Saab & D2DLink

[HarleyEarl]

Saab USA Selects OEConnection's D2DLink® as Preferred Dealer Parts Sourcing Tool RICHFIELD, Ohio, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Saab dealers can now take advantage of D2DLink, the automotive industry's largest subscriber-based online parts procurement and fulfillment tool. OEConnection LLC, a leader in ecommerce procurement and analysis solutions for the automotive original equipment replacement parts business, announced today an agreement with Saab USA, to launch D2DLink to Saab's 260 dealers nationwide. Saab, a division of General Motors Corporation, marks the 6th automaker to embrace D2DLink in a corporate-wide initiative for more efficient and streamlined dealer-to-dealer parts trade. Their dealers also join an industry network of almost 12,000 D2DLink subscribers, representing an estimated 50% of all U.S. new car dealerships and nearly $8 billion in annual parts trade. With D2DLink, Saab parts managers can automate sourcing of parts in stock at other Saab and GM dealerships -- from inquiry to order fulfillment -- facilitating, in many cases, same day delivery. Previously limited to time- consuming and hit-or-miss phone follow-up, D2DLink provides Saab users with the industry's most accurate online database of original equipment parts. Using near-real time updating, D2DLink creates a virtual warehouse of all in- channel Saab-specific and General Motors-shared parts providing Saab dealers with access to their dealer network and the inventories of 5,800 General Motors who also subscribe to D2DLink. "We're very pleased that Saab has joined the growing number of both domestic and import automakers who are choosing D2DLink as their primary in- channel parts procurement tool," commented Chuck Rotuno, OEConnection President and CEO. "The sheer density of our dealer trading network and state-of-the-art software solutions help make OEConnection an obvious choice, especially as the industry moves to the greater economies of scale gained from shared parts." Saab parts managers will also be able to take advantage of OEConnection's full complement of parts management tools including solutions to proactively market idle and slow-moving inventory, identify and target potential buyers and sellers of desired parts, and analyze parts movement for more informed parts stocking decisions. OEConnection will begin its initial D2DLink launch for Saab dealerships in early December.