1999 – 2002: cybrrParts PRO
cybrrpartsPRO
Cybrrparts.com was a technology initiative that evolved into an international online pay for use information management system specifically designed to serve the needs of the automotive aftermarket service repair industry. For the previous ten years I had developed and led several corporate teams that delivered my vision for unique innovative automotive product information man
agement programs (VIN-tory, Electronic Line Review, Touchscreen Auto Parts Look-up) that delivered enhanced productivity, increased sales and profits and most importantly raised the company’s image as an innovator and market leader. Recognizing that I was a visionary behind the corporate initiatives that yielded an corporate innovation and market leadership differentiation reputation, I decided to take matters into my own hands and deliver the same success to a personal technology venture and evolve the RepairWare Inc. AutoDigest Webline internet initiative into a comprehensive automotive aftermarket information management system for the professional repair industry.
As the product visionary, company President and CEO and largest shareholder I had the responsibility of developing the product and the business plan. 1998 was the watershed year in that met I with several angel and venture fund investment groups to help capitalize the project. The first round of investments provided the necessary start-up capital and on January 2nd, 1999 cybrrparts.com became a reality. Work began immediately on creating the cybrrpartsPRO online information system with the objective to show a live working prototype at the automotive industry’s largest trade show and convention (AAPEX) in Las Vegas, Nevada in November 1999. The existing team of 15 people met the target date and the product was successfully put on display live for the potential market of users to test drive. The program won several industry awards at the trade show for its forward thinking approach to information dissemination and its unique touchscreen navigation system to enhance the workplace experience.
Based on the success of the show and the broad interest in the target market wanting to be active paying users, a second round of financing was put into place and once again successfully generating the necessary funds to increase the office space required to house a staff in excess of 40 personnel. The official live launch to market date was set planned for January 2000 and all internal efforts and resources were geared to meeting this mandate. The official launch date was missed by one month and in February 2000 the cybrrpartsPRO information management program went live online as a user pay for service program.
To quickly enhance the online revenue opportunity a Do-it-Yourself version of the cybrrpartsPRO automotive information management website was created. The AutoDigest website was redone and was designed to leverage and incorporate many of the attributes that were developed for the professional online program excluding the touchscreen functionality. The updated AutoDigest D-I-Y user pay program went live 3 months later, thus immediately contributing to the company’s financial success.
At the core of the online professional informati
on management system that differentiated the system from the competition was the comprehensive cataloguing system that unified all pertinent vehicle information using a vehicle identification number (VIN). This strategy enhanced the accuracy of the necessary vehicle description required thus avoiding in most instances the incorrect identification of key vehicle engine, fuel management, drivetrain and wheelbase information that could adversely affect the integrity of the parts and repair information delivered (a common industry issue at the time). The unique VIN data management structure had an additional hidden capability which was that it could be used to reconstruct a proper vehicle VIN based on the information that a user provided of a vehicle. The cybrrpartsPRO program managed a wide library of information which included a parts application catalogue, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) Technical Service Bulletins (TSB’s); a step-by-step guide for repair or replacement services that included pictures and line drawings where necessary; interactive wiring diagrams and another industry first the cataloguing of repair tips and shortcuts submitted by online users to share diagnosing and servicing experiences and avoid costly and expensive mistakes.
The “piece de resistance” of the cybrrpartsPRO online automotive information management system was that it was designed to be fully interactive without the need of a keyboard and mouse. The reason for taking this approach was that an automotive repair facility is not an environment that is friendly to the use of sensitive interactive equipment like a keyboard and mouse. Touchscreen technology was a relatively new technology at the time and cybrrparts.com worked closely with an organization that specialized in the development touch sensitive monitors. To field test, monitor and demonstrate the stability of the cybrrpartsPRO program and the touchscreen technology use in a real automotive working environment, a live test bed automotive center was put in place as a field lab. The location operated 24 service repair bays with more than 35 professional repair personnel working on two shifts.
The launch and user acceptance was better than anticipated and the need to deliver timely updates and planned new features required additional funding in order to meet the technology upgrades necessary to support the rapid growth in users as well as additional support staff to continuously enhance the user experience. Once again working with the company’s Board of Directors, the banks and the investment group a new updated plan was created and a third round of financing was initiated and successfully delivered the funding necessary to continue the aggressive delivery of the cybrrpartsPRO online program.
The company continued to grow as plan
ned meeting its planned market penetration and revenue projections. An IPO had been in the works to take the company public in mid to late 2002, however the market crash of the technology sector in early 2002 affected investor confidence in all technology stocks including those involved with the cybrrparts.com venture. After extensive deliberation a new plan exit strategy was developed and executed which eventually resulted in the sale of the company and its assets to a U.S. based publishing company. As a publisher they could fund and manage using internal resources the development, sales and marketing of the online cybrrpartsPRO and AutoDigest user pay programs. To this day many of the unique elements of the cybrrpartsPRO information management system exist in several competitive online automotive information management systems.
A sad end to an innovative approach to delivering automotive service information in an era when the internet was still in its infancy. A rewarding experience for myself as the visionary, President and CEO and largest shareholder of a venture that provided me with the opportunity to develop the senior management skills required to create a start-up company from an idea, the experience in developing a viable business strategy and successfully selling the plan to financial institutions and investment groups on multiple occasions and most important of all, actually delivering the product into the marketplace as envisioned an experiencing the overwhelming acceptance of the user community.
For better understanding of the cybrrpartsPRO product developed to service the needs of the automotive aftermarket service and maintenance providers, you can read a review written by Shirley Brown printed in AfterMarket Canada… cybrrpartsPRO