Spare Parts Central

HYUNDAI Motor America hopes to sell spare parts and build its $150-million-a-year North American business through an extranet system for dealers.

The Korean automaker’s domestic unit will unveil a Web-based system next month that allows dealers and car repair shops to easily specify and purchase equipment. “It is really for the independent auto repair shops that don’t have time to go looking for parts,” says national parts manager George Kurth.

The system, developed by Chicago-based Click Interactive and Bell & Howell Publication Systems Co., works like this: Mechanics or others at dealerships or independent shops will go to the site (www. hyundaiusa.com) and punch in a vehicle identification number to get access to Hyundai’s entire spare parts database. They can then order parts directly using credit cards or through contract sales arrangements, says Hyundai spokesman Bernard Reyes. All orders are shipped to the dealers.

The spare parts e-catalog will be updated weekly rather than quarterly, as are Hyundai’s paper and microfiche catalogs. Reyes says this more frequent schedule is helpful because part numbers and other necessary data change often.

The Fountain Valley, CA company is also looking to use this system to sell automotive parts in Latin American markets, which is now done by the parent company in Korea. “It’s a lot easier to distribute parts from New Jersey instead of Korea,” quips Kurth. Partly for this reason, Hyundai will include a Spanish-language feature on the new system.

Hyundai will promote the service through space advertisements in automotive trade journals, in brochures it ships to its dealers and through word of mouth. At deadline, exact details were still being worked out.

Kurth adds that the firm hopes to improve sales of spare parts for older models.

“Hyundai is poised to become the market leader in parts sales over the Internet,” he says. “Our electronic parts look-up and direct ordering will streamline access to the Hyundai parts inventory for our dealers, wholesalers and repair shops worldwide.”