DUBLIN, Calif. – Epicor Software Corp. has announced the addition of an automotive original equipment (OE) hard parts database and enhanced OE part lookup capabilities to the Epicor PartExpert suite of electronic catalog products. The optional new content is available immediately through the Epicor LaserCat 3 eCatalog interface.
 
The new Epicor OE for Parts Not Found feature enables LaserCat 3 users to identify the OE part number for applications for which no equivalent aftermarket part is readily available. The user can then interchange the OE number to a part from an alternative aftermarket supplier or purchase and resell a part from a local vehicle dealership.
 
Another new OE lookup feature, Epicor PartExpert OE, offers one-click access to a separate OE parts database covering popular automotive applications. This optional feature is particularly helpful for import parts specialists and other wholesalers who frequently sell parts from aftermarket manufacturers that follow OE part numbering systems, according to Epicor.
 
Epicor OE Carry Forward, another OE feature, has been available through the LaserCat 3 interface since 2011. OE Carry Forward helps users find aftermarket coverage for late-model applications that are not yet included in some suppliers’ catalog data.
 
“Each of these new lookup capabilities enhances the value the distributor or jobber can provide to the repair business and allows them to reach out to new customers, including import specialists that might otherwise rely exclusively on dealership parts departments,” said Steve Bieszczat, senior vice president, automotive and marketing, retail distribution solutions for Epicor.
 
Epicor PartExpert replacement parts data and eCatalog products are used in more than 70 percent of aftermarket parts sales in North America, the company stated. The comprehensive PartExpert database includes more than 8 million parts, 7,500 manufacturer product lines and 22 million interchanges.