Skip to the main content.
Get a Demo
The Partium Suite

Learn more about the Partium Suite and how our leading Enterprise Part Search can help you to sell more parts, drive maintenance efficiency, and more!

Partium Find
Partium Agent Portal
Partium Analytics
Data Optimization

 

by Usecase

Whether you want to sell more spare parts, support your parts desk and hotline team, or drive maintenance and warehouse efficiency, Partium can help you.

 

partium_suite_mega_menu1

Partium Enterprise Part Search


Unlock your Aftermarket & Maintenance Potential with Partium, the easiest and most reliable spare part search.

Transform how technicians search for spare parts, empower your users, and increase part sales & maintenance efficiency.

Connect with Us

2 min read

6 reasons why webshops in the aftermarket don’t work for machine builders

6 reasons why webshops in the aftermarket don’t work for machine builders

We talk a lot to machine manufacturers and companies working in the digital aftermarket space. Most of them tell us that their customers are barely using their aftermarket shops and portals even though the shops were developed and introduced at a very high cost.

So you may ask: Why do webshops in the aftermarket not work? We have identified 6 reasons why:

6 Reasons why Webshops do not work

1) Orders are placed with the original manufacturer

Parts removed from the machine often have a label or marking with the manufacturer or product number. This makes ordering from the original manufacturer, such as Festo, Siemens, Bosch Rexroth, or Phoenix Contact, much more straightforward and tempts procurement to place orders in the original parts manufacturer’s web store rather than the shop of the machine builder.

2) Well-developed standard parts range of retailers

Large retailers such as RS Components and Mercateo are continuously expanding their range of standard components. Special offers, optimized stock-keeping, reasonable & transparent prices are appealing to procurement and procurement controllers. Machine builders usually find it challenging to keep up with the competitor’s pricing.

3) Necessary personal contact when ordering individual components

The reordering of unique machine components can only be done through the original manufacturer of the machine. That is because part suppliers do not reproduce these individual parts.  However, since these products are described in documents & portals only to a limited extend, technicians often have to reach out to the manufacturer’s service line. This process redirects traffic from the webshop to the help desk line.

Partium in the Aftersales for Machine Manufacturers

4) Poor information, poor mobile usability of portals

Another problem is the low availability and quality of data in the shops. Web portals are often not optimized for smartphones, and the relevant information, such as exploded views, technical sheets, and drawings are difficult to read on the small cell phone display.

5) Ordering authorizations

Another challenge is that technicians who browse inventory and report requirements to the purchasing department are not the ones authorized to order. Purchasing departments usually refuse to use web stores, preferring to work in their own ERP systems where purchasing terms and payment methods are automatically stored.

6) Little detailed information

Often web portals also fail because they are not adequately maintained, and detailed information is entirely missing. Products are often very poorly displayed, and product photos are either unavailable or only available as low-quality drawings.

Are you facing a similar challenge? Do you recognize your company in one or even several points? We have learned how to do it right!

With Partium, you make it easy for your mechanical engineering customers to order from you: Your customers can correctly identify parts via smartphone in just a few seconds.

Based on this, they can view further information such as stock levels, documentation, and more on their mobile devices. They can contact your support hotline, send purchase requisitions to the purchasing department via email, and connect their SAP via API.

Does that sound good to you? Then get in touch with us now – we’ll be happy to help you!

Partium raises $15 million in a series A round

Partium raises $15 million in a series A round

September 20, 2024: Philadelphia, PA: Partium, the leading AI-platform for industrial spare parts search and data access, announced today that it...

Read More
Partium at InnoTrans 2024

Partium at InnoTrans 2024

Partium is set to play a significant role at InnoTrans 2024, the world’s largest trade fair dedicated to the rail transport sector. Scheduled from...

Read More
Europe-wide B2B marketplace for used rail freight - opportunities and risks

Europe-wide B2B marketplace for used rail freight - opportunities and risks

Since April 2023, the B2B marketplace for the rail industry railauction.plus has been an innovative place for the sale of used rail assets, with a...

Read More