Dearborn, Mich.—In a bid to better compete with aftermarket parts suppliers, Ford Motor Co. launched www.fordparts.com on Dec. 2. The state-of-the-art site gives dealer-sponsored mechanical and collision repair shop personnel access to pricing and availability to 260,000 SKUs for Ford Lincoln and Mercury (FLM) vehicles.
Orders are transacted online and fulfilled through participating dealerships that have agreed to certain performance standards set by Ford, with an option to inventory-share with their Factory Authorized Distributors (FADs).
David Voglewede, Ford Motor Co.’s wholesale parts operations manager for the Customer Service Division, presented plans for the new Web site to dealership and Motorcraft FAD personnel during a Rocky Mountain Ford Parts & Service Club meeting in Denver on Nov. 19.
“Thirty-five percent of parts and accessories today begin their transaction online,” Voglewede said, adding that although many aftermarket parts suppliers have online ordering, their FLM parts coverage is limited.
Pricing in many highly-competitive product segments, such as brake friction and steering column components, have been gradually reduced in recent years, while maintaining quality to compete with prominent aftermarket brands, Voglewede said.
Voglewede estimates that nearly a third of the 3,500 FLM dealers will choose to participate, which requires certain performance standards to enroll.
To gain full access to the Web site, shops and fleet managers simply accept a sponsorship invitation via e-mail or request sponsorship from their preferred FLM dealerships, Voglewede said.
The standard catalog, focused on later model vehicles, is produced by Snap-On and covers more than 85 percent of Ford’s parts volumes, Voglewede said. Sponsorship enables access to special pricing, and for selected accounts, access to a Pro Center which includes Ford’s technical information, and access to the sponsoring dealer’s own parts catalog that includes all 260,000 part SKUs, he noted.
The Web site allows dealers to provide several popular features of major online retailers, such as instant messaging (IM), online chat to help find a dealer or correct part application, and coming later this year, popular associated part sales, giving dealerships an opportunity to increase ancillary sales, Voglewede said. For fleet managers who make repetitive buys, he said, there’s a reorder feature in which 18 months of transaction history is retained.
Parts can be looked up by VIN, make, model, and year (MMY), or a competitor’s part number, Voglewede said. Order assistance through “Ask Your Dealer” prompts appointed dealer counter personnel to answer questions, he said, adding that orders are accepted 20 minutes after being ordered, granted that it’s during business hours: 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Customers can opt in to “Nationwide Rapid Referral” so that, if a dealer cannot commit to an order, it refers to another stocking dealer, he said.
With Ford’s best-in-OEM industry parts distribution and FAD network, if any mechanical part is not on a dealer’s shelf, they can usually get it the same day, or at least by the next day, Voglewede said, adding that crash parts may take up to two days.
Orders are processed with an available credit line, credit card, or Pay Pal, Voglewede said, adding that through FedEx, Ford is able to offer low, one-price shipping starting at $9.95 to all 50 states. On oversized, overweight, or hazardous material items such as airbags and engines, the catalog denotes that the part is available through will-call or delivery only, he said.
For the primary wholesale audience, the business will occur locally, Voglewede said, adding that dealerships have the opportunity to promote themselves with their own unique URL (www.fordparts.com/dealershipname). Voglewede said Ford plans on marketing to the professional audience through advertisements in traditional trade publications, press releases, and direct mail. Awareness for retail DIY audience will also be achieved through social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, he added. The site links to other popular Ford parts related sites including Ford Motorsports, and Vintage Parts.
