data standards faqs

All Auto Care Association Data Standards documentation and sample data can be found in the Auto Care Digital Hub here.

No. The ACES and PIES Standards are free to the industry to use. However, the ACES and PIES data standards utilize multiple supporting relational databases, some of which require a subscription. See our subscriptions page to find out which ones require a paid subscription.

Complete the subscription steps on the subscription page. Please allow several days for your order to process. When your order is processed, you will receive a receipt and access to the relevant data within autocarevip.com. You can log into autocarevip.com prior to activating a subscription. Once the subscription payment processes, autocarevip.com will automatically enable access to the paid resources.

Access for the product you have subscribed to be active as soon as (not before) Auto Care processes your payment. Payment by credit card has the fastest turnaround. You will have access to the purchased data for one calendar year. Auto Care can pro-rate new subscriptions to align with the billing cycle of any existing products for a simplified renewal process.

Most likely your company subscription expired. Check for invoice notification and make a payment for the new year. If you believe your subscription has not expired, email techbilling@autocare.org or submit a request through autocarevip.com “contact us.”

autocarevip.com is Auto Care Association’s platform for managing the content of data standards supporting relational databases (VCdb, Qdb, PCdb, PAdb, Brand Table). Users can request changes to the content of these databases as well as download them. This platform also allows iShop subscribers to download the iShop standard.

Please visit autocarevip.com, and follow the instruction on the landing page.

The VIP system is synchronized with your Auto Care Association credentials in effort to reduce the number of usernames and passwords you track associated with Auto Care products. This means the same login credentials you use to enter the Auto Care Association website will give you access to the new VIP system. Please visit www.autocare.org In the upper right corner, click 'LOGIN'. Use the ‘forgot your username?’ or ‘forgot your password’ links next to the Log In button. Alternatively, use the ‘forgot your password?’ link on autocarevip.com.

Users can download these databases through autocarevip.com.

To request changes to any of the data standards supporting relational databases (VCdb, Qdb, PCdb, PAdb, Brand Table, users can log into autocarevip.com, and submit a change request to either Add, Modify or Delete data. All requests are reviewed by the Auto Care Association technology team prior to approving the request. If you need help while in autocarevip.com, navigate to the “Contact Us” button within autocarevip.com.

No. The Auto Care Association provides data communication standards to the industry to use in order to efficiency communicate and transfer product information between data suppliers and data receivers. Check out our data standards page for detailed information on each data standard and their supporting databases.

Most companies in the Automotive Aftermarket industry in North America utilize the ACES and PIES data standards to do business. The adoption of the standard is currently spreading to Mexico, Central and South America, as businesses are seeing the efficiencies that the ACES and PIES data standards provide when it come to communicating product information between data suppliers and data receivers. The data standards are utilized by manufacturers, remanufacturers, program groups, distributors, retailers, ecommerce companies, as well as third party data solution providers. For more information on the ACES and PIES data standard, please see our ACES and PIES overview page.

Using both ACES and PIES allows for companies to be more efficient in communicating product fitment and product information for their products by utilizing a standardized communication method that is machine-readable (XML) by all trading partners. This removes duplicated communication and distribution effort, saves time and money, lowers supply chain costs, increase product introduction and speed to market, as well as contributes to increased sales, operational efficiencies, and reduced returns. Check out our ACES and PIES overview page for more information.

The Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard (ACES) is the aftermarket industry data standard for the management and communication of product fitment data for light, medium and heavy duty vehicles, powersports, and off-highway and equipment. The ACES data standard allows companies to communicate this information for their products to their trading partners, by utilizing multiple supporting relational databases, which contain standardized, codified data, including vehicle and equipment attributes, qualifier statements, product classifications, brands and more. For example, if a company's product(s) requires a Year, Make, Model lookup in order to find it in a catalog or web lookup, users would utilize the ACES data standard, which utilizes multiple relational databases, to communicate that fitment information for their product(s) to their trading partners. The ACES data standard is used by light, medium, and heavy duty, as well as powersport, off-highway and equipment companies to communicate their product fitment information. For more information, please check out the ACES data standard page here.

The Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES) is the aftermarket industry data standard for the management and communication of product information. The PIES data standard allows suppliers to communicate product information for their products to their trading partners, by utilizing multiple supporting relational databases, which contain standardized attributes, parts classifications, brands and other coded data. The PIES data standard is used by light, medium, and heavy duty, as well as powersport, off-highway and equipment companies to communicate their product information. For more information, please check out the PIES data standard page here.

No. The ACES data standard is a free standard used by the industry used to communicate vehicle and equipment fitment data for products. The VCdb is a relational database of vehicles used in the ACES data standard, that allows companies to communicate fitment data for their products that require a vehicle fitment lookup. For more information on what ACES is, check out the ACES data standard page here.

iShop technology tells various computers in the shop how to communicate with each other, even when they are supplied by different companies. This means that once a piece of information exists, it can be shared and viewed at other computers in the shop. This saves needless and non-productive re-keying of information about the customer, the vehicle and the work performed. In addition, information created in the back shop, such as alignment results, can be shared and saved on the shop management system in the front shop. The interconnectivity of iShop allows the technician to remain focused on vehicle service and adds productivity to the shop operation.

When a shop is equipped with certified iShop shop management systems (SMS), diagnostic machines and information servers, all the data needed to service the vehicle is available at the fingertips of technicians and service writers, increasing their productivity. Additional benefits include:

• Productivity increases with integrated shop equipment by allowing a technician to view needed information right from their bay.
• Enhanced communication with the vehicle owner, enabling the service writer to use multiple information sources to effectively demonstrate how the job was done.
• Time savings and reduced wasted effort, leading to increased bay utilization, greater technician productivity and improved customer satisfaction.
• Improved efficiencies in all areas: greeting the customer; developing a work order; performing diagnostics; scheduling service; procuring parts; facilitating technicians' access to repair information; and invoicing.

The ACES and PIES data standards both utilize multiple supporting relational databases, which contain standardized, codified data. The databases include the Vehicle Configuration database (VCdb), Qualifier database (Qdb), Product Classification database (PCdb), Part Attribute database (PAdb) and Brand Table. To find out what databases are used in both ACES and PIES specifically, please visit both the ACES and PIES data standard page.