VANCOUVER, B.C. — PARTSFORCE AUTOMOTIVE, a provider business intelligence and electronic parts marketing services to collision parts vendors, announced that it will challenge State Farm’s Select Service discount OEM parts program with its own system.

Introduced earlier this year, the State Farm program makes OEM parts from a limited number of dealers available to insurers at discount prices, using well-known electronic parts ordering systems.

PARTSFORCE’s own answer is called the PARTSFORCE Electronic Parts Marketing Management System (EPMMS). Delivered as a Web application, the EPMMS service allows participating dealers to discount select parts to all insurers alike and customize availability and pricing according to local market needs.

"This program [State Farm’s program] bypasses shops by allowing parts dealers to go directly to insurers on the basis of retail price rather than repairers of the basis on wholesale discount," explained Gary Cross, PARTSFORCE’s VP of Industry Relations. He continued, "We appreciate the advent of competitors in this type of service, as their presence can only draw more attention to PARTSFORCE and its advantages.

"If some of State Farm’s participating parts dealers feel they can ride the back of the tiger, that’s their choice," Cross added. "However, I think they should know about the PARTSFORCE EPMMS, a robust and flexible service that gives their competitors — our customers — the tools to fight back."

"For years collision repairers have attempted win business from insurers each by bidding each other into oblivion. These have always been short-lived victories," said Cross. "Sadly, some parts dealers appear to have learned nothing from the experiences of their customers."

The PARTSFORCE EPMMS Web-based application is currently used by more than 130 collision parts wholesalers and their agents in the United States, according to the company.

For more information, visit: www.partsforce.com.