LAS VEGAS Know Your Parts, the industry awareness and education campaign launched by the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) at AAPEX 2009, has released its latest report analyzing the impact of low-quality parts on the automotive aftermarket industry. The study was introduced last week at AAPEX 2010 in Las Vegas.
“Determining a part’s quality can be difficult," said Steve Handschuh, AASA president and COO. "Generic, low-quality parts may appear identical to quality parts but it’s impossible to see the poor quality inside. These low-quality parts pose a potential threat to the safety of the motoring public and repair professionals, which we’ve addressed in our new Special Report, ‘Aftermarket Industry Image: Why Premium Aftermarket Products Deliver the Best Value.’"
The report also details the new “Supplier Evaluation Standards,” developed by a task force of the AASA Marketing Executives Council and launched at AAPEX. The standards focus on these specific question categories:
Product specifications and quality
Line content and completeness
Application research and catalogs
Product availability and distribution
Sales representation and manpower
Marketing programs and support
Technical support and training
Product liability and warranty
Intellectual property protection
Terms and conditions
Other AASA Special Reports available at the Know Your Parts series include:
Independent Aftermarket Image: Quality Does Matter
Direct Importing: Do the Risks Outweigh the Reward?
Reseller Liability on Will-Fit, Private Label and Counterfeit Products
Social Networking 101: Legal Obstacles Defined
Details about the campaign are available at the AASA Know Your Parts website.