SEMA presents Data Co-op and Garage Industry Innovations Center
As the 2013 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show entered its fourth and final day, members continued to benefit from programs that help them grow their businesses.
Of the scores of resources available exclusively to SEMA Members the SEMA Data Co-op and the SEMA Garage-Industry Innovations Center stand out as exceptional values.
Understanding that controlling data – the weights and measures, accurate descriptions, current pricing, UPC codes or application data to power vehicle specific parts look-ups – is critical to selling more parts, SEMA created the SEMA Data Co-op, or SDC.
A collaborative effort to bring suppliers and receivers together to sell more parts and grow SEMA member businesses, the SDC is the definitive, industry owned and operated centralized data repository, complete with a comprehensive set of online data management tools.
“Consolidating and controlling data is critical to a successful aftermarket business,” said John Wyly, CEO, SEMA Data Co-op. “More than 400 businesses have already engaged in the co-op and are finding it incredibly useful in growing their bottom lines.”
SEMA believes that all suppliers should have direct ownership of their product data and that it should be configured and stored in the accepted industry ACES and PIES standards. The SDC provides a full-time help desk to assist suppliers in the on-boarding process, and provides validation services to assure standards compliance before the data goes into the repository.
SEMA Show attendees can learn more by visiting the SEMA Data Co-op area by visiting www.semadatacoop.org, calling SEMA’s director of membership, Jim Graven at 888-958-6698 ext. 4, or contacting SEMA online at www.semadatacoop.org/contact-us/
Each year the SEMA New Products Showcase is filled with thousands of the most cutting edge tools and accessories designed to add enjoyment to vehicle ownership. While some have universal fitments, many have model-specific applications that require significantly more research and development.
That is why SEMA created the SEMA Garage.
The SEMA Garage gives SEMA Member businesses access to the special high-tech tools and equipment they need to get their products -- whether a $10 set of replacement wiper blades or a $10,000 engine modification -- off the drawing board and into customer hands. It is the only known facility of its kind in the U.S.
The SEMA Garage-Industry Innovations Center displayed at the SEMA Show, Booth 50000, located in the South Hall upper level of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Mike Spagnola, SEMA vice president of the Product Development Center, was on hand to answer questions.
Covering 15,000 square-feet and filled with nearly $2 million of equipment, the SEMA Garage now includes all the tools specialty product developers could hope for and then some, including two vehicle lifts, a portable coordinate measuring machine (CMM) for 3D scanning, a 3D printer for fast prototyping, digital race car scales for the most precise vehicle weight measurements, a dynamometer for power output measurements and more.
But by far the most valuable asset in the SEMA Garage is a fully certified Executive Order (EO) aftermarket-part certification lab. Any company wishing to sell aftermarket powertrain parts in the very lucrative California market must get an EO certification. Working in conjunction with the Auto Club, SEMA is able to provide its members with this valuable, low-cost resource for testing and obtaining such certifications.
This temperature controlled test cell can simulate winter in the mountains, summer in the desert or anything in between. Testing meets all federal EPA and California Air Resources Boards (CARB) standards. Capabilities include emissions, fuel economy, acceleration, brake stopping distance, interior/exterior noise levels and handling.
"SEMA is in a unique position to provide members with a reliable and affordable way to develop and test their products, thereby helping them get their products to market quickly," said Spagnola.
The SEMA Garage originally opened May 9, 2013 when the aftermarket-part certification lab was first made available to members. Today's expansion marks the second phase of the organization's ongoing effort to better serve the industry. In the coming months, a suite of marketing support tools will be added to complete the three-phase opening, in the form of a media center complete with a photo cove, photography center and media coordination services.
