Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance unveils new technology solution

The New Year will bring a new solution to automate the procurement cycle between mbmers and vendors in the supply chain, improving efficiencies for both, says a spokesman for the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance. The Alliance recently unveiled the Total EDI solution (The Solution), which includes Activant Solutions, GCommerce and the industry-standard AAIA PARTnerShip Network.

"Alliance members are committed to a two-way electronic exchange with vendors, and we're counting on the same level of participation from our vendors," says Richard H. Morgan, the Alliance's president and CEO. “Automated electronic information exchange is the only way to eliminate the costly errors and delays that come with manual processes."

Dale Hopkins, the Alliance's vice president of information technology, adds: "GCommerce will be working with Alliance vendors and members, while Activant will focus on the integration with our members using Activant platforms. GCommerce will be flexible to the needs of vendors and is compatible with Activant's AConneX® DX solution creating a single connectivity solution for everyone."

Initially, Alliance members will use purchase orders, acknowledgements, advance ship notices, and invoices. GCommerce will support the preferred document format and communication protocol of the vendor and interface directly with Activant technology, which will provide the document integration for members with Activant platforms. For non-Activant platforms, GCommerce will interface directly, serving as the translator between the two systems and formats. In addition to these two turn-key EDI pathways, Alliance members and vendors also have the option of directly exchanging these EDI documents via the industry standard AAIA PARTnerShip Network.

For more information about the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance and its various member programs, visit the organization's Web site.