After nine months of beta testing, the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) is poised to transition to a full system launch beginning in January. During its beta phase, the SDC came to encompass more than 125 data suppliers and more than 55 industry resellers representing data exports from more than 25 brands within the specialty-equipment marketplace. Recently demonstrated at the 2012 SEMA Show, the SDC promises to revolutionize the aftermarket’s approach to product data.

How to Deliver the Goods to Online Shoppers

A recent study by comScore revealed new insights into the consumer online shopping experience. Commissioned by UPS, the comScore study polled more than 3,100 online shoppers and evaluated consumer perceptions and shopping habits ranging from pre-purchase to delivery and even the returns process.

Fuel for the Retail Sales Machine

Think about the last time you wanted to make a significant purchase. Did you do any research, or did you just run down to the nearest store and pay whatever price they were asking for the item?

On average, more than 80% of consumers research products before buying. Many of those purchases happen in brick-and-mortar retail stores, and many happen online. The point here is not where a product is purchased but rather how the buying decision is made. You can’t do research without product information, right?

An Industry Solution for Data Independence

As the SEMA Data Cooperative (SDC) gets up and running, its officers are getting a lot of questions and comments from participants, curious observers and skeptics. They range from those who are currently active in managing their data to folks who are just realizing that product data management is fast becoming a requirement to do business in today’s marketplace.

Supreme Court Upholds Affordable Care Act; Employers Face Important Decisions

After months of speculation and uncertainty, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was constitutional, including the mandate that requires individuals to obtain minimum coverage by 2012 or face a penalty tax. The Court’s decision now sets in motion full implementation of the law. This article focuses on upcoming decisions to be considered by SEMA-member companies.

SEMA’s Vehicle Technology Center

One of the central principles of lean customization is the Japanese term Genchi Genbutsu, which means “go and see.” To truly understand new business opportunities and the impact vehicle technology is having on automotive specialty-equipment products, you need to Go to the Gemba—the place where value and meaning are created.

Mobile to Be Most Popular Device for E-mail by Close of 2012

While the tech world is riddled with paradigm shifts, the latest is a doozy: By the close of 2012, mobile devices will overtake PCs as the most popular devices for reading e-mail. That fast-approaching upheaval is expected to be a brain-rattler for marketers who will be forced to reconfigure their marketing e-mails to fit much smaller devices, which take longer to download e-mail—especially when those messages are laden with bloated multimedia.

While there are any number of online services eager to manage your e-marketing for you, the downside to those services is cost. Unlike the one-time fees associated with PC-based software, online service billings generally recur monthly and never disappear. Not surprisingly, many small businesses are deciding to opt for PC-based e-mail marketing software instead, which starts at about $100. Such packages can be every bit as sophisticated as an online service while offering users much more control over how their data and analytics are managed.

The following individuals were elected to seats on council Select Committees in the recent SEMA council elections. The new and re-elected incumbent Select Committee members will contribute significant time and effort during the next two years on projects and events to provide a benefit to SEMA-member companies.

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