march2022 - 24

To promote its ecommerce capabilities,
FleetPride recently introduced a new rebate
program for customers. With eCash Rewards,
customers earn cash back with every eligible
online purchase. There is no cap on the amount
customers can add back to their bottom line.
The program is designed to be simple and easy
to use. After registering to participate in eCash
Rewards, every eligible online purchase will automatically
add to the customer's cash-back balance
for the year, accruing 1% once the program spend
threshold of $10,000 is met. At the end of the
calendar year, rebate checks will be issued.
Be flexible and seek consistency
For Bryan Funke, COO at HDA Truck Pride, one of
the biggest benefits of ecommerce parts platforms
for fleets is the flexibility they provide. " When
fleets and service shops buy parts on these platforms,
it levels the playing field, " he said. " A huge
benefit of an ecommerce parts channel is that it
provides a connected environment so everyone
can see available inventory. And distributors can
meet fleet needs based on value and service. "
While HDA Truck Pride does not currently have
an ecommerce tool that is available to fleets directly,
its members do offer platforms that it supports
with aggregated parts content and data, as well
as system recommendations and implementation
processes. The capabilities are available through
an internal ecommerce site to the parts network's
150 distributors, many of whom do have customer-facing
portals.
" Commercial vehicles have a lot of parts, which
makes it harder for any one distributor to maintain
product information from more than 350
suppliers, " Funke said. " We support them by working
with all of our suppliers to consolidate product
data and images so, in turn, they can provide fleets
with rich information they need to make better
purchasing decisions. "
The ecommerce trend is accelerating for multiple
reasons, Funke noted, in part due to the current
parts supply issues, along with experienced parts
people leaving the workforce and taking their
knowledge and experience with them. This makes
electronic parts data more important than ever.
" We're actively speeding up the ability to supply
good data and content from suppliers, " Funke said.
" By adapting to that challenge, parts suppliers and
» Meritor made
several updates
to MPX in 2022.
Photo: Meritor
» Virtual parts specialists are waiting
to jump in to assist online customers.
Photo: FleetPride
" It's a master data management system that
" It's important to have
a close relationship
with vendors. Without
them, we can't keep
the wheels turning. "
Ivan Abarca, fleet maintenance
manager, Home Run Inc.
distributors are taking advantage of an opportunity
that will be beneficial for the industry. "
Consistent products and brands, along with
technology and tools that provide a single
facing platform for fleets, are more important
today than ever before, related Jim Pennig, VP of
business development for the VIPAR Heavy Duty
Family of Cos., a buying and marketing group
made up of 860 locations operated by more than
230 independently owned companies across
North America. The group works closely with
its distributors and suppliers and maintains relationships
with fleets directly through a national
accounts program.
" Fleets are increasingly system- and technology-driven
when it comes to how they acquire
parts, " Pennig said. " Having consistency in pricing
and reporting is an advantage to them, so we work
as one across the VIPAR Heavy Duty network
of distributors to provide those capabilities.
Through our ecommerce platform that connects
us and our distributors with fleets, order management
system integrations keep data flowing and
provide detailed reporting, as well as ensure part
numbers are accurately matched with
pricing for the fleet. "
The VIPAR Heavy Duty PARTSPHERE
FLEET order management system is driven
by advanced digital tools, noted Andrei
Katibnikov, VP of information technology at VIPAR.
24 Fleet Maintenance | March 2022
incorporates parts information from suppliers
and uses an advanced algorithm to cross-reference
and match individual items by their name,
manufacturer, and internal part numbers, " he
explained further. " It can even incorporate new
part numbers, which are added regularly, based
on probabilities. With fleet trade cycles bringing
new models and specs into operations, that's a key
capability for a fleet ecommerce parts module. "
Obtaining elusive parts
" One of the biggest challenges is finding parts that
are not routinely carried in inventory locally, " said
David Seewack, founder and CEO of FindItParts.
" Approximately 20% of all the parts on commercial
vehicles fit into that category, so fleets and
service providers have to use a time-consuming
process to find and buy them. "
In addition to offering more than three million
heavy-duty truck and trailer items from major
brands and over 2,500 other manufacturers, the
FindItParts online platform specializes in providing
access to hard-to-find items as well as common
everyday parts.
" With a platform that is an electronic repository
of information interconnected with the
supply chain and has a very robust cross-reference
engine, we can help access availability and
enhance delivery of those items, saving you time
and money, " Seewack explained.
The FindItParts site includes what the company
calls concierge service, which provides technical
parts specialists who assist buyers in identifying
and sourcing hard-to-find parts by number, photo,
keyword, or cross reference. They have access to
inventory from over 300 distributors and manufacturers
nationwide to meet parts needs. In addition,
the company guarantees two-day delivery
for over 50,000 best-selling parts from its nine
regional distribution centers.
According to Seewack, the key is to be sourceagnostic
and to partner with a large number of
suppliers so they can help every customer.
Geo-locating parts sources is what improves
availability and shortens the fulfillment cycle. Wide
march2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of march2022
