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In-house vs Outsourced EPC

By October 8, 2018March 18th, 2022Think Tank

Are legacy systems holding back your Parts business?

In September 2017, we announced that Nissan Motor Company chose to replace its legacy FAST EPC with Microcat Live Electronic Parts Catalog (EPC).

Since then, we’ve received keen interest from other Automakers wanting to follow Nissan’s strategy. With cloud computing now becoming ubiquitous, the need to review legacy supply chain technology has never been greater.

Sitting on this side of the technology revolution, we see dealerships struggling to cope with in-house EPCs that are not keeping ahead of the technology curve. Legacy EPCs not only limit the benefits of ‘interoperability’ with other cloud systems within the dealership, they also lack the smarts to leverage the catalog data to power new parts sales processes in the Mechanical and Collision channels.

With aftermarket parts competitors becoming increasingly sophisticated, continuous innovation is the key to keeping dealerships ahead of the game. By taking advantage of trends in mobility and customer self-service, we are innovating rapidly and changing the value definition of the “EPC”. It is no longer just a technical reference tool, it has become a “parts selling” tool for dealerships.

We are empowering dealerships and their Parts Department with new, faster and more efficient ways to serve their customers – including Mechanical and Collision shop customers. We have moved the point of sale from the dealership and their Parts Counter, to where the customers are.

Whilst in-house EPC development provides Automakers with some level of control, the reality is that innovation and investment is constantly required to keep the EPC relevant in today’s fast-moving technology space… and that’s where Infomedia provides a genuine advantage.

Here are just a few reasons why choosing Infomedia’s Microcat Live as your next generation EPC makes sense:

Professional expertise: We understand the parts business; we’ve been supplying our leading-edge Microcat EPC technology to Automakers for over 27 years. We implement feedback from over 170,000 customers around the world, so your dealership network will benefit from this powerful ‘best of breed’ knowledge pool.

Continued innovation: We remove the awkward internal frustrations associated with finding new budget for continued innovation. In the last 5 years, we have invested over tens of millions to make Microcat Live the ‘best in class’ EPC. You will have peace of mind knowing that our EPC technology will be continuously improved.

Process control: Microcat Live EPC is built with the user in mind, so it’s intuitive and user-friendly. From searching and ordering the right parts, to emailing customers parts information, every step of the process is quick and easy to improve back-of-shop productivity.

Global & accessible: Our SaaS EPC is affordable and accessible to every dealer, regardless of size and location. It’s available in 28 different languages and in over 180 countries, and we provide regional support in 16 languages.

Partnership: We act as a partner, not as a supplier. We put in time and effort to understand your business needs and deliver solutions to achieve your goals. We are not limited by budget or workload priorities; we have the infrastructure to support you and your entire dealership network.

Interoperability: We partner with leading Dealer Management System (DMS) providers globally, so your dealers will have access to this integration. We also have the powerful capability to leverage the EPC information for new solutions to power Mechanical and Collision part sales.

In-house vs Outsourced EPC: Who Wins?

In-house built EPCs may provide Automakers with some level of control, but outsourcing it to the experts means you get a better product in a shorter amount of time.

All you have to do is provide the data and we’ll do all the work. This allows you to concentrate on your core business objectives and what you do best!

If you feel it’s time to assess your current EPC or it needs to be updated, let’s talk about how Microcat can work for you and your dealer network. Make the move today and put your Parts business in a better position.