, the system can easily maintain the AAIA Catalog Enhanced Standards (ACES) structure for those manufacturers who serve both the heavy-duty and light-vehicle markets.
According to DDC, it’s been four years since the initial Pricedex implementation and one year for the e-Catalog solution, and the impact has been far-reaching. Benefits thus far have extended to users of the system, the company's operational performance and ultimately to end-customers through greatly improved overall service.
Next to the dramatic improvements gained through e-Catalog online publishing, another critical improvement has been in the area of price management and customer service. DDS almost immediately stopped revenue leakage caused by delays in effecting price changes to various market channels. It is also able to conduct pricing analysis and publish prices more accurately in a matter of days, to adjust to fluctuating market conditions, competitive pressures and raw material costs.
“For every month we can get our prices to the market sooner, we reclaim $1.5 million in bottom line profit that was otherwise being lost to us,” explains Ruck. He says this alone was justification for the system and it continues to pay multiple dividends.
Brockville, Ontario-based Pricedex Software Inc. has pioneered the development of product information management solutions to meet the unique needs of the automotive and heavy-duty aftermarket, aerospace and manufacturing industries. Pricedex software establishes, manages and maintains product and part relationships, pricing methodologies, catalog structures and business rules and logic. It leverages existing infrastructure by integrating with existing back-office, ERP, engineering and eCommerce systems.
For more information, go to www.pricedex.com.