Product Specific Attributes
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AAIA has undertaken a project to standardize product attribute definitions across thousands of product categories for replacement parts, accessories, chemicals, tools and more.
Performance and physical attributes of all products are becoming critical to any successful sales and marketing strategy at all levels of the supply chain. Consumers, service professionals and store personnel depend on product-specific attribute information to distinguish the form, fit and function of one product from another. Rich, descriptive attribute information about a product will lift sales and reduce returns.
Project leadership and technical resources are provided by Pricedex Software and DCi under a work-for-hire agreement with AAIA. Executive oversight and project management is provided by the Attributes Steering Committee – comprised of senior marketing and sales executives from aftermarket suppliers and resellers.
Throughout the project, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will be identified to focus on a small number of product categories. They will collaborate using an on-line interface to reach consensus on the appropriate marketing attribute to define for each part type. Attribute definitions will be standardized and the associated metadata (information about the attribute) linked to the AAIA Parts Classification database (PCdb).
The order in which product categories are addressed will be prioritized based on a variety of business-driven criteria. Information about the attribute definitions will be available through the PCdb interface at http://www.enhancedstandard.com/. Publication of the initial set of attribute definitions is expected in mid-2012. The completed attribute definition database is forecast for late 2013 and will then be maintained and updated indefinitely.