LIVERMORE, Calif. – Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance shareholder Piston Ring Service Co. said it is leveraging several features of its Activant Eagle business management system and Activant LaserCat 3 electronic catalog to reduce lost sales caused by incomplete parts data.
The Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada-based distributor reports that it is saving incremental sales each day across its 25 company stores through its use of the Activant Eagle system. By using the system to quickly cross-reference parts application data through the Activant LaserCat 3 catalog, Activant All Lines and Activant BuyerAssist tools, the company’s counter people can quickly identify and sell parts that are in stock but are not listed in manufacturer-supplied catalog data, according to Trevor Tennant, corporate development manager for Piston Ring.
Tennant noted that what makes this process so powerful is the tight integration of the Activant LaserCat 3 catalog and the Microsoft Windows-based Activant Eagle system, which enables the user to identify and sell more parts with only a few mouse clicks. “We have counter people across our network who are each saving one sale almost every day using these tools,” he said. “Just a few minutes ago we saved a $400 hard parts sale by using the Activant BuyerAssist feature to quickly analyze the coverage of a competing manufacturer’s part number and then the corresponding, non-cataloged part from our primary manufacturer. Our own supplier didn’t know this part number fit the application, but the Activant tools allowed us to make the sale.”
The most common process for searching for a non-cataloged part is to find a competing supplier’s part number and then “interchange back” to the preferred brand. In cases when the part is not properly listed by the manufacturer, however, the interchange might be incorrect or out of date. Together with Activant All Lines, the Activant BuyerAssist tool provides the Activant LaserCat 3 catalog user with a list of other applications covered by the competitor’s part number. He or she can then look up these applications through the preferred manufacturer and select the right part for the customer’s job.
“If you’re the counterperson in this situation, unless you’re using Activant’s LaserCat 3 catalog, you’ve hit an absolute dead-end,” Tennant said. “But in our scenario, we get the sale and everyone’s happy. This is the type of capability that puts us ahead of the competition in the eyes of the installer.”
“Piston Ring is known for providing their store professionals with the best business management, catalog and point-of-sale tools,” said Tom Aliotti, senior vice president and general manager of the Activant automotive business. “Their ability to increase sales is a result of their commitment to continuous improvement and sharing best practices throughout the entire company, along with their investment in the Activant Eagle solution.”
The Activant Eagle system is a comprehensive business management solution built for the smallest to largest jobbers and distributors. The functionally rich, user-friendly system runs on the latest Windows technology at more than 7,000 locations operated by independent small and medium-sized businesses in many markets.
The Activant BuyerAssist tool is a full-featured, easy-to-use buyer’s guide that provides fast, convenient access to Activant’s comprehensive database of part numbers, applications and interchanges from more than 800 aftermarket manufacturers. The All Lines feature of the Activant LaserCat 3 eCatalog enables counter professionals to access parts information across any cataloged line so they can more effectively cross-reference part numbers or procure products from other sources.
