DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Bell & Howell Create On-line Parts and Service Portal
7 December 2000
DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Bell & Howell Create On-line Parts and Service Portal
DETROIT, Dec. 7 Ford Motor Company's Automotive Consumer
Services Group, the Mopar Parts Division of DaimlerChrysler Corporation,
General Motors Service Parts Operations and Bell & Howell jointly announced
today that they have combined efforts to form a business-to-business
integrated original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts and service portal.
This new, yet-to-be-named venture will be the OE connection for parts and
service, providing dealers and their wholesale customers a secure single
source for their parts and service needs. It will facilitate the flow of OEM
parts between franchised dealers and their customers, beginning with
independent collision shops. Plans are to first launch this portal in the
U.S. and Canada, with the vision of going global.
"This venture creates a common OEM replacement parts and service portal
that will automate and integrate the parts and service supply chain among the
OE manufacturer, its dealers and each dealer's wholesale customers --
including collision shops, fleets and mechanical repair shops," said Chuck
Rotuno, formerly senior vice president and general manager, Global Automotive
Publishing, at Bell & Howell Publishing Services, and the venture's newly
appointed president and CEO.
"The goals of this venture are to radically improve information flows
between dealers and their customers; streamline transactions; reduce costs
while improving efficiencies and customer satisfaction, and facilitate the
sale of genuine OE quality parts in a secure environment," continued Rotuno.
Expected products and services include business-to-business links between
dealers and their customers; integration into existing business management
systems; parts locating and transaction capabilities; electronic data
validation and conversion, and OEM parts and service information.
The three automakers and Bell & Howell are equity participants in the new
venture. Bell & Howell is the lead technology partner.
"Dozens of dotcoms have popped up, each with the promise of bringing an
Internet-based solution to automotive parts retailing," said John F. Smith, GM
vice president and general manager of GM Service Parts Operations. "This
venture is different for two reasons. First, it represents the three largest
vehicle manufacturers in the U.S. and the leading provider of automotive parts
catalogs. These players have resources and their respective existing dealer
and customer bases to assure success. Second, we have the bricks to go with
the clicks. We have OE parts; up-to-date OE catalog data; OEM service
information, and the largest dealer network in the world to service the
automotive repair aftermarket. No other players have such extensive assets."
"By building upon our existing systems with the reach and real-time power
of the Internet, our dealers will be able to provide increased levels of
service to their customers," said Darrell Davis, senior vice president,
DaimlerChrysler Corporation Service and Parts Operations. "This new portal
will allow parts to flow more efficiently at the dealer level, as well as
giving their customers unprecedented accuracy in choosing the right part and
having it delivered faster than ever before."
Mike Jordan, president of Ford's Automotive Consumer Services Group, said,
"U.S. dealers, many of whom have already invested heavily in technology
solutions, are being bombarded by a dizzying array of dotcom wonders that
promise to revolutionize their parts and service supply flow. Dealers are
forced to spend more to keep up with the competition, but even the latest and
greatest technology options are not providing the efficiencies and process
enhancements they need. At the same time, their best customers are demanding
more, better and faster service. Dealers know they've got to move, or risk
being left behind. This new e-tool will greatly expand their e-potential and
provide the OE parts and service connection they seek."
The initial product offering of this new venture is CollisionLink(TM)
(patent pending) developed by Bell & Howell. CollisionLink(TM) electronically
facilitates the parts quoting, ordering, and order validation processes
between dealers and collision shops in a secure environment.
"Due to our integration with existing collision estimating systems,
collision shops send their estimate by the Internet to their existing dealer
provider of choice -- 24/7," said Jim Roemer, chief executive officer of
Bell & Howell. "The estimate is electronically 'scrubbed' or validated,
resulting in receiving the right part the first time, reducing returned parts,
repair delays and other associated costs, decreasing repair cycle time, and
getting customers back into their cars more quickly."
While initial product and service functionality will target dealer-to-
collision shop and dealer-to-dealer transactions, this parts and service
portal could eventually support all dealer wholesale parts transactions
including those to fleet and independent service center customers. This OEM
portal will be an Internet site for dealers selling genuine OEM parts to their
customers.
Other affiliates and alliances of the three automakers are also planning
to participate in this OEM parts and service portal. These include Isuzu,
Jaguar, Land Rover, Mazda, Saab, Saturn, Subaru and Volvo.