The frustrations of running a bodyshop, unable to get parts due to a lack of supply were initially exacerbated during the COVID-19 lockdown period. This resulted in delayed key-to-key times and excessive hire car charges. It also put a strain on customer service, together with accumulating unwanted parts stock, adding pressure on cash flow. This was the key driver to PartsXchange, and they were determined to find a solution. Calum Phillips, one of the directors, tells us more.
The journey began in the summer of 2022. The plan was to have an app that could be used to find and sell parts to the repair network. Our ambition was and is to be the fastest-growing bodyshop marketplace that is sustainable, using genuine manufacturer’s parts, approved new, used and green parts. The challenge was making this a reality.
We wanted an application where customers could load their unwanted parts stock in under 90 seconds, including an image, the price and postage costs; and then upload it onto the PartsXchange platform.
Having an account with PartsXchange incurs a minimal fee of just £50 per month. Customers are free to upload as many parts as they desire onto the platform. These parts are subsequently made available to the extensive repair network. Whenever a part is sold, the application will promptly alert the postal service. Subsequently, the postal service will arrange the pickup of the sold parts from the seller and ensure their delivery to the buyer. In order to cover payment platform expenses and additional services, PartsXchange applies a 10% transaction fee.
So far, we have had several meetings with estimating software companies, insurance companies and work providers that have shown great interest and very much endorse the project.
We strive to make our platform the ultimate bodyshop marketplace by pulling all the different resources people are using to find parts and putting them into one place, making it simpler and more efficient for bodyshops to find a part. Our recent partnership with a long-established green parts supplier, Charlton Recycled Auto Parts Ltd (which will be the first partner in that sector to be on the app), will increase our capacity to provide more parts to our customers, so we are very excited to be partnered with Terry (owner) for his wealth of industry knowledge and the way he conducts his business.
What is more, we also offer a platform for a directory of services and an advertising platform as well as news feeds.
Within the PartsXchange team, there are three directors; Steve Phillips, Rob Walker as well as myself. Steve has been in the motor industry all his career starting as a mechanic at BMW and working his way up to running four VW dealers. Now he owns a VW dealership in Hertfordshire as well as M J Warner Bodyworks. Rob has lived and breathed the accident repair industry since leaving school, from starting out as an estimator to becoming the youngest engineer at Norwich Union, running his own network for a fleet management company to running a successful BodyShop to now being director of M J Warner; there’s no one more passionate about trying to help the industry than Mr Walker. He has seen the industry from all angles and understands the difficulties everyone is facing, and wants to help rectify these difficulties. I have been in the industry for four years, two of which were the most challenging anyone has had to face due to COVID-19. Rob and I worked very closely together to get through the issues everyone faced, and Rob’s infectious determination to help the industry rubbed off on me; that’s how the idea of PartsXchange was born.
We are very excited and are looking forward to sharing our platform with the bodyshop industry.
To find out more about PartsXchange, please visit www.partsxchange.co.uk or email admin@partsxchange.co.uk
