Panelists on Tuesday, Jan. 22, presented distributor, manufacturer and end-user points of view on the access-to-information issue during the 2008 Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week session, “Access to Product and Service Information, an Industry Perspective.”
“Is this a real issue?” asked Dave Scheer, president of Inland Truck Parts Co. and session moderator. “Some would argue that it’s not a major issue and that the information is available if you just know where to look. We at Inland face this issue every day. We know where to look. We’re very resourceful.”
Scheer cited several examples his company has encountered where repairs could not be completed without contacting an OEM truck dealer because the necessary wiring schematics or other technical data was not available to them. “One of the myths that exists out there is that this only affects those who work on trucks,” Scheer said. “But that’s not true. If you’re supplying a part to a customer who works on a truck, he needs this sort of information also.”
He added that while the issue is most frequently attributed to accessing electronic engine information, it is extending to other truck components.
Avery Vise, editorial director of CCJ magazine, a sister publication to Truck Parts & Service, added a historical perspective. While electronically controlled engines have been around for nearly two decades, the proliferation of advanced technology and the growing abundance of information it generates has created an ” ‘If you build it, they will come’ phenomenon.”
While service and repair information once was relegated to the shop floor, its impact on other areas of a fleet’s business, as well as the bottom line, means more of it is being sought constantly.
The supplier perspective was provided by Todd Kindem, ArvinMeritor’s commercial vehicle aftermarket director of sales and marketing, who said suppliers have to maintain a balancing act between providing “what actual repair information is required, versus what could possibly be sharing of intellectual property.” Revealing too much could hurt manufacturers through reverse engineering of their products, Kindem said.
