For Caterpillar dealers, the parts counter is the high-pressure front line where customer satisfaction and dealership profitability are won or lost every day. To help dealers navigate the complexities of everyday transactions within DBS/DBSi, FDC Solutions has grouped four essential supplemental applications into a Parts Counter Productivity Pack.
By integrating these applications with DBS/DBSi, Caterpillar dealers can transform their parts departments into proactive, high-margin profit centers.
Let's take a closer look at how these four applications work together to create a seamless, high-speed parts operation.
Driving Demand with Promo Code 2.0
The workflow begins with capturing the sale. The Promo Code application allows dealerships to run complex, tiered, or multi-item marketing campaigns with ease.
The true productivity boost comes from its ability to handle "stackable" discounts. For example, when Caterpillar launches national programs with promo codes, dealers can use Promo Code 2.0 to apply their own local promotions on top of the Caterpillar discount. Because the application is fully integrated with parts.cat.com and DBS/DBSi, the counter team doesn't have to manually calculate reimbursements or verify eligibility. The system does it for them.
Protecting Margins with Parts Pricing 2.2
Once a customer is engaged, the Parts Pricing application ensures the quote is both competitive and profitable. This module provides pricing analysts with unparalleled flexibility to move beyond simple list prices.
The synergy within the productivity pack is evident in features like:
Need-by Date Fees. Analysts can automatically charge additional fees based on the lead-time requirements identified in other sourcing modules.
Dynamic Customer Contracts. As a counter associate adds new part numbers to an order, the system can automatically update the customer's contract, ensuring consistent pricing without manual administrative updates.
Capturing Hidden Costs with Freight Cost Recovery 4.3
In many dealerships, outbound freight is a silent killer of parts margins. The Freight Cost Recovery application ensures that every shipping expense is identified and captured at the point of sale.
Whether a part is being shipped to a branch store or a customer's job site, this application streamlines the calculation and billing of outbound freight specifically for shop and counter documents. By automating this recovery process, dealers can stop absorbing shipping costs that should be billed to the customer, directly improving the bottom line.
Closing the Loop with Parts Return and Restocking 4.2
The parts lifecycle doesn't always end with a sale; returns are an inevitable part of heavy equipment maintenance. The Parts Return and Restocking application is the final pillar of the productivity pack, designed to manage the "reverse supply chain."
This tool allows parts managers to track and process returns faster, reducing the time parts sit in "return limbo" before being restocked or sent back to Caterpillar. By accelerating this loop, dealerships can free up working capital and ensure that high-demand parts are back on the shelf and available for the next customer as quickly as possible.
The Power of Integration
Individually, these tools solve specific departmental headaches. Together, they form a cohesive digital bridge within DBS/DBSi. By removing the administrative friction of manual pricing updates, complex promo tracking, freight billing, and return processing, FDC Solutions enables your team to focus on what they do best: serving your customers.