The CONET ISB IAM platform
The Independent Aftermarket (IAM)
In contrast to the original parts market, which is dominated by vehicle manufacturers, the IAM consists of independent manufacturers, distributors, dealers and workshops. It offers a wide range of products and services, including spare parts for engines, transmissions, bodywork and electronics. This market serves not only older vehicles for which original parts are no longer available, but also vehicle owners who opt for cheaper alternatives to original equipment parts.
Current challenges
The independent aftermarket is currently facing a number of challenges. Overcoming these challenges requires a combination of technological solutions, process optimisation and industry-specific expertise.
Data diversity and quality
IAM companies have to manage a large amount of product data from different suppliers and manufacturers. The data can be available in different formats and qualities, which can make integration, harmonisation and cleansing more difficult.
Timeliness and accuracy
Products in the independent aftermarket are subject to constant change, be it through product improvements, discontinuation of products or updating of compatibility information. Ensuring that product data is up-to-date and accurate is therefore an ongoing challenge.
Integration with other systems
Product data must be seamlessly integrated with other business systems such as e-commerce platforms, ERP systems and supply chain management systems. Ensuring smooth integration requires comprehensive data management capabilities and processes.
Complexity of the products
IAM products can be very complex, with many different variants, options and compatibility information. Managing this variety of product attributes and relationships requires robust data management processes and systems.
Standardisation of data formats
There are often no uniform standards for product data in IAM, which makes interoperability between different systems and partners difficult. The introduction of and compliance with industry-wide standards can help to overcome this challenge.
Data protection and data security
Product data in IAM can be sensitive and must be adequately protected to comply with data protection regulations and prevent cyberattacks. This requires robust security measures and compliance strategies.
Customer requirements and customisation
IAM companies must be able to respond to the specific requirements of their customers, be it through customised product offerings, special cataloguing or customer-specific data integration. This requires a flexible and adaptable product data management strategy.
Workflow-Engine
Master data management
Product data management
Link management
Publication / Catalogue formats
Analysis & Reporting
Workflow-Engine
The workflow engine Camunda has been integrated into the ISB IAM platform. Camunda enables the fully integrated execution of business processes modelled in BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation). These business processes can consist of
- Tasks (user tasks as well as tasks performed automatically by the system, such as automatic status changes),
- branches and
- events (such as timers).
The aim of the workflow engine located in the core of the platform is to achieve the highest level of automation processes.
Master data management
In the master data management module, the IAM platform integrates master data management that is already customised for the independent automotive aftermarket. It can both map the market-specific standards and consolidate them consistently in a centralised master data management system. This achieves an important goal of ensuring that the data is redundancy-free and can therefore be used as a ‘single point of truth’ at any time.
Product data management
The product data management module enables a complete, flexible and cross-catalogue standard product description. Both company-specific master data and master data from the catalogue standard (e.g. TecDoc TAF) can be maintained. The interaction of customisable validation rules with the existing specific structure for the aftermarket means that a very high level of quality is already achieved during the maintenance process.
Link management
The link management module combines extensive functionalities for managing corresponding links. Thanks to the flexible structure of the IAM platform, links can be created both to catalogue standards such as ‘TecDoc TAF’ and to company-specific structures (e.g. construction machinery or engine masters). This module is rounded off by a fully integrated mass data editing and processing function.
Publication / Catalogue formats
As part of the Publication module, various catalogue formats such as TecDoc (TAF) (with a direct interface for data delivery), AutoCare (ACES, PIES) and MAM (Sections) can be exported directly via the IAM platform. Open interfaces to other systems (webshop, e-commerce platforms, etc.) are also available.
Analysis & Reporting
Analyses on existing data, such as gap analysis, are often the origin of a new product in the aftermarket. With the Analysis & Reporting module, the integrated reporting engine allows you to create any number of reports yourself and save them as personal favourites. Of course, these reports are updated automatically and are available for export at any time.
