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How the TecDoc standard supports the automotive industry in conjunction with the PIM system
17.11.2024
5 min. reading time
Introduction
The TecDoc standard plays a key role in the automotive industry, enabling the efficient exchange of information on spare parts and vehicles. It is a standard for collecting and exchanging data for the identification and ordering of parts in the automotive industry, created by TecDoc Informations System GmbH in 1994 by automotive spare parts manufacturers.
What is the TecDoc standard?
TecDoc is a global standard for cataloging automotive replacement parts.
It enables manufacturers, distributors and retailers to standardize product data, allowing them to quickly and accurately match parts to the right vehicles. The data in the TecDoc standard includes detailed product information such as:
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The role of PIM in the automotive industry
With the TecDoc standard, spare parts manufacturers can present their data in a uniform way, and retail customers and workshops can quickly find the right components. TecDoc integrates data from different sources to create a unified database that can be used in online sales, product catalogs and ERP systems.
PIM (Product Information Management) systems are key to managing product data, especially in the automotive industry, where the amount of technical information about products is enormous. PIM enables companies to centrally store, manage and distribute product data to various sales channels.
In the automotive industry, PIM is used for:
- Centralizing spare parts data and compatibility,
- Automating data publication processes on eCommerce sites, catalogs and marketplace systems,
- Verification and standardization of data, eliminating errors in product descriptions,
- Quickly make information available in different formats and languages, which is important in a global marketplace.
Combining the PIM system with TecDoc allows even more efficient management and use of product data in the automotive industry.
TecDoc integration with PIM system
Integrating TecDoc with a PIM system, such as Pimcore or Akeneo, allows automotive companies to achieve new levels of efficiency and precision in product data management. With PIM capabilities, data from TecDoc can be directly imported, enriched and distributed to various sales channels.
Benefits of integrating TecDoc with PIM:
- Centralization of product data: Data from the TecDoc standard can be stored in one place in the PIM system, eliminating the need to manage multiple data sources.
- Data standardization and quality: Through integration, the PIM system automatically verifies and standardizes data according to TecDoc requirements, reducing errors in product descriptions.
- Process automation: Automatic synchronization of TecDoc data with PIM allows product catalogs and eCommerce platforms to be updated more easily.
- Personalization of content: PIM systems allow TecDoc data to be enriched with additional marketing content, such as descriptions in different languages, high-quality images or instructional videos.
What you should know before implementing TecDoc in your company
Availability and costs:
The use of TecDoc is a paid service. Various subscription options are available to suit users' needs. For example, an annual subscription to the web version (TecDoc Web Catalog). For prices, check https://shop.tecalliance.net/
Integration with proprietary systems:
TecDoc offers integration with companies' internal IT systems. This allows companies to directly use catalog data in their applications, which streamlines business processes and increases operational efficiency. The integration can cover both the full database and selected segments, depending on the company's needs.
API Availability:
TecDoc provides APIs that allow developers to access catalog data. The API allows searching for vehicles, parts and other information related to the automotive market. To use the API, it is necessary to have a valid API key, which can be obtained by contacting a TecAlliance representative.
Use of TecDoc together with PIM
- Map TecDoc data to your own data structures, making it easy to harmonize and match them to your company's requirements.
- Users can add additional information (e.g., images, technical descriptions) to data downloaded from TecDoc.
- Connectivity through TecDoc's API to retrieve up-to-date product, vehicle or application data.
- Some PIM systems, such as Pimcore, have built-in tools for defining workflows that can support processes for managing data from TecDoc, such as approving new data or publishing it.
- Further distribution of enriched data to e-commerce platforms, online sales systems and product catalogs, websites or for building assortment catalogs in PDF format.
- Relational data linkage: Ability to create relationships between vehicles, parts and their applications.
- Manage marketing and technical materials associated with parts from TecDoc, such as images, schematics and instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions: TecDoc & PIM Integration
Managing automotive data involves handling complex relationships between parts and vehicle types (millions of linkages). Doing this manually in spreadsheets often leads to errors and high return rates. A PIM (Product Information Management) system centralizes this data, automates the mapping of parts to vehicle IDs (K-Type/N-Type), and ensures that your data meets TecDoc's strict quality standards before export.
In the automotive aftermarket, a significant percentage of returns is caused by incorrect fitment data (e.g., a customer buys a part that doesn't fit their car). By integrating PIM with TecDoc, you ensure data accuracy and consistency across all sales channels. Precise fitment data means the customer buys the right part the first time, directly lowering your Return Rate and logistics costs.
Yes. We specialize in implementing open-architecture systems like Pimcore, which can be seamlessly integrated with the TecDoc API. This allows for two-way synchronization: importing vehicle master data from TecDoc to categorize your products, and exporting your enriched product data back to the TecDoc Catalog or other marketplaces.
Absolutely. The "Premier Data Supplier" status in TecDoc requires meeting rigorous data quality KPIs. A PIM system allows you to set up validation rules (e.g., mandatory fields, image requirements, specific attributes) that block non-compliant data from being published. This automated quality control is key to achieving and maintaining high-level supplier status.
Yes, although their needs differ slightly.
Manufacturers use PIM to structure their technical data and push it to TecDoc to be visible to the market.
Distributors use PIM to aggregate data from multiple suppliers (via TecDoc) and enrich it for their own e-commerce platforms. Our solutions are scalable and can be configured to support both business models effectively.
Summary
Integrating the TecDoc standard with PIM is a milestone for automotive companies looking to improve product data management and streamline sales processes. The advanced PIM tool offers full support for integration with TecDoc, allowing automation, centralization and personalization of data. This enables companies to better respond to customer needs, increase the efficiency of their business processes and expand their presence in the global market.
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We have years of experience implementing PIM systems for top companies in their industries. Our clients include: Rossmann, VOX Capital Group, Ceramika Paradyż, Polbruk S.A.
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