TecAlliance is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the TecDoc Standard this year. This well-known global standard makes it possible to identify spare parts and vehicles quickly and accurately in more than 140 countries around the world and is translated into 35 languages. Today, the TecDoc Standard is synonymous with excellent data quality in the automotive aftermarket (AM). It also is the basis for the development of intelligent applications for future mobility concepts.

The TecDoc data standard was introduced in 1994 so as to create a uniform data format for collecting, publishing and distributing high-quality spare parts information. The TecDoc Standard makes it possible to identify spare parts and vehicles quickly and accurately; and enables optimized automated and digitalized process solutions throughout the entire the aftermarket supply chain. To mark its 25th anniversary year, TecAlliance has announced the official launch of the new “version 3.0” of the TecDoc Catalog, which is one of the leading global spare parts catalogs, and is based on the TecDoc data standard. With this action, TecAlliance is providing a new level of performance and effectiveness in the identification and application of spare parts for the marketplace.

“Data has always been a passion with us. We will continue to develop and refine the TecDoc Standard since it is an important driver and enabler of the standardization and digitalization of the Automotive Aftermarket,” says Jürgen Buchert, CEO of TecAlliance GmbH. “Thanks to this data standard, it is possible to identify a spare part and sell it around the globe. In the future, the standard will be the foundation for developing and implementing intelligent applications for future mobility concepts.”

Comparability and transparency of product data across the globe
Even today, the TecDoc Standard continues to be synonymous with excellent data quality. It ensures comparability, efficiency, transparency and quality of product data in the global automotive aftermarket. Until the spare parts data was standardized in the mid-1990s, it was not clear whether parts applications had been allocated to the correct vehicle type. This forced a time-consuming process that relied on trial and error, as well as technical knowledge. While technical knowledge will always be an important element in the process of parts development and application, unfortunately, without standardization, the result was high error rates and the accompanying negative effect on the business and customer satisfaction.

In 1994, 21 leading companies from the international automotive spare parts industry came together with the standardization initiative under the name of TecDoc. Each vehicle type was clearly and unmistakably defined and linked to the relevant spare parts. Thanks to the TecDoc Standard and the TecDoc Catalog based on the standard, the ambiguity about vehicles and their matching spare parts has been essentially eliminated. This has been the case around the globe because the international standard enables seamless co-operation in more than 140 countries and in 35 languages.

Vehicle and spare parts information available in excellent quality
The TecDoc Standard has become a reliable seal for excellent-quality spare parts, parts information and data. In business, the TecDoc Standard enables data quality and web services for effective e-business as well as tailor-made online catalogs. Workshops profit from accurate spare parts identification and comprehensive and accurate repair and maintenance information in the TecDoc Catalog. And, parts manufacturers benefit from the TecDoc Standard because it provides them access to new markets and entirely new global arenas in which to do business. 

Great data is the foundation for the global digital future. By launching the new version 3.0 of the TecDoc Catalog at the beginning 2019, TecAlliance set a new benchmark in the area of spare parts identification. The TecDoc Catalog now includes more than 110,000 vehicle types, 6.6 million sets of article details from more than 700 brands, 254 million links as well as 48 article groups.