SAF-Holland, a global manufacturer of suspension, fifth wheel, landing gear and coupling products, introduced its Aftermarket Parts on Demand (POD) electronic parts catalog.
“At SAF-Holland, we will see great benefits by providing our distributors with the right tools,” said Juan Hernandez, international marketing and sourcing manager. “POD is one of those tools – one of the most powerful tools to save our distributors time.”
Operating like a well-designed website, POD brings 15 years of sales data directly to the fingertips of distributors, said the manufacturer. Search features enable distributors to reach specific areas of the site with a few clicks of the mouse. They can easily answer customer parts-related questions in real time, without
the need to make a phone call.
With the new system, distributors have full access to over 15,000 assembly numbers along with their respective component parts and expanded views. In addition, POD enables distributors to provide valuable information to their customers in real time.
POD enables distributors to:
- Find precise parts information;
- Check on pricing and availability;
- Download parts manuals;
- Acquire warranty information;
- Determine size and weight;
- Order online; and
- Cross-referencing, if a part has been found to be obsolete or has been replaced with
another part.
The company expects to have a mobile version of POD available in the second quarter of 2015.
“Four years ago, SAF-Holland made a commitment to service the needs of our aftermarket
customers,” said Carl Mesker, vice president of SAF-Holland’s aftermarket business unit. “POD is a powerful initiative to grow the aftermarket business as a leader in aftermarket parts for suspension, fifth wheel, landing gear and coupling products.”
According to the company, other initiatives that the aftermarket business has undertaken include establishing a dedicated aftermarket team that includes an inside customer service team and an aftermarket field sales team; building the parts catalog by tens of thousands of parts, making it more comprehensive and easier to use is a second initiative; and creating a distribution center in Cincinnati, Ohio, dedicated to serving the needs of aftermarket customers.
