Wired 10 June 18 2015

Issue 10 - JUNE 18 EURO CAR PARTS PRODUCT NEWS

Once something is a passion, the motivation is there

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Instant Price Match

Did You Know?

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Profiling Point

Brake Clinic

Klarius VOR Ordering

AirCon Station

Performance&Styling

Instant Price Match

“We must have used it about 10 times today.” Simon Carey – Sales Manager – Orpington Hub.

I PM has been 8 months in rollout across the branch network. IPM is unique to ECP – no other competitor in our market can capture the detail and handle a price match as fast as we can! Gone are the days of sending an email and waiting … Follow the below guidance to avoid any delays – it’s important these points are followed to ensure smooth running of IPM across the company. • Free Stock MUST be showing at the time the WIP is CREATED – Created is the key… (Not booked in after) • Orders need to be SAVED (not as quotations) • Do not suspend orders! – these cause us a huge delay. the making, endless hours of development and testing! Last Thursday we completed the

“IPM is fast! – instant response! Far quicker than emails.” Kevin Blackwell – Sales Manager – Isleworth

“Excellent response time” Stuart Hayes – Sales Manager – Paisley

“Over the last two days the process has been faultless, and speedy, without exception.” Nigel Stones – Branch Manager – Doncaster

• No EQ Terms expiry popups – these cause delay which effects everyone • Credit limits must be OK etc. • Order cannot be locked – they need to be out the order when we update • Do not mark as “Under Review” – this reserves it just for the person whom reviewed it – i.e., HO can no longer see it on the pending screen.

For anything not in stock – email in the old way with customer/part number/price/competitor – state in the email “no branch stock”

If you have any questions (or praise) please contact the Pricing Team or Andy Hodge: pricing@eurocarparts.com andy.hodge@eurocarparts.com

Did You Know? BMW 5/6/7 Series – Suspension Arms

– One Size Fits All

T he latest BMW 5/6/7 fitted as standard, depending on the camber specification of each model. It’s common for the ball joint to be one of the first components to fail on any suspension due to wear and tear. The Ball joint on the Fx 5 Series, Fx 6 Series and F01 7 Series OE arms are non- removable, the customer must replace the complete arm to remedy a ball joint failure. The only physical difference between the three arms is the ball joint position, so Meyle have developed a suspension arm and ball joint combination which can be adjusted to replace any of the these arms. This effectively reduces repair time and costs since the vehicle doesn’t need to be inspected Series models can have any one of three front upper suspension arms

to verify the camber setting before placing an order, and the ball joint can now be replaced independently from the complete arm in the future. The Meyle ball joint (617 11 0210) and suspension arm (615 11 1510) must be supplied as a set as they are designed to work together, so please advise your customer of this or you are likely to receive the arm or ball joint back for credit! Fitting instructions are included with the products but if required, they can also be found using the link next to the part number on Topcat. For more information about Meyle arms for the Fx 5 Series, Fx 6 Series and F01 7 Series, please contact Kulbir Bamrah: kulbir.bamrah@eurocarparts.com Cisco: 7001 – 522

MEYLE-HD

+ Control arm (31 12 6 779 871)

0 +

0 Control arm (31 12 6 775 967)

- Control arm (31 12 6 779 908)

Did You Know? It’s summer time, batteries only fail in winter ... don’t they?

down an already damaged battery results in failure. This is why as soon as the temperature drops to 5 degrees you have an instant spike in sales, it catches out the batteries that just about made it through summer. So if your focus has slipped from batteries because it’s not cold, I guarantee you 100% you are missing out on sales, and the competition are taking advantage of this. Take 10 minutes, review your customers, the ones who are not currently buying and give them a call. There will be reasons that you can look at and rectify, but it won’t be because they are not selling any. If you need any assistance, call or e-mail Alan Knight, he will be glad to give you a helping hand. alan.knight@eurocarparts.com Cisco: 7001 – 091

T he summer heat destroys batteries by expanding the plates and locks, which in turn stress the joints causing hairline cracks appear. This makes the battery unable to perform at its optimum working capacity, ultimately enabling it to only work at half its rated level. This means one

day, without warning, a vehicle will just fail to start, the hotter it is the quicker and greater the damage done. Yes there is a peak in winter, but, this is linked to the summer, that’s when the damage was done, cold does not kill a battery it just slows it down, and slowing

AirCon Station

Vacuum Pump Smokiness: I Want to Break Free

B rain Bee have received some reports concerning white smoke coming out of vacuum pumps. This Tech News is aimed at explaining the reasons and providing indications to minimise such problems; nonetheless, white smoke coming out of the pump is something that normally occurs during the vacuum operation. It is caused by gas or air residues that get stuck within the car system during the recovery phase, causing atomisation of pump oil during the vacuum phase. POSSIBLE CAUSES & SOLUTIONS This problem can only be observed during the vacuum phase and results from the presence of gas residues within the system after the recovery phase. The possible reasons/ solutions might be the following:

1. Recovery phase started with cold car Where the car is cold or the A/C system has not been recently activated, the refrigerant in the car will be mostly in liquid state. This will slow down the recovery phase and some small quantities of the R134a refrigerant might get stuck in the curved parts of the system where evaporation is slower. These will hence not be recovered. Such small quantities of gas will be expelled from the circuit only during the subsequent vacuum phase, as they need the time physically required to expand and to move from liquid to gaseous state. Easy fix, start the recovery phase after the A/C system has been turned on for some minutes. 2. Leakages in the car system If during the vacuum phase the car circuit is not tight, air

can get into it and get mixed with the pump oil thus easing atomisation. Just check at the system has been correctly tightened before starting. 3. Pump oil needs to be replaced Polluted oil can no longer perform to its desired level. Periodically replace the pump oil. The vacuum pump needs to be adequately lubricated. Oil needs to be replaced every 60 hours of operation, as indicated by Brain Bee stations. WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VACUUM PUMP? In Brain Bee Machines, the Vacuum Pump is a centrifugal vane pump, the aim of which is to extract the R134a residues and every other gas present in

the car system before re-injecting new refrigerant. Oil replacement is extremely important to ensure the ideal vacuum level is achieved and to keep the pump in perfect working conditions. We hope we have provided you with key information on this issue, and we are sure this will help you provide future explanations to customers and to increase knowledge on the A/C sector.

As always, if you need any help our Air Con team is on hand to answer any questions: Aaron McFarlane aaron.macfarlane@eurocarparts.com Cisco: 7001 - 595

Performance & Styling Custom Build Exhausts W e are now able to offer a custom built exhaust solution, for those hard to get/ almost inevitable. Powerflow are the leading supplier of custom- build stainless steel exhaust components in the UK, with over 100 depots nationwide. of stock. • No longer is the age of the vehicle a hurdle.

Dealer only parts. Powerflow’s focus was on one-off, stainless steel performance systems for cars and motorcycles - every one hand-built by the owner of the business. Soon, however, the advantages of a stainless steel custom-build system became more and more widely recognised and demand began growing. The systems had found great favour not only with car enthusiasts and the owners of sporty or unusual vehicles, but also with customers simply looking for a value-for-money alternative to a mild steel, off- the-shelf system. Increasing demand for the brand throughout the country made the progression towards a chain of ‘franchised’ fitment centres

The systems (or required part of the system) are built on the actual vehicle, while you wait, and at very reasonable prices. All parts and workmanship are covered by a

“purchaser’s lifetime of ownership” guarantee

and backed by over 40 years of history in custom exhausts. • No longer will you have to tell customers that their exhaust is main dealer only. • No longer will you have to

say that current suppliers are out

From classic cars to Imports. From standard replacement to custom modified vehicles, Powerflow will meet the needs of your customer. Utilising 1” to 3” bore piping,

coupled with over 100 silencer options (in various shapes and sizes) matched to an individual’s taste of tailpipe will give any vehicle a unique look and sound. HOW DOES IT WORK? 1. Customer approaches you for an exhaust (standard/ Performance) which we have no supplier for. 2. You email Justin or David with vehicle details (VRM) and what section needs doing.

and local custom build depot address. 6. Customer takes his vehicle to get exhaust fitted “while-U-wait”. BENEFITS • Made from 304 grade Stainless Steel. • Comes with a lifetime of ownership warranty. • Any warranty issues are dealt with by Powerflow/Depot that fitted the system. For more information on performance upgrades and Powerflow Exhausts, please contact the Performance team: Justin Wasling: justin.wasling@eurocarparts.com Cisco: 7001 – 545 David Kracke: david.cracke@eurocarparts.com Cisco: 7001 – 466

3. We make contact with supplier to get a price, and get back to you. 4. You give customer the price he agrees. (Price is a fully fitted price) 5. We create part number and give you a ref number to place on invoice

Profiling Point Euro Car Parts Profiling News D avid Shore, our rotating electrics specialist, an analysis of lost sales. This was due to stock issues during the first five months of 2015. Remember! If you have a profiling request, the request should come

combination of a sale or a lost sale) within 12 months for the part number to automatically profile into the branch. There are parameters in place which will find false demand! If you have any profiling requests, get your Branch Manager or Operations Manager to contact David Shore: david.shore@eurocarparts.com ☐

has been busy visiting branches that need to be profiled. Last week he visited the Chester and Nottingham Branches, he looked at specific buying habits of branch customers and spoke with management in reference to lost sales. Chester has been profiled with 7 additional Alternators and 8 additional Starter Motors. The part numbers fall within the top 116 selling rotating part numbers from a total company volume! The volume being introduced is a function of vehicle parc, unit failure rate and the Euro Car Parts market share. Northampton has been profiled with an additional 2 Alternators and Starter Motors. As well as this, 7 Alternators and 9 Starter Motors have been profiled to Northampton branch following

from the Branch Manager or Operations Manager. They need to inform the team approximately how many additional SKUs of each product group and /or brand the branch can accommodate. • If a part number doesn’t sell, the profiling of that part number will be removed. • Lost sales help branches with their profiling – please try to log ALL lost sales where possible. • VOR is only classed as demand when it is either sold, or a lost sales is logged. • You need 3 demands (a

Brake Clinic “Lost Sales” - The Myths & the Facts F ollowing on from branch visits, the braking PM team have been made aware of some of the myths in the network surrounding “Lost Sales”.

do not log a lost sale, then they will continue to lose sales. By logging the lost sales, we will be able to easily capture the demand the branch needs, and as a result, will contribute to having that part number profiled Year to date, the average branch logs 1.08 per day for pads and discs. Lost sales are important – so please log them. Help the PM & inventory team to help you. Remember, 3 demands in 12 months will automatically profile that part into your branch.

For more information please contact: Aaron Spencer: aaron.spencer@eurocarparts. com Ehsan Arabalizadeh: ehsan@eurocarparts.com

The feedback is that there are a lot members of staff in the network who do not log lost sales because they believe that nothing happens with them. This is not the case. Periodically, the PM and inventory team will review the lost sales logged by the branch staff and either: a) Profile them into all branches b)Profile them into specific branches who have logged the lost sale. Furthermore, logging a lost sale will help the branch with the “Depth” of their profile. They might already be profiled with a part number, but do not hold the required level. If the branch

Klarius VOR Ordering

In April we rolled Klarius VOR Ordering out to all branches, as a refresh, please absorb the below. Klarius Exhaust VOR orders have moved away from the NDC to Klarius direct. There are two main reasons for this: 1. The volume of exhaust VOR’s received by the NDC are at such a massive level that the NDC is struggling to cope 2. The NDC is extremely short of space. As Klarius already deliver stock

orders to the branch network on a daily basis, it makes sense for them to deliver your VOR’s direct as well. This means that you will have to place VOR orders directly with Klarius through the SOP screen. The process is simple but it does require a little effort to begin with. Start by checking stock on ECPedia. Then, once you have confirmed that the stock is available, go to the SOP screen on K8 to place the order. Details for both steps are available in the Operations area of ECPedia.