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The Skinny: A leading developer of electronic parts catalogs for car dealerships, ProQuest sought features in trade media publications to help build a presence within its target market. I wrote this piece, appearing in Dealer Fixed Operations magazine, as a byline for a member of the ProQuest team.

Style: Informative, factual

Excerpt:

Boost Your EPC ROI
by: Nick Sposet

Why - and when - training makes sense for your dealership

Despite its value, user training is often treated as an annoyance by buyers of electronic parts catalogs (EPCs). "Why do we need training? It can't be that difficult to learn how to use the catalog." What training-phobic managers fail to see, however, is that even though the system may be simple to use, maximum efficiencies only come from using the EPC to its fullest potential.

Ever since parts research has moved from paper catalogs to PCs, countermen have seen massive improvement in their ability to find the right part number quickly. But are they being as fast and efficient as they could be? Are they using all the tools their EPC offers? Consider these questions:

• Do you and your team routinely ignore the "what's new" document enclosed with your monthly CD update?
• Does finding a part number without the vehicle identification number (VIN) add significant time to your search?
• If you're interrupted during a research session, do you start from scratch?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, it's time to consider a training event for you and your team. Onsite or remote training offers real benefits to your bottom line, primarily through increases in accuracy and speed.

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