Engine Parts Maker Collaborates With C.A.R.S.

Compiled ByTonya Vinas Clevite Engine Parts, a division of Dana Corp.'s Automotive Afermarket Group, Toledo, Ohio, has launched a Collaborative Automatic Replenishment System (C.A.R.S.) to improve inventory planning for customers. C.A.R.S. is based on Profile Systems' ProSAIM software and is a model that has previously been used by the pharmaceutical and electrical industries, according to Profile Systems. C.A.R.S. is a forecasting program that analyzes a variety of data, including two years of demand history, and then projects demand for the next six months. Thereafter, it uses actual demand and other parameters set by the trading partners to adjust forecasts as necessary. Clevite will use C.A.R.S. to build individual stocking plans for each customer. Clevite and Profile Systems are promising "dramatic improvements in inventory turns and missed sales." According to Jerry McCabe, vice president of marketing for Dana's Aftermarket Under Hood Group, the aftermarket automotive market has reached a level of maturity that demands collaboration. "A single level within the channel can't fix these problems on its own," McCabe says. "As a supplier we need to work with our distributors, who in turn must work with their customers to effectively meet the unique challenges of today's aftermarket. It's truly become a value chain." Clevite manufacturers a variety of replacement parts including engine bearings, gaskets, and piston rings. Profile Systems is based in West Springfield, Mass.