Join us in celebrating a significant milestone: the 30th anniversary of TecDoc.
This isn’t just any anniversary – it represents three decades of innovation, precision and profound impact on the independent automotive aftermarket (IAM).
Everyone has encountered TecDoc in the international IAM. For these 30 years, TecDoc has been one of the world’s leading standards for vehicle and spare parts data in the IAM, supporting market participants with its wide range of data solutions and fostering a global ecosystem of data excellence.
Let’s take a look back at each incredible decade of TecDoc’s rich history.
The 1990s: The Foundation of Innovation
In the early 1990s, selecting the right vehicle parts was a challenge, since the data was neither standardised nor checked for accuracy. This led to high error rates, negatively impacting business and customer satisfaction.
To address this challenge, 21 leading companies in the IAM launched TecDoc in 1994 as a standardisation initiative. This resulted in the TecDoc Standard, a framework that defined the description of vehicles and spare parts, bringing clarity and efficiency to the industry for the first time.
The introduction of the first TecDoc Catalogue on CD was a game changer, providing an easy and convenient way to identify vehicles and parts. This era also saw the creation of customised print catalogues based on TecDoc. These personalised the parts identification process and paved the way for the comprehensive data solutions that TecDoc became known for.
The 2000s: Growing and Going Online
TecDoc underwent significant growth and innovation after the turn of the millennium. In the 2000s, the TecDoc Catalogue was upgraded from CDs to DVDs, enabling greater data capacity and accessibility. The TecDoc Web Catalogue was launched, marking the company’s first step into the online world. This expanded TecDoc’s reach and usability.
This decade also included moves that physically and technologically expanded our operations, such as moving our office to Cologne-Merheim. This showed our commitment to growth and innovation.
The 2010s: A Decade of Digital Transformation
The 2010s were all about going digital, shaping the future of TecDoc and the industry at large. TecDoc joined forces with TecCom and AuDaCon to become TecAlliance, unifying its approach to data and solutions. This synergy strengthened our position as the industry leader.
The rise of smartphones led to the release of the TecDoc Mobile App, bringing parts identification and cataloguing to users’ fingertips. This decade also marked the end of an era with the last TecDoc Catalogue on a DVD and the delivery of the last printed catalogue. In this decade, TecDoc went completely digital.
While we kept improving our catalogue, we introduced TecDoc Catalogue 3.0 and a new product analytics tool, TecDoc PMA. These advancements showcased our commitment to providing a superior customer experience and delivering insights for data-driven product management.
As our growth and success continued, we moved to new premises in Cologne, laying the foundation for further expansion with a great working environment.
The 2020s: Pioneering the Future
Now we are in the 2020s: The automotive industry is evolving rapidly. The need for high-quality data to identify and order products is growing fast due to expanding digitisation. TecDoc is taking the lead in improving data quality through its Data Quality Management Initiative (DQM).
With the increasing complexity of vehicle configurations and the demand for faster product launches, real-time data processing is now essential in the automotive industry. TecDoc introduces the new TecDoc EcoSystem, revolutionising how businesses access, manage, and process catalogue data. At the core of this ecosystem is Instant Data Processing (IDP), which provides immediate data updates, replacing the outdated quarterly or monthly submissions.
Looking ahead, we are excited about the added value TecDoc solutions will bring. We are actively working to provide a B2B e-commerce solution (TecDoc Trade Portal and its Storefronts) for parts manufacturers and distributors to accelerate or upgrade their e-commerce businesses.
Here’s to the Next 30 Years of Data Excellence!
TecDoc is connected with almost all key players in the IAM, enabling cooperation among parts manufacturers, traders and workshops.
As we reflect on the past 30 years, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who’s been a part of our journey. We couldn’t have done it without you! We have committed to keep innovating and providing top-notch service as we move forward with the new TecDoc EcoSystem. Together with you, we are shaping new industry standards and navigating the complexities of the automotive world.
Join us in celebrating not just the past 30 years of achievements but also the exciting journey that lies ahead: the journey to data excellence and innovation with TecDoc!
Our Team Members shares their journey with TecDoc
