Jan. 27, 2017—Findings of the Auto Care Association (ACA)’s Heavy Duty Industry Feasibility study were presented on Wednesday during Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW) in Las Vegas.
The study, commissioned on behalf of the ACA’s Heavy Duty Distribution Association (HDDA), focused on determining the viability of establishing product information standards for the heavy duty aftermarket supply chain.
Conclusions drawn from the study include:
- Developing a heavy duty data practice is feasible through leveraging the work of others and creating a data superset to support all segments.
- Rich content is beneficial to the heavy duty industry including vehicle vocation, product specifications, interchange data, VMRS coding and images.
- Conducting data planning and management, and learning from others, will help ensure that data standards can be useful to all industry participants.
- Stakeholders must understand that this effort is one of collaboration, not competition, seeking to standardize existing available data, not to divulge proprietary information.
“There has been increasing interest in the heavy duty community to find a way to standardize and streamline aftermarket product data to improve accuracy and efficiency and, in turn, boost the bottom line,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO, Auto Care Association. “This study is the first step toward the development of a standard that will enhance product management and support processes, increase productivity and decrease costs in the supply chain.”
The three-phase HDDA study, conducted by Pricedex Software Inc., investigated current industry data exchange practices, reviewed reference data tables used in each sector, and determined industry practices for product attributes and product category hierarchies. Input from manufacturers, distributors, ERP vendors and industry associations was sought and an advisory committee of industry executives provided information and oversight.
Complete findings of the Heavy Duty Industry Feasibility Study can be viewed and downloaded by visiting autocare.org.
Addtionally, the ACA began accepting applications for its 2017 Auto Care Careers Internship Scholarship program on Thursday.
The Internship Scholarship program provides financial support for students pursuing internships across the country who wish to gain real-world experience in a variety of auto care businesses and careers. The program is administered by the ACA’s Job and Career Development Program.
ACA Internship Scholarships are intended for college students majoring in programs that have direct application to the auto care industry.
The scholarship program was created to help ease the financial burden of temporary relocation for students who pursue internships in locations more than 100 miles from their permanent address. The scholarships, up to a maximum of $2500 per intern, can be used to help offset the costs of travel to and from students’ permanent address to the internship location, as well as lodging, utilities and food consumed during the internship period.
Created by the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA) in 2015, the 22 scholarships available in 2017 are being made possible by generous funding from AWDA, the ACA and the University the Aftermarket Foundation. Scholarship applicants and internship providers will be accepted from all sectors of the aftermarket including distribution, manufacturing, retail, business services and others.
Interested students are required to submit an application and a college transcript, and write a brief essay about their career goals and why the internship will help them achieve those goals. They are also required to submit an Internship Verification Form from the employer, signed by the internship director or hiring manager.
Scholarship recipients will be chosen by a selection committee that includes members of the Young Auto Care Network Group (YANG) Advisory Council.
The priority deadline for Auto Care Internship Scholarships is May 1, 2017. For more information, and the application forms, visit autocarecareers.org.
