BETHESDA, Md. – The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) is reporting unanimous support from leading aftermarket data receivers for the free Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES) Interchange Transformation Utility software the association recently published. The data receivers include Activant, Advance Auto, AutoZone, CARQUEST Auto Parts, CSK Auto, NAPA, O’Reilly Auto Parts and WHI Solutions. The software supports PIES and allows the easy transformation of interchange data files from a flat file format (spreadsheet) to the industry standard XML format.
"The PIES Interchange Transformation Utility was developed at the urging of the data receivers to simplify and accelerate the task of getting interchange data from suppliers in the industry standard format," said Scott Luckett, vice president, technology standards and solutions, AAIA. "Suppliers who make use of the open source utility will be able to supply data in the format specified by all of the leading aftermarket receivers using data files that are readily available. This will help suppliers concentrate on the quality of the data and avoid wasting valuable time processing different formats of the same information."
Speaking on behalf of the data receivers, Bob Rogers, director of electronic catalog operations, Advance Auto Parts, said, "Eventually, the entire aftermarket will routinely exchange PIES-compliant data files. But our company, along with many other data receivers, wanted to remove the technical roadblocks that exist today. By supporting the AAIA PIES Interchange Transformation Utility, we believe suppliers, large and small, can all support the data requirements of the industry. We encourage all suppliers to download the free utility and use it to supply interchange data to their channel partners."
The PIES Interchange Transformation Utility is available at no cost from the PIES page of the AAIA Web site, by clicking "Standards & Technology" at www.aftermarket.org.
