For the last 25 years TecAlliance GmbH has been an independent service provider for the automotive aftermarket. With 600 employees at 19 locations worldwide, they are seen as a digital innovator and a driving force for data, processes and integrated solutions.

TecAlliance’s product portfolio includes the TecDoc Catalogue – a vehicles and spare parts catalogue created for the independent automotive aftermarket. Transparency, efficiency and effectiveness in all aspects of spare parts are essential for smooth cooperation between garages, dealers and manufacturers. The catalogue system has integrated search functions that makes it easier for them to find the exact spare parts they need.

Apart from companies looking for replacement parts, TecAlliance targets suppliers listed in the catalogue system. The aim is to optimize their catalogue with both groups in mind, so they can meet theirs users’ needs and advise suppliers on the most effective product placement.

Challenges

TecAlliance had no data about the use of their catalogue. The shortage of information about user interactions limited their product development, since they couldn’t identify and prioritize the main issues.

What they lacked most was data showing which product functions users benefit from and in what way. Without that data, they couldn’t figure out what product functions were essential and decisive in leading to purchases. They also couldn’t uncover unnecessary functions, that were neither commonly used or impactful.

As a result, they weren’t able to understand their users’ experiences or plan product optimizations based on customer requirements.

To sort this out, TecAlliance needed to collect data about user behavior and interactions. With the help of an analytics platform, they could gather this data and dispel the uncertainties they had about the use of their product. In particular, they wanted to verify which features were already successfully used by their clients and what they could improve for a better user experience.

One of the most important questions was how users search in the catalogue. TecAlliance wanted to look at search keywords, and filters they use to narrow down the search results.

Likely changes also included the way in which the product displays on different devices. The client wanted users to have the best experience possible, whether they access the catalogue via desktop, mobile or web-based applications.

Solution

TecAlliance’s analytics needs exceeded standard reporting, so apart from Piwik PRO’s Analytics they also chose the Tag Manager module. This allowed them to deploy, modify and manage marketing and analytics tags with no help from their IT department. This included tags TecAlliance implemented to study user behavior and interactions with the catalogue.

Data they collected on user actions and user flow provided insight into key criteria when users look for suitable spare parts. It became possible to determine which functions are the most relevant to them based on what users click on most often.

Additional information came from putting the search history in chronological order. Product development team and suppliers prioritized the criteria that clients use at the beginning of their search, as they indicate what users consider must-have. Other criteria that users enter later in the search process were considered as ‘nice-to-have’, and therefore given a lower priority.

TecAlliance operates in a data-sensitive industry, so it was important for them to maintain full control over the collected data and respect user privacy. They accomplished this with the help of opt-out and do-not-track features. Data was safely stored on secure servers in Europe.

Outcome

TecAlliance used the collected data to track which items users search for and what search functions they use. They identified their clients’ needs and optimized their product accordingly to improve customer experience.

This helped TecAlliance maintain customer loyalty in the long term and to further expand its market position. Additionally, they gave the providers listed in their catalogue helpful recommendations on the most relevant search criteria for their products and customer requirements. Providers used those findings to revise the content they present to users and increased their chances of success in the process.

That was a big win for both users searching for spare parts via TecDoc Catalogue and suppliers providing products, as their needs and expectations aligned. The analysis helped to achieve a common understanding of the information needed to select the suitable spare part, which saved a lot of time and cost.

TecAlliance made fundamental product optimizations based on the analytics data. This sped up the product, improved how it worked on certain operating systems and enhanced its responsiveness to different screen resolutions.

They identified and implemented suitable improvements to desktop, mobile and web-based applications, which optimized user experience further. TecAlliance learned which technical adjustments had no effect on the customer experience and which didn’t. They were able to save time later by skipping those adjustments which had little or no effect.

About TecAlliance

For 25 years, TecAlliance has been one of the world’s leading data specialists for networked collaboration in the digital automotive aftermarket. In addition to up-to-date vehicle and spare parts data based on the TecDoc Standard, the TecAlliance portfolio includes comprehensive repair and maintenance information as well as integrated solutions and consulting services for digital order handling, fleet management and market and data analysis in the automotive aftermarket.

The TecDoc Catalogue is one of the world’s leading and most comprehensive automotive aftermarket catalogues. Today, around 600 qualified TecAlliance employees from 26 nations are working around the world, using their profound technical and business knowledge of the automotive aftermarket to make data and processes more efficient. TecAlliance – the international driving force for standardised data, digital processes and integrated solutions in the automotive aftermarket.