New Mitchell 1 Manager/Manager Plus Version 5.7 Offers Exclusive Selection of Parts Vendors
The latest version of Mitchell 1’s Manager/Manager Plus Version 5.7 offers a new feature — a selection of parts vendors and catalogs including the industry’s three premier parts providers — NAPA, CARQUEST and O’Reilly.
AAIA eCommerce Standards Training Hosted By DENSO Sales
The popular University of the Aftermarket program, “Industry Standards for Aftermarket eCommerce,” will be hosted by DENSO Sales California, Inc. in Long Beach, Calif. on March 14-15, 2005. Produced by the AAIA Technology Standards and Solutions Committee, this two-day program covers the basics about the electronic catalog standard (ACES) and the Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES). New this year, the seminar will include material about the Internet Parts Ordering (IPO) standard and the PARTnerShip Network eCommerce solution.
CARSTAR Announces Executive Promotions
CARSTAR, one of North America’s largest collision repair organizations, has promoted three of its executives. Daren Fristoe, most recently senior vice president, has been promoted to the position of chief administrative officer for CARSTAR. Fristoe will continue to provide the company with corporate leadership, specifically focusing on the areas of human resources, training and education, franchise communication and services, corporate marketing and community initiatives. Fristoe joined the CARSTAR organization in May of 2002 after serving as vice president of human resources at eScout, LLC.
Collaborative Effort Results in First XML Industry Standard for Vendor Managed Inventory
DST and EDM, both solutions providers for the automotive and heavy duty parts industries, have jointly announced the successful integration of EDM’s Datalliance, the company’s Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) service, with DST’s DSTWare business and warehouse management systems platforms. Utilizing XML transaction support in Datalliance, this project creates the first VMI industry standard. As a result, VMI capabilities are now available to all DST customers, as well as to other organizations utilizing XML to exchange data via the Internet.
MISG Announces Major TRANSNET Initiative
MISG/TRANSNET has been the aftermarket’s premiere method for transmitting electronic purchase orders for almost 30 years. The system enables distributors and retailers to create paperless purchase orders and deliver them to aftermarket manufacturers. When warehouse distributors and retailers send Transnet orders directly to suppliers’ computer systems, errors and order-processing delays are essentially eliminated, resulting in more accurate and timely shipments and improved supply chain relations.
Executive Interview with Hoon Chung, President & CEO of DST, Inc.
Our latest edition of “Executive Interview” features Hoon Chung, who was recently named president and CEO of DST, Inc., in Mission Viejo, Calif. Chung has more than 20 years of management experience in supply chain management and technology deployment services. Prior to his role as the Automotive Group senior vice president and general manager at Activant, he was the COO of Adexa, Inc., which delivers intelligent enterprise business planning and performance management solutions that link strategic, tactical and operational aspects in optimizing enterprise-wide supply chain planning and synchronization. Chung recently talked with aftermarketNews.com about his new appointment to lead DST, what he envisions for the company’s future and what he brings from his experience in other industries.
icarz, Inc. Announces PartsWatch 2.0 Now Available
icarz has announced general availability of the latest version of its flagship product, PartsWatch. PartsWatch is a comprehensive store management system with built-in Internet connectivity. The new release includes additional cataloging, pricing and reporting feature enhancements as well as an improved GUI.
i*SHOP Announces the Release of Version 2.0 Specification
The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) announced the release of the i*SHOP version 2.0 specification, marking a significant advance in the industry standard for the interoperability of shop equipment and systems.
Executive Interview with Tom Ward, President, Snap-on Diagnostics
Our latest edition of “Executive Interview” features Tom Ward, president of Snap-on Diagnostics, a global business focused on improving technician and workshop productivity around the world. Join us as Ward gives us an inside look at Snap-on Diagnostics, including information on some recently launched products. Ward also talks about the trends and challenges in automotive diagnostics and repair and how the division works to address these issues.
DST Asks: How Do you Make Strategic Business Decisions
There are almost as many sources of reference for making strategic business decisions as there are choices for planning and securing your future. Our respondents to last week’s question were in agreement that it takes collaborative efforts to design and implement a corporate roadmap, including internal management, consultants, observing and copying competitors’ strategies, industry journals and publications and technology supplier partnerships.