Frequently Asked Questions

Please explain what you mean by "ongoing parts management services"?

Keeping parts information current and accurate requires consistent and ongoing maintenance. Working together, we can ensure that your data remains fully optimized over the long haul, and that you continue to increase the return on your initial investment.

Do you sell software?

No, PartsRiver does not sell data cleansing software. We provide custom services to cleanse and enrich your parts data to your specifications using our own proprietary methodology and suite of software tools.

Who will actually clean my parts data?

First, your data will be analyzed using the latest technology along with an extensive, well proven process for managing parts. Then our highly skilled services staff, each of whom has deep experience in the transportation industry, will perform all auditing and control functions.

How much will my company need to contribute in terms of resources and staff time?

You and your colleagues will only need to contribute a limited amount of time and resources to ensure the success of your project. These contributions are usually on a part-time basis, and they take place during the system configuration, database construction and quality control phases.

What kind of IT resources will I need to execute the project?

Our solutions require minimal IT resource support. However, a customer's IT team is involved when integrating our solution with your system. We welcome this involvement and are able to work with your IT team to implement solutions that are compatible with most enterprise and fleet management systems.

How will the data interface with my current systems?

PartsRiver offers standard adapters that interface seamlessly with the leading products for master data management and fleet management systems. In addition, we have extensive experience integrating our solutions with lesser known or customized systems. To ensure the best possible transfer for each of our clients, we employ a wide variety of industry leading ETL (extract, transform, load) tools from IBM, TIBCO and Microsoft. Designing this interface process will be a key part of your comprehensive analysis and execution plan.

How will I know my data is safe?

Your data's safety and security is our highest priority, and we employ state-of-the-art security practices:

• You always keep the production data at your site. We simply work with a copy of your parts master and send you the results.
• Our systems include multiple redundancy points and fault tolerance levels.
• Each client's data is kept in its own secure area.
• Multiple security policies are enforced at the application, database and operating system levels.

Do I really need PartsRiver's help, or can I clean my data by myself?

Parts data management is dynamic and complex, and most companies find it difficult to identify the resources needed to execute and implement the solutions in which we specialize. Our company has invested millions of dollars to develop the most innovative technology, services and best-practice methodologies related to data quality across a broad range of industries. PartsRiver can also manage the discovery and implementation processes, allowing you to tap into this vast reservoir of specialized knowledge. Bottom line: When you partner with PartsRiver, you will save time, money and trouble.

What is the cost of doing nothing?

Depending on the size of your company and your specific industry sector, the cost of doing nothing can be quantified in thousands, millions, or even billions of dollars. Lost revenue and cost-saving opportunities can include the following:

• Diminished up-time for fleets.
• Contracts lost because of miscommunication of data.
• Overspend due to inaccurate pricing data.
• Mismanagement of business operations due to faulty parts information, as well as the resulting information that comes from analyses conducted with bad data.
• Inaccurate information submitted in Sarbanes-Oxley reporting.
• Bad supplier data resulting in shipping errors.
• Loss of consumer confidence due to incorrect parts supplied.
• Missed production schedule deadlines.
• Diminished up-time for manufacturing plants or fleets.
• Inability to manage contract and SKU compliance.

Can we purchase a "white label" version of Part Search?

Yes. When you purchase a "white label" version of Part Search, it will run inside your corporate firewall. This will enable your parts buyers and technicians to find parts rapidly using our innovative search engine. And because the white label version is truly integrated with your corporate systems, you will be able to enforce compliance with your business rules and track buyer search patterns.