It’s Easier Than You Think!

Not too long ago, it took an expert in HTML to enable you to launch a website for your business. It was all very mysterious and was often communicated in a “trust us, you wouldn’t understand” manner. Today, there are numerous ready-to-go platform solutions that have made what was once an expensive and expertise-intensive process into a do-it-yourself reality. In fact, many business owners today are finding that understanding their business technology and managing the details internally is not only relatively easy to do, but also brings a whole new level of control into the business that most often produces better results while saving money.

It happens to all of us: You just can’t pull the trigger on a purchase simply because there isn’t enough information to make you comfortable with the decision. It might be on the Internet, where you’re staring at a page with vague content and poor pictures, or it could be in a brick-and-mortar store, where you’re dealing with a salesperson who just doesn’t know his or her stuff. Other times, it all seems to fall together. The salesperson is informative and knowledgeable, or the Internet presentation is complete and confidence inspiring, resulting in a quick, satisfying purchase.

Obviously, research plays a critical role in this decision-making and sales cycle. Like many of you, when I’m ready to spend some hard-earned money, I dive into research mode. What are other people saying about this product? How much information is available? Can I be confident that it will meet my needs?

Well, now the real fun begins! The SEMA Data Co-op’s (SDC) state-of-the-art data-management system has been up and running for a couple of months. The usual bugs have been shaken out, and we are actively receiving and distributing quality product data from nearly 200 suppliers to a horde of anxious receivers. Sure, we’re still adding new functionality and fine tuning things such as the user interface, documentation and reporting features, but it’s smooth sailing overall.

Check Out the SEMA Data Co-op for the First Time…Again!

Imagine a world where you could manage all of your product data in one place, at one time, with the latest state-of-the-art tools. Imagine never again having to use valuable internal resources to create multiple product data files for your customers. Imagine providing better product data delivery than you ever have before, with less effort, lower cost and in the exact format each of your customers require. Imagine the data for your new-product launches being available in near real time, with virtually no delays in delivery to the marketplace. That, my friends, is what the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) is all about.

I often like to refer to the development cycle of the Internet in terms of “dog years.” That is, for every year that traditional business processes mature, it feels like the Internet has advanced seven. For the uninitiated, it’s a crazy, unpredictable ride that seems to push forward at a rate fast enough to make us feel like we’ll never catch up, no matter how attentive we are.

Many of us who drive an accessorized vehicle have experienced an encounter like this in a parking lot at one time or another. We’re accustomed to the eyes following us as we drive in, but this time someone approaches for a closer look, and starts asking questions. “Hi, there! Cool truck. What’s that cover you have on the bed?” And the conversation ensues. Before you know it, you may be describing various accessories, their function and even how much they might cost or where to get them.

Now It’s All About the Data SALES

It’s been quite a journey. Some 10 years ago, the simple but now prophetic words of good friend and visionary Jerry McCabe launched a tenacious group of volunteers in pursuit of an industry solution for product data creation, storage and distribution: “It’s all about the data.” Now, after years of planning, adjusting and adapting—and a nine-month “test drive” in the beta phase—the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) is readying for launch of the live production system in January.

A Conversation With Bob Moore, Chairman of the SEMA Business Technology Committee

Bob Moore is the co-founder and current chairman of SEMA’s Business Technology Committee (BTC) and an unflagging advocate for the use of standardized data and the SEMA Data Co-Op, the industry’s newest sales-generation system. He has been working in the automotive aftermarket since 1976 and is a partner with Jerry McCabe in J&B Service, a consulting company that specializes in the aftermarket.

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.