LENEXA, Kan. – Automotive Parts Associates (APA) has selected Pricedex Software Inc. to provide an online supplier portal for product information exchange with its members. The software solution, called the APA Pricing Portal, will enable suppliers to upload price files, new product announcements and other marketing material, which will be automatically distributed to APA member companies.
“We are very excited about the launch of the Professionals’ Choice Pricing Portal and our partnership with Pricedex,” said Gary Martin, president and CEO of APA. “With the pricing portal, suppliers will now be able to submit their price files online, which will automatically be made available to our members, clearly showing them new product pricing, pricing changes and parts supersessions. And, with the help of Pricedex, we have set this up using the AWDA Product Information Exchange Standards (PIES) standard, to make it easy for our suppliers to create their files, and easy for our members to use.
“After a rigorous and thorough selection process, the partnership with Pricedex was approved by our board of directors,” added Martin. “This strategic initiative is part of our ‘i-success’ program, which incorporates a number of enabling and transformative technologies designed to improve the efficiency of conducting business between APA shareholders and vendors. The Professionals’ Choice Pricing Portal leverages all the investments our aftermarket industry has made in creating PIES standards, and puts one of the most difficult and complex information exchange processes – the price list – into practical production and use.”
Terence O’Reilly, Pricedex CEO, added, “We are very pleased to be working with APA, in bringing this innovative and ‘industry-first’ initiative forward. While the industry has been focused on PIES and ACES data for the purpose of populating catalogs, this particular use of the PIES standard is the first time receivers of product data will actually be getting their net pricing in an AWDA-PIES format file for direct load into their business systems. The brain trust at APA, with this pricing portal initiative, is truly giving their members and suppliers a competitive leg up by simplifying how pricing is handled between trading partners.”
Martin said the system is “up and ready to go.” APA suppliers will be contacted by APA, and will be given scheduled appointments to help them with the first-time use and loading of the pricing portal. Suppliers will have a designated contact at Pricedex to help them every step of the way, making it easy to get online with APA, Martin added.
