Parts suppliers want you to order online, train over the Internet

To say that the Internet has changed how people conduct their business is to be indulging in a tired clich. From grocery shopping to renting movies, the Internet has become for many the only way to conduct business. Picking up a phone to buy something is becoming one of those quaint habits that one hears about from elders, the same people who once had rotary phones, used paper-based airline tickets and had LP records instead of MP3s. Parts suppliers realize younger technicians and service writers are so used to doing things over the Internet that they would not think of working for anyone who did not have a high-speed connection to the Net. As well, technicians and service writers demand that their online experience be intuitive, flexible and fast. They don’t want to be wasting time trying to navigate sites that give them poor information or lack necessary detail for making the right parts order; or bogs them down with irrelevant information. And technicians looking for training are turning in greater numbers to the Internet to both keep their skills up-to-date, and to get up-to-speed on technical issues before taking an in-depth classroom course.

Getting part information faster, more accurately

Many early versions of online parts ordering systems had a tendency to ask service writers and technicians for a lot of information upfront, asking for the filling in of numerous fields to define the vehicle, make, model and other information well before a part could be ordered. The problem is it not only took a lot of time to fill out the different fields, but there was a tendency for errors to creep in. Now, online parts ordering systems have moved to simplify the process by reducing the number of fields and to have information about what a technician will need for a job come up much faster.

Rob Hutchison, ACDelco project manager with ACDelco Canada in Oshawa, Ont. says the Wise Internet Parts (WIP) ordering system simplifies things for a service writer and technician by making sure to list all the parts and accessories needed for a particular job so there is no mistaking what parts to order.

Hutchison gives the example of an A/C repair for a Honda Accord 2002. Specifying the vehicle has a 4-cylinder engine and the job at hand is an A/C repair needing a new compressor, WIP will not only check to see if the part is available and provides a part number, it will list for the service writer the selling price, the core price and even if the part is a special order. For a technician, WIP will list the other parts needed for that A/C repair, such as the necessary hoses and fittings, for example.

Hutchison adds WIP also is tied in with General Motors’ electronic service information, a service catalog that has “bulletins, retrofits – everything that you want to know about a car.”

“It is an easy diagnostic tool so that if you have a Grand Prix come in, you can click on it and it will tell you the latest repairs and how to perform them,” he says.

Michel Bibeau, director of training and store operations with NAPA Canada in Montreal, Que. says NAPA’s PROLink allows service writers and technicians search for parts based on part numbers, key words, job type, with some 50 job types depending on the vehicle being serviced.

Bibeau says using the job type feature cuts down on the time needed to find parts as the system will only ask questions relevant to that job. A brake job, for example, won’t ask the technician or service writer questions about the vehicle’s engine, which would slowdown the ordering process.

As well, taking the example of the Honda Accord mentioned earlier, a search for a water pump replacement using PROLink would bring up not only the necessary part, but the system will also suggest the technician examine the hoses and belts as well. The reason is those parts may also be showing signs of wear and need to be replaced, and it would suggest ordering a new radiator cap as the new pump will increase the water pressure and old cap might fail with the new pump.

Bibeau says an added benefit of PROLink’s job function is by making sure service writers and technicians get all the parts needed for a job up-front, including notices to check and replace other related parts, it helps increase sales by improving overall workplace efficiencies.

“It is pretty standard in our industry for installers to have a lot of lost productivity because (technicians) don’t have all the parts they need to do their job,” Bibeau adds. “They have a car on the lift and once they remove what is needed and discover they did not order all the parts, they often call the NAPA store or their supplier to order those (extra) parts. It is sometimes common for us to deliver two to three times for the same job.”

Mike Hellweg, executive vice-president and CIO for Worldpac Inc. in Newark, Calif. agrees that online parts ordering should improve shop efficiencies, not hinder them, which is why in the last two years, Worldpac with its speedDIAL system, the company has focused on integrating parts ordering with shop management systems to improve efficiencies.

To do this, speedDial offers a VIN decoder which can give up to 22 different dimensions for indentifying a vehicle, beyond the make, model and sub-model. This right away cuts down on errors being made by technicians inputting mistaken information about a vehicle. But that VIN number decoder can also be integrat- with a shop’s mana g eme n t s o f twa r e , bringing up from the shop’s database the repair or maintenance history of the vehicle. speedDIAL is currently certified to work with sixteen shop management systems, with more being added.

Once the VIN number has pulled the relevant vehicle information, the technicians or service writer can then enter the job type or parts needed for that job.

“But instead of putting in an order, (the shop) sends the OEM part number, availability and brands, and sends it to the repair order software and from there the shop can build an estimate for the customer.” Hellweg says. “Once that estimate is sold to the customer, that information is then

converted into a repair order and the repair order looks at the shop’s inventory to see what is in stock and then creates a purchase order which is sent to speedDIAL and a sales order is created; and once submitted, it will create an advanced shipment order to be sent back to the shop management software telling the shop what is on order and what the shop will receive.”

In addition, Worldpac simplified the parts return feature, making it easier to both pull the original purchase order and to file a return with Worldpac. Once filed, “the next time our truck comes to their shop, we have a manifest to pick up those items with a receipt for our customer; a bar code goes onto the part so it does not get messed up on the way back and the customer gets a credit the same day.”

Training is just a click away

There is something of a generational shift happening amongst technicians. While older technicians have been used to traditional classroom-based training programs, younger technicians are used to getting their information over the Internet. Having instant access to information over the Web, downloading videos to iPods and laptops is so natural that they expect training to be offered online.

Jacynthe Pigeon, marketing and training coordinator with NAPA Canada in Montreal, says NAPA’s Centre of Excellence (www.napaexcellence.ca) offers a range of online technical training programs, which are to be used with traditional classroom-based training.

Having partnered with CARS Council, NAPA offers the council’s 400-plus technical course modules, which use a combination of text-base and video-based training. There are modules covering legal training, customer service and management training, adds Pigeon.

“It is a real advantage for the garage owner to offer online training to their technicians,” Pigeon says. “They don’t have to tr
avel or leave the shop for one or two days; they can do their training at home and at their own pace. If you have access to the Internet, you can log in anywhere.”

ACDelco’s online training offers over 400 hours of French and English courses, with many of those courses having full-motion video for greater depth, with more added each month. As well, there are online courses covering business training, marketing and diagnostics, including access to simulation training where a technician learns how to identify and diagnose problems.

“The simulation programs are very exciting as they allow you to (virtually) diagnose a failure,” Hutchison says. “It gives you a score as to how effective you were in diagnosing a problem.”

Rob Morrell, technical training director with Worldpac in Newark, Calif. says one of the great advantages of online training course is they help technician to all get on the same page when it comes to a training program. A frustrating part of classroom training is the often stark difference in knowledge amongst technicians when they show up for the start of a class. Some are more advanced than others, and sitting through the preliminaries can be a tiresome experience. But if an instructor starts off at too high of a level, or expects a certain amount of preliminary knowledge, then those who are just staring to learn the material may feel intimidated.

“So we are offering courses on the fundamentals of bakes, (wheel) alignment, air conditioning, coolant flushes, automotive electrical, brake diagnosis and a range of other services,” says Morrell.

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Reference List:

REFERENCE LIST:

ACDelco Canada www.acdelco.com

NAPA Canada www.napa.com

Worldpac www.worldpac.com

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