ELYRIA, Ohio — To deliver streamlined product searches, accelerated ordering, online warranty and core services, and the opportunity to readily verify genuine parts, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Bendix) has launched a new, fully updated e-commerce platform, B2Bendix.com. Using customer feedback and suggestions as its driver, the new site, launched Jan. 19, replaces the Bendix.biz webshop, and will serve as the North American e-commerce platform for Bendix. B2Bendix.com is one of three regional storefronts launched as part of a coordinated global initiative by Bendix’s Munich, Germany-based parent company, Knorr-Bremse.
More than a year in the making, the new B2Bendix.com – aimed at the North American commercial vehicle marketplace – features high-resolution, 360-degree views of more than 9,000 Bendix products, kits, and related service items. Other key features of the new platform include more robust product search capabilities; online access to enriched product information; the ability to determine warranty eligibility; addressing core returns in a quick and accurate manner; and, for authorized Bendix distributors, the ability to view emergency-order parts availability and order products quickly.
“Customers asked us for more options when it came to our online e-commerce capabilities, and our new e-commerce platform is a direct response to those requests,” said Marylou Hornung, director of sales operations for Bendix. “The B2Bendix.com platform is simple to navigate and offers a host of new features, including fast and easy product searches and technical attribute details. Overall, this resource makes Bendix easier to do business with by helping customers get many of their questions answered quickly and accurately.”
Multiple Ways to Search for Products
Among the biggest upgrades in the new B2Bendix.com platform is its product search functionality, giving users the ability to search for genuine Bendix products by part number, product category, or product name – or by the authorized Bendix distributor part number, where available.
Once users have selected specific parts, products, or kits for consideration, they can also verify they’ve selected the accurate product, thanks to 360-degree spin views of more than 9,000 products provided on the platform. The ability to zoom into these photos provides customers the visual confirmation that the part they’re ordering matches the one removed from their vehicle.
At the same time, authorized Bendix distributors with log-in credentials can use the system to easily order from the products page, using the quick order form or stocking order feature.
“Having the ability to search for products in a number of ways, including the option for 360-degree spins of them, is what makes this new platform unique for our distributors,” Hornung said. “Together, these capabilities make it very easy to find specific products. You don’t have to search through multiple part numbers or descriptions without photos. The images, part numbers, and close-ups of individual components are readily available, which is a significant benefit when searching for specific products.”
Another time-saving new feature of the site is expanded technical and service data information for the products cataloged. At the part number level, users can view general product information, including weights, dimensions, and VMRS codes.
Users also have the option to view technical attributes, and download Bendix Service Data Sheets and Installation Instructions. Previously, technical information such as Service Data Sheets had to be downloaded exclusively via the online Bendix Literature Center, while Installation Instructions were supplied only with the product itself. Hornung noted that Service Data Sheets and other key technical literature will remain a part of the online literature library on bendix.com or foundationbrakes.com.
A New Way to Check Warranty Status
Determining product warranty eligibility is another new feature of the B2Bendix.com platform. Users simply enter details such as part number, mileage, service dates, and vehicle type to find out if a specific part is eligible for warranty coverage, eliminating the need to ship products to Bendix to determine warranty eligibility.
A related new feature is the ability to geolocate the nearest authorized Bendix distributor – to reorder needed parts – based on the user’s location.
While all users have access to product searches, document downloads, and warranty eligibility sections of the site, other functionality such as product ordering capability, warranty claims, and core submissions is limited to customers authorized for each segment. Distributors who order parts online also can view order histories and track order status, with additional functionality scheduled to launch during a second phase later this year.
Ease of Navigation
Designed to be user-friendly and easy to navigate, B2Bendix.com offers additional features in the main menu, including Service & Support, E-Learning, Warranty, Cores, and a Help function. In addition, the site now includes a convenient Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) search tool to look up DTCs for select Bendix Electronic Control Units (ECUs) by including their component, DTC type, and code.
Under the Service & Support section of the site, users with technical questions are provided with multiple phone and email options to contact the Bendix Technical Team. Users can access training resources through the E-Learning section of the site, which links to two key existing Bendix training resources: Brake-School.com and Knowledge-Dock.com.
Users are also provided access to the company’s Cores reporting program, which features the new option to submit core returns online, request pickups, and search for material or core groups.
Finally, the Help option provides more information on how to use the site and its new features, such as checking for warranty eligibility, reviewing the privacy policy, or updating user profile details.
Making the site even easier to use is its responsive design, which offers the same functionality whether users are accessing the site via mobile phone, tablet, or laptop. Compliant with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), as well as with state-specific data privacy requirements, B2Bendix.com is designed to comply with the latest privacy regulations.
A Distributor’s View of B2Bendix.com
Industry professionals sampling the site have been impressed by its all-in-one functionality. Marc Karon, president of Total Truck Parts, an authorized Bendix distributor with six stores in Florida, referred to the system’s ability to provide technical information on products that are being ordered, and its ability to process orders for those products on the same site. “We can be talking to the customer as we’re placing the order, so it’s a home run in that respect,” Karon said.
However, one of the biggest differentiators of the system compared to others, Karon said, is its ability to streamline the process of ordering parts in emergency situations, thanks to real-time availability information that doesn’t require a phone call. The time savings are important, Karon added, because each day that a truck is down means lost revenues for the customer.
“Up to now, with most sites, you can place an order electronically, but you don’t get confirmation that you’re going to get the part until hours later,” Karon said. “With the B2Bendix system, I can determine the right part, get the part number, enter an order, determine its availability, and get it shipped on an emergency basis, all without having to pick up the phone. That to me makes it unique, special, and world-class.”
Meanwhile, Hornung said the site’s features are all part of Bendix’s mission to provide answers and solutions at the time they’re needed.
“We’re driven to create the best solutions. For our distributors, B2Bendix.com is a one-stop-shop for all things Bendix, helping our customers have access to all of the information they need, 24-7-365,” she said. “In providing this system, we hope we’re giving customers a reason to visit our site, use it, and stay a while.”
About Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, a member of Knorr-Bremse, develops and supplies leading-edge active safety technologies, energy management solutions, and air brake charging and control systems and components under the Bendix brand name for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, tractors, trailers, buses, and other commercial vehicles throughout North America. An industry pioneer, employing more than 4,100 people, Bendix is driven to deliver solutions for improved vehicle safety, performance, and overall operating cost. Contact us at 1-800-AIR-BRAKE (1-800-247-275) or visit bendix.com. Stay connected and informed through Bendix expert podcasts, blog posts, videos, and other resources at knowledge-dock.com. Follow Bendix on Twitter at twitter.com/Bendix_CVS. Log on and learn from the Bendix experts at brake-school.com. And to learn more about career opportunities at Bendix, visit bendix.com/careers.
