After CARSTAR recently alerted its franchisees to an estimating issue with PartsTrader, PartsTrader has come out with information clarifying why the problem exists.
In a statement issued to the media, PartsTrader explained:
PartsTrader’s current interfaces with the estimating systems handle two types of estimating data: recognized data and unrecognized data. When data is recognized by the estimating systems – data like specific part numbers, procedures, part types, etc. – the current interfaces place that data exactly where and how the estimator expects it to be in the estimate. However, if a shop estimator manually enters parts in the estimate that are not recognized by the estimating system, or if a parts supplier provides part information back to the estimator that is not recognized by the estimating system, then the current PartsTrader interfaces place those items at the bottom of the estimate so that an estimator can review the unrecognized data before completing the estimate. Such scenarios primarily relate to assemblies. It is precisely for the reasons shared by CARSTAR that these items are not placed back in the middle of the estimate where they may be overlooked, but rather they are highlighted for further review by the estimator.
PartsTrader is working to better address these scenarios with all three major estimating system providers in the next release of their respective interfaces, which we anticipate will be delivered in the first quarter of 2014.
More information:
CARSTAR Corporate Warns Network of Estimating Issue with PartsTrader
