Vertical Development’s DIFM ACES and PIES mapping just got a major upgrade—now with powerful research and mass-distribution capabilities to boost your catalog’s accuracy and reach like never before.
Ready to unlock this added value and grow your business? Contact us today to get started or continue reading for details.
Evolving with the Industry
At Vertical Development, we’ve spent over three decades refining the art of parts catalog management, helping manufacturers and retailers in the automotive aftermarket optimize their data and drive sales.
Our expertise in ACES (Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard) and PIES (Product Information Exchange Standard) mapping has long been a cornerstone of our services, ensuring that our clients’ parts data is accurate, compliant, and ready for seamless integration with trading partners.
And as the industry evolves—so do we. With shifts like the Auto Care Association now mandating that manufacturers creating ACES content subscribe to the VCdb and PCdb, we’re staying ahead of the curve, adapting our processes to keep your data aligned with the latest standards and requirements.
Taking our DIFM Services to the Next Level
Our DIFM mapping service has successfully taken the headache out of the data mapping process, delivering clean, compliant files that trading partners like Amazon, NAPA, and others readily accept.
But mapping is just the beginning.
Working on as many projects as we do each year, we’ve come to recognize that our clients often need more than a one-time data solution.
That’s why we’re excited to announce a significant expansion of our DIFM (Do-It-For-Me) mapping services, including:
- OE Research: Investigating original equipment specifications to ensure your parts fit the latest vehicles.
- Aftermarket and Competitor Analysis: Uncovering market trends and gaps to give you a competitive edge.
- Bringing Coverage to Current: Updating your data to reflect today’s vehicle population.
- Identifying and Correcting Overlaps and Holes: Ensuring accuracy and completeness in your catalog.
- Mass-Distribution: Delivering your data efficiently to all your partners, from e-commerce platforms to brick-and-mortar distributors.
This comprehensive approach ensures that your parts catalog isn’t just mapped—it’s researched, refined, and delivered with precision to maximize your market reach and sales potential.
Let’s dive into how this expanded offering can improve your auto parts cataloging, resulting in more sales opportunities!
OE Research: Laying the Foundation with Precision
In the fast-moving world of automotive manufacturing, new vehicles hit the market every year, each with unique OE parts that aftermarket suppliers need to match. Without up-to-date OE research, your ACES files risk falling behind, leaving gaps in coverage that could cost you sales opportunities.
Our expanded DIFM service now includes in-depth OE research, conducted through strategic partnerships with industry leaders and data providers. We dig into vehicle specifications—everything from engine configurations to chassis details—to determine exactly which OE parts your products replace.
This research isn’t just about keeping up; it’s about staying ahead. By integrating OE data into your ACES files, we ensure that your parts are mapped to the latest models, giving your customers confidence that they’re purchasing the right fitment every time.
Whether you’re targeting light-duty trucks, passenger cars, or heavy-duty equipment, our OE research keeps your catalog aligned with the vehicles on the road today.
Aftermarket and Competitor Analysis: Finding Your Edge
Understanding your own parts is critical, but knowing your competition is just as important.
Our new aftermarket and competitor analysis service goes beyond your internal data to explore the broader market landscape. Through partnerships with research firms and access to industry databases, we analyze what vehicles your competitors’ parts fit, where their coverage excels, and—crucially—where it falls short.
This competitive intelligence helps us identify untapped opportunities for your business. For example, if a competitor’s catalog lacks coverage for a popular vehicle model, we can map your parts to fill that gap, positioning you as the go-to supplier.
We also look at market trends, such as rising demand for electric vehicle (EV) components or heavy-duty aftermarket parts, to ensure your catalog reflects what buyers are searching for.
With this new service, we can help you move from guesswork to a data-driven strategy that can drive revenue increases.
Bringing Coverage to Current: Keeping Your Data Relevant
While establishing an accurate auto parts catalog is the first step, keeping your catalog updated is where the magic truly happens. Vehicle populations shift over time as older models phase out and new ones take their place. Without regular updates, your ACES files could miss critical applications or include obsolete ones, leading to rejected files or lost sales.
Our DIFM service now includes bringing your coverage up to date. We cross-reference your existing ACES data against current vehicle-in-operation (VIO) statistics for the US, Canada, and Mexico, ensuring that your catalog reflects vehicles out on the road today.
This process not only keeps your data relevant but also enhances its accuracy, making it easier for customers to find your parts—and for partners to accept your files.
Identifying and Correcting Overlaps and Holes: More Sales Opportunities
Even the best-mapped ACES and PIES files can suffer from overlaps (duplicate applications) or holes (missing applications), both of which can wreak havoc on your catalog’s performance.
Overlaps confuse customers and partners, while holes leave sales opportunities on the table. Our expanded DIFM service tackles these issues head-on.
Using advanced tools and our 30+ years of industry expertise, we meticulously review your data to spot inconsistencies. For instance, if your ACES file lists the same part for overlapping vehicle applications (e.g., redundant year/make/model entries), we streamline it to eliminate confusion. If we find gaps—say, a vehicle your part fits but isn’t mapped to—we fill them with precision, backed by our OE and aftermarket research.
The result? A clean, efficient catalog that maximizes coverage without redundancy.
Mass-Distribution: Getting Your Data Where It Needs to Be
Now that you have a perfect ACES or PIES file—getting it into the hands of your trading partners is the next crucial step for success.
In the past, distribution could be a logistical nightmare, with different partners requiring unique formats or submission methods. Our expanded DIFM service simplifies this with comprehensive mass-distribution capabilities.
Whether you’re submitting to Amazon (where we’re a Preferred Vendor), NAPA (where we create PartsPro files), or other major players, we handle the delivery. We format your data to meet each partner’s specifications, manage submissions, and troubleshoot any rejections—all while keeping you informed.
By distributing your data efficiently across multiple channels, we help you reach more customers, faster, without the hassle of juggling file requirements yourself.
It All Adds Up: The Vertical Development Difference
So, what sets this expanded DIFM service apart? It’s the combination of research, mapping, and distribution under one roof, powered by Vertical Development’s deep industry knowledge and strategic partnerships. Add it all together and you get the Vertical Development Difference:
- Comprehensive Coverage: From OE research to aftermarket analysis, we ensure your catalog reflects both the vehicles on the road and the opportunities in the market.
- Time and Cost Savings: Instead of managing separate vendors for research, mapping, and distribution, you get it all from one trusted partner, reducing complexity and overhead.
- Sales Growth: Accurate, up-to-date, and widely distributed data means more visibility, fewer returns, and higher conversion rates.
- Trusted Expertise: With over 30 years in the aftermarket and a track record of delivering clean files, we’ve earned our reputation as ACES and PIES experts.
Ready to Take Your Catalog to the Next Level?
The automotive aftermarket is more competitive than ever, and a strong parts catalog is your ticket to standing out.
With Vertical Development’s expanded ACES and PIES DIFM mapping, you’re not just getting a mapped file—you’re getting a strategic partner that researches, refines, and distributes your data with precision. Whether you need to update your coverage, outmaneuver competitors, or reach new channels, we’ve got you covered.
Ready to see the difference? Contact our team today to learn how our research partnerships and mass-distribution capabilities can transform your catalog—and your bottom line.
