RICHFIELD, Ohio – Snap-on Business Solutions and OEConnection have announced a new collaborative solution designed to help franchised automotive dealerships sell replacement parts to independent repair facilities.
The integrated solutions, called RepairLink with MORE, will drastically simplify the process through which independent repair shops find, order, and receive replacement automotive parts from original equipment dealers in the U.S., according to the two companies.
“To say that this solution comes at a critical time for the automotive industry would be an understatement,” said Mary Beth Siddons, president of Snap-on Business Solutions. “We at Snap-on and OEConnection are committed to and beyond excited by this opportunity to provide our partners in the automotive dealership space with the innovative, unprecedented tools they need to be able to sell more parts.”
RepairLink with MORE (Mechanical Original Replacement Equipment) is a single-source online sales channel through which independent repair facilities will be able to order genuine automotive parts from franchised dealerships for every vehicle they service. No such unified sales channel for original automotive parts exists today, the companies said.
According to Charles Rotuno, president and chief executive officer of OEConnection, said, the combination of RepairLink with MORE will help auto manufacturers and dealerships grow their parts businesses by dramatically enhancing the customer experience.
In the U.S., OEConnection and Snap-on Business Solutions serve a combined footprint of more than 15,000 franchised automotive dealerships. In addition, provides nearly half of the independent repair shops in the U.S. with service estimate and business management solutions through its Mitchell 1 business unit.
RepairLink with MORE addresses some of the key factors that drive independent shops’ decisions about where they source parts. The solution gives independent shops immediate access to current part pricing and availability through a robust, convenient e-commerce storefront. This service provides OEM quality parts data, including VIN filtering and technical illustrations, for every part they service. It also automates the ordering process and provides instant delivery updates.
“RepairLink with MORE will make it much easier for independent shops to buy quality original parts,” says Ken Satz, product manager for Snap-on Business Solutions. “Right now, those shops only get about 20 percent of their parts from original equipment dealers. By eliminating the hassle of ordering by phone and by putting part availability right at the fingertips of independent shops, both they and their customers are certain to benefit.”
Plans are in place to begin rolling the service out in select markets in May 2009.
