VCdb Efficiency Project
The Vehicle Configuration database (VCdb) is the aftermarket industry’s standard reference table for passenger cars, light trucks and many other classes of vehicles and equipment. Currently, the practice is to release new model year vehicles to the database only when all of the needed attributes can be populated and validated. In other words, we published nothing about new vehicles until we can publish everything. However, the delays inherent in this practice put the aftermarket at a disadvantage to the OEM parts and service channel.
VCdb Efficiency refers to a method of publishing information about new Light Duty vehicles in 4 stages of completeness. In this manner, we will be able to add the basic information for a late model car or truck months sooner than is the case today. Over subsequent months the remaining attributes will be published and the complete vehicle configuration will be validated in Stage 4. Great care will be taken to only use approved OE information sources and ensure that information does not change once it is published to the VCdb.
Much of the information published in the aftermarket relies on nothing more than the Year, Make and Model as the vehicle description. If these attributes are published sooner as a result of the VCdb Efficiency project, sales can increase as aftermarket applications data flows through the supply chain faster.
Systems are being engineered to manage the release of Light Duty information in four stages and the necessary changes to the VCdb database schema have been made. These include the addition of a Vehicle Stage ID, Source and Stage Date to the Vehicle record and a Publication Stage Description table. Until the process changes have been implemented and tested all current and new vehicles will be published as “Stage 4” – signifying that the research is complete. The first release of partial vehicle records will involve the 2013’s and is scheduled for June 2012.
Latest news
On Friday, January 27, AAIA will publish the first version of the Vehicle Configuration database (VCdb) to support the VCdb Efficiency project. The VCdb database design will include several new fields in the Vehicle table and the addition of a new PublicationStage table. The complete ER diagram for the VCdb is attached here (with changes highlighted) and has been distributed with the monthly ACES release notes since November, 2011. ACES Subscribers should account for the impact of these design changes before putting the January VCdb into production.
VCdb Efficiency refers to a change in how Light Duty vehicles are published in the VCdb. Vehicle additions to the database will be made in four stages, beginning with the Base Vehicle, Submodel and Base Engine information (Stage 1). As more complete information about the vehicle becomes available from OEM sources, the full Engine Configuration (Stage 2), the remaining VCdb attributes (Stage 3) and the complete Vehicle Configuration and corresponding Legacy record (Stage 4) will be published.
By publishing partial information about new vehicles as soon as it is released from reliable sources, we will be able to add new vehicle information much sooner than is possible today. Changes to the AAIA research and publication processes are underway and we expect to publish the first partial vehicles in June 2012. Until that time all vehicles will be coded as Stage 4, indicating that they are complete as defined by the VCdb data rules. Until the system is in place and tested to support VCdb Efficiency, AAIA will continue our practice of publishing only complete and fully validated Light Duty applications.
If you have any questions about this important enhancement to the VCdb publication process write to aces@aftermarket.org. Thank you for your continued interest and support