Complex b2b auto parts VIN Scan App
Scalable product innovation for B-to-B and B-to-C auto parts sales
Develop the strategy and design of two innovative auto-parts–sales products: a VIN Scan app and a consumer-facing auto parts e-commerce site. The strategy and design of these products allow Aftermarket Auto Part Alliance (AAPA) to not only improve the sales and business experience of their current customers, but they also serve as scalable software solutions that retailers within AAPA can re-purpose for their own businesses.
Making auto parts buying and selling easy for both consumers and industry experts
Aftermarket Auto Part Alliance provides automotive products and up-to-date industry insight and best practices to participating car part manufacturers and retail stores. Businesses join AAPA for easier access to the products they sell to their customers as well as the product knowledge and support they receive with their membership.
Before coming to us for help, AAPA services allowed alliance members to find and purchase auto parts on a functional, yet difficult-to-use digital system. When alliance members voiced their desire for a product that allows them to match parts with cars by scanning VINs, AAPA recognized a golden opportunity to strengthen their position as a leading matchmaker in the automotive industry.
Technology
- Sketch digital design toolkit
- InVision for digital product design
- Bootstrap web design
Services
- Product Strategy
- Product Design
- Front End Development
Complex business-to-business auto parts sales simplified with the VIN Scan App
Locating the best car-part deals has not always been an easy task. Not only does it require special knowledge about which car parts suit which makes and models, it also requires access to a wide variety of manufacturers.
AAPA connects shops searching for car parts with the manufacturers who sell them. But until now, the process for finding the right part at the right price was time consuming and cumbersome.
The VIN Scan app allows mechanics and retailers to find the right part for a car simply by scanning its VIN, entering a license plate number or using voice search. It then displays a variety of suitable auto parts at different prices, allowing users to purchase the parts from within the app.
Creating the strategy and design of this product required in-depth user research and out-of-the-box thinking. We tested the product in context, analyzing the best possible methods for digitally scanning and selecting products in a variety of settings, including hectic dealerships and oily mechanic shops where users are likely to have gloved or greasy hands.
For AAPA, the threat of losing members to competitors is minimized. The VIN Scan app, along with their other services, allows AAPA to offer auto parts buyers and sellers a near frictionless experience that is unmatched anywhere else. Now, more than ever, members rely on AAPA for behind-the-scenes support of their day-to-day business operations.
For alliance members, the end result of our research and testing is a highly intuitive mobile app that is extremely quick and easy to use.
Disrupting consumer access to auto parts
AAPA’s e-commerce website incorporates features from the VIN Scan app into a consumer-facing interface. The website reduces the time and risk involved in researching, finding and purchasing auto parts, placing easy access to automotive products directly into the hands of consumers.
Concurrently, the platform allows AAPA to expand its service offerings to members. With this e-commerce site, we have created a scalable digital product, widening the AAPA umbrella. Businesses belonging to AAPA will be able to launch their own versions of the white-labeled website, capitalizing on consumer-direct sales via a revolutionary digital platform.
