The automotive aftermarket runs on data.
Millions of spare parts, vehicle applications, OE numbers, aftermarket alternatives, suppliers, warehouses and customer-specific prices all have to work together.
But automotive parts data is not the same thing as an automotive B2B platform.
Digital commerce begins when vehicle and product data are connected to real inventory, customer pricing, business rules, ERP systems and ordering.
This is where TEC3 comes in.
TEC3 is a B2B and B2C platform for the automotive aftermarket, designed to connect automotive data, business systems and digital sales in one environment.
TecAlliance and YQ Service provide critical automotive data
Reliable data is the foundation of any serious automotive parts platform.
Through TecDoc, TecAlliance provides one of the major standardised data ecosystems for the independent automotive aftermarket. TecDoc currently reports more than 1,200 brands, 12.8 million article records and over 724 million vehicle-to-product linkages, with its data also available for integration through web services.
YQ Service addresses another important part of the data layer: precise VIN-based vehicle and genuine-parts identification. Its services identify the exact vehicle from manufacturer information and support searches by VIN, model, OEM number and licence plate, with API integration into third-party systems.
Within a TEC3 architecture, TecAlliance/TecDoc and YQ Service therefore act primarily as automotive data and vehicle-identification sources.
TEC3 performs a different role.
TEC3 turns automotive data into a commercial workflow
Consider a typical B2B spare-parts order.
Finding the correct vehicle and matching part is essential, but the professional buyer immediately needs more information.
Is the part actually in stock? At which warehouse? What is my net price? Which discount applies to my account? Is an alternative available? What is the delivery time? Can I order it immediately? Will that order automatically reach the ERP?
This is where a parts catalogue becomes automotive B2B e-commerce.
TEC3 connects automotive data sources and TecDoc integration with VIN search, product information, internal and external inventory, customer-specific pricing, discounts, accounts, orders and ERP/CRM systems.
Instead of forcing users to move between separate applications, these elements become part of one digital sales process.
TecDoc integration is only the beginning
For many automotive e-commerce projects, one of the first requirements is TecDoc integration.
That makes sense.
But connecting a catalogue does not automatically create an effective B2B spare-parts platform.
The real value appears when the customer selects a vehicle and part and immediately receives information from your business: your SKU, your available inventory, their negotiated price, relevant alternatives and actual availability.
The same applies to VIN search for spare parts. Accurate identification through YQ Service becomes much more valuable when the identified vehicle leads directly into product selection, pricing and ordering.
TEC3 connects those steps.
Automotive ERP integration without creating another data silo
A professional B2B platform should work with the systems already running the company.
Across previous TEC implementations, we have integrated with Vasco, MetaKocka, Datalab Pantheon, Microsoft Dynamics NAV/Navision, Opal and SAOP.
This enables the digital sales channel to exchange relevant information about customers, inventory, pricing, discounts and orders with the underlying business system.
Other ERP, CRM, WMS or proprietary solutions can be integrated through an API or a dedicated connector.
The principle is simple: the business should not have to adapt to the e-commerce platform. The platform should adapt to the business process.
One technology layer for automotive B2B and B2C
A workshop and a private car owner might be buying exactly the same component.
Their buying journeys, however, are very different.
Professional B2B users value fast VIN and OE search, cross-references, alternatives, multiple warehouse availability, customer-specific prices and quick repeat ordering.
A B2C customer primarily wants confidence that the part actually fits the vehicle.
TEC3 can therefore use the same automotive data and integration layer for both B2B spare-parts ordering and B2C automotive e-commerce, while adapting the interface and commercial logic to each audience.
Why a standard webshop is not always enough
Generic e-commerce technology can be excellent for conventional retail.
Automotive aftermarket commerce adds another level of complexity: vehicle-to-product relationships, OE references, replacements, very large catalogues, multiple suppliers and warehouses, negotiated B2B pricing and deep ERP integration.
For more advanced projects, the key question is therefore no longer: “Which webshop should we use?”
It is: “How do we connect automotive data, commerce and our existing business processes?”
TEC3 was developed around that question.
Connected automotive commerce is the next step
The next generation of automotive e-commerce will not be built around more isolated applications.
Automotive data, VIN identification, OE and aftermarket references, ERP systems, supplier inventory, individual B2B prices and B2C commerce increasingly need to behave as a single process.
TEC3 is the B2B and B2C automotive platform that connects those layers.
The specialist data remains with the specialist data providers. The ERP remains the core business system.
TEC3 makes them work together as a digital sales platform.
Frequently asked questions
What is TEC3?
TEC3 is an automotive B2B and B2C e-commerce platform that connects automotive data, product search, inventory, pricing, customer accounts, orders and ERP or other business systems.
Does TEC3 replace TecDoc or TecAlliance?
No. TecDoc is primarily an important automotive data source within a TEC3 solution. TEC3 uses this data as part of a broader digital commerce process and connects it with company-specific inventory, prices, customers and business systems.
Can TEC3 provide VIN-based spare-parts search?
Yes. TEC3 can integrate services such as YQ Service. YQ provides precise VIN-based vehicle and genuine-parts identification using manufacturer data.
Which ERP systems can be integrated with TEC3?
Previous TEC implementations have included Vasco, MetaKocka, Datalab Pantheon, Microsoft Dynamics NAV/Navision, Opal and SAOP. Other ERP, CRM, WMS and proprietary systems can be integrated through APIs or dedicated connectors.
Want to see TEC3 on your own data?
Write to us or reserve your place in the first wave of rollouts.