EDI Standards
810 Invoice
850 Purchase Order
852 Product Activity
855 PO Acknowledgement
856 Ship Notification
857 Ship/Billing Notification
997 Functional Acknowledgement

XML Standards
PIES - Product Information

Internet Parts Ordering (IPO)

Data Sharing
HDX - Heavy Duty Exchange
IAP - Internet Auto Parts

Connectivity
i�SHOP Standard for Connectivity
Aftermarket Bar Code Guidelines

Useful Links
EDI FAQ Glossary
DISA
ASC X.12
ANSI
UN/EDIFACT
ISO

Topics: Electronic Catalog Standards Bar Code Standards Shop Integration Standards EDI XML

Electronic Catalog Standards
Today, most auto parts retailers depend on an electronic catalog database to access the millions of unique applications available. In the absence of standards, electronic catalog database system providers are required to hand-key from paper sources or perform extensive file manipulation. These methods add cost , errors, and lengthy time delays to the data.

• Industry Standards for the format and exchange of applications catalog data breaks down the bottleneck of data input and ensures that the latest application data is available on the countertop at the lowest possible price.
• Retailers benefit from catalog standards by having increased selling opportunities because data is published sooner after research is done and parts are available.
• Reduced returns result from having current catalog information and prompt correction of errors
• Electronic Catalog costs go down because data suppliers require less manually data entry or electronic processing to publish their products
• Employee training and labor costs are reduced when an accurate and easy-to-use electronic catalog system is in use
• Customers are more loyal to stores that make fewer errors and service their needs quickly and efficiently
  
  Useful Resources:
  AAIA Electronic Catalog Standards Home Page
  University of the Aftermarket E-Catalog Standards Basic User Training
  CCI-Triad - Electronic Catalog System
  MacDonald Computer Systems
  Profit Pro - Electronic Catalog Data supplier

Bar Coding Standards
Bar Codes are the machine-readable symbology used to represent UPC (Universal Product Codes) numbers on many types of retail and commercial products. Pioneered by the grocery industry, bar codes are commonly used at the retail point-of-sale to quickly and accurately checkout sales.

• Bar codes standards reduce pricing and inventory control errors at the point-of -sale
• Product with bar codes can be received and put away faster, reducing stock-outs and requiring less inventory
• Properly coded packaging can enable systems to distinguish between regular stock and promotional packs of the same product
• American and European bar coding organizations have combined, ensuring global identification standards
  
  Useful Resources:
  Uniform Code Council (UCC)
  AWDA Aftermarket Bar Code Guidelines
  Automated Identification Manufacturers (AIM)

Shop Integration Standards
Shop Integration refers to the interconnectivity of PC-based diagnostic equipment, information servers, and business systems in a vehicle service shop. Connecting disparate pieces of front and back shop equipment, referred to as Enterprise Computing, yields productivity and efficiencies for the technician and the shop. Snap-on and the members of the Enterprise Alliance have cooperated to develop a single standard for connectivity - called i.SHOP

• Shop Integration enables e-commerce between the shop enterprise network and the customer (B to C) or auto parts suppliers (B to B)
• Shop Integration reduces redundant data by the technician entry that can result in mistakes and misdiagnosis
• Technician productivity can be dramatically affected by eliminating the "walk of death" between the technician's workstation and various information servers (PC's)
• Shop Integration enables paperless back shop operations
• Shop Integration enables customer-centric shop operations with vehicle service history and customer information available to technicians on-screen
  
  Useful Resources:
  i.SHOP Standards
  ASAnetwork

EDI
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the automatic exchange of machine-readable data between computer applications. Developed in the 1970's by the transport industry to communicate manifests and bill of lading data, EDI is the "original form of e-commerce". Ideal for high-volume, high-frequency business transactions, EDI is now commonly used by large and medium-sized companies worldwide to communicate purchasing, sales, and billing information between disparate hardware and software applications. EDI transactions are extracted from the originator's computer application and formatted to conform to a standard for that type of transaction. Software then send the "packet" containing one or more transactions to a Value Added Network (VAN) where it is routed to the recipient and checked for errors and integrity of data. Software used by the reipient receives the transactions from the VAN and decodes them for use in their unique software applications.

• EDI enables retailers to send sales and product movement data to their suppliers as a component of Vendor Managed or Assisted Inventory
• EDI reducing training and software costs by enabling a retailer to communicate with many trading partners through a single software application
• EDI reduces paper forms cost and saves 5-7 days of processing information through traditional methods
• EDI can be used to send and receive routine transactions automatically, enabling managers to focus on exceptions
  
  Useful Resources:
  Management Information Services Group (MISG)
  Sterling Commerce
  

Useful Resources:
IBM introduction to XML
The XML/EDI Group
RosettaNet