WHITEPAPER4/23/2002DirectDataDistribution:TheChangingParadigmofAftermarketCatalogingInsigniaGroup,LC20022TableofContentsIntroduction:AnIndustryOverview..........................................................................................................3ParadigmShift:ANewWayofThinking..................................................................................................5Peer-to-Peer:NAPSTERandtheAutomotiveAftermarket.....................................................................7CatalogingPastandFuture.........................................................................................................................8InsigniaGroup:PioneeringTheNextGenerationOfProductManagementSystems.........................10Interchange:ThefutureofDirectDataDistribution..............................................................................11DataConsolidation:GoingBeyondJustAnOnlineCatalog..................................................................17InsigniaGroupCapabilities.......................................................................................................................19InsigniaGroupContactInformation........................................................................................................20InsigniaGroup,LC20023Introduction:AnIndustryOverviewIntoday’sinformationage,it’sironicthatthefundamentalinefficiencyintheautomotiveaftermarketpartsindustryisinaccuratepartinformation.ThereisanhistoricdisconnectbetweentheManufacturerswhomakeanddistributeaftermarketpartsandtheInstallerswhoneedthosepartstofixcars.Rootedinthe“love/hate”dependenceonpapercatalogsandfosteredbythedominanceofafewcatalogingcompanies,theflowofinformationthroughouttheaftermarketindustryhasbeenchronicallysloworinformationhasbecomeobsoletebythetimeitispublished,requiringsupplementalpublicationsthatarerarelyused.ForManufacturersandWarehouseDistributors,tryingtoeducateJobbersandInstallersregardingnewproductsorchangesinapplicationcoveragesisacostlyendeavorthatyieldsverylittlereturnontheinvestment.Astechnologyadvancedthroughthe80’sand90’s,papercatalogsgavesomegroundtosingle-sourceelectroniccatalogproviders.1However,theadvancesintechnologydidlittletoimprovethequalityofdata.Theymerelychangedthedeliveryofthesameoutdatedinformation.Thiswasdueinparttotwofactors,oneofwhichstillexiststoday.Thefirst,themanualprocessofdataentry,hadnotchangedinnaturefrompapertoelectronicproduction.Infact,itbecamemorecumbersomeasthecatalogproviderstriedtousethepapercatalogdatainanelectronicform.Manyofthesystemsusedtodeveloppapercatalogswereincapableofsupportingtheconversiontoelectroniccatalogsand,therefore,thedatahadtobemanuallyreenteredintothenewsystems.Thisperpetuatederrorscausedbykeystrokemistakes,andintroducednewones.Thelackofautomotiveexperienceofthosedoingthedataentryisthesecondqualityissue,andisstillafactortoday.Themajorityofsingle-sourcecatalogs,paperorelectronic,aredevelopedbypeoplewhoarenotpartsprofessionalsandwhohavenoestablishedprocesstoverifytheinformationinthecatalog.AlthoughtechnologyhashelpedtoincreasethespeedofdataexchangebetweenManufacturersandthesingle-sourcecatalogdistributors(fewcatalogingcompaniesnowenterdatamanually),updatestothemostdominantautomotiveaftermarketpartscatalogsarestillmonthsoutofdateandarelargelyunverified.However,thelackofverificationisnotso...
