Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES™)

The Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES^TM) is the aftermarket industry data standard for the management and communication of product information.

The PIES^TM data standard is used by light, medium, and heavy duty, as well as powersport, off-highway and equipment companies to communicate their product information.

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The PIES^TM data standard allows suppliers to communicate product information for their products to their trading partners, by utilizing multiple supporting relational databasesThe PIES^TM 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.

By using the PIES^TM data standard, as well as best practicesBy using the PIES^TM data standard, as well as best practices

It allows for companies to be more efficient in communicating product information for their products by utilizing a standardized communication method that is machine-readable (XML) by all trading partners. Product information a user can send through a PIES^TM xml file for their products include, but is not limited to, features and benefits, marketing descriptions, pricing, warranty, product attributes/specifications, hazardous materials, kit, interchanges, and digital assets. By using the PIES^TM standard, it:

Removes duplicated communication and distribution efforts
Saves time and money
Lowers supply chain costs
Increases product introduction and speed to market
Contributes to increased sales, operational efficiencies, and reduced returns

While the PIES^TM data standard is free, it utilizes multiple relational databases which contain standardized, codified data (aka reference data), some of which require an annual paid subscription.

tech standards pies infographics

Learn more aboutLearn more about

our documentation

who uses ACES^® and PIES^TM?

how you can get involved

Current Version: 7.2
Previous Version: 7.1

Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES)

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PIES^TM 7.2 is the current version* of the Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES^TM) offered to the industry. This version, and all versions, are designed and maintained by the industry, for the industry, through industry workgroups and the guidance of the Technology Standards Committee (TSC). Each version passes a 90-day industry review period and is then released to the industry there-after.

Documentation includes:

  Technical Documentation
  Technical Specifications
  XSD Schema
  Best Practices
  Category Management Hierarchy
  White Papers

*Auto Care Association ONLY supports the Current and Previous versions of the ACES^® and PIES^TM data standards per the guidance of the Technology Standards Committee (TSC). Auto Care Association highly recommends that users of the data standards stay up-to-date as new versions are introduced and released.

Note: Our documentation is available to the public. To view and download documentation, please sign-in with your autocare.org login information to the Auto Care Digital Hub. If you do not have a login, please create an account.

There are multiple ways to get involved in the development and management of the Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard (ACES^®) and Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES^TM) data standards, as well as their supporting relational databases.

Auto Care Vehicle Information Portal (VIP)

This platform allows users to both manage and download the Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard (ACES^®) and Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES^TM) supporting relational databases. This includes submitting change requests to the current databases to modify existing records, remove and/or add new records.

Additionally, the platform allows users to access different events related to the data standards, including workgroups, trainings, webinars and conferences.

Access to the VIP site does require users to create an account. To create an account, please visit autocarevip.com and follow the instructions on the landing page.

Access to the VIP site does not require a paid subscription. However, access to certain products within the VIP site will require an active paid subscription.

ACES^® and PIES^TM eLearning

Education and Networking

The Automotive Content Professionals Network (ACPN), a community of the Auto Care Association, is a professional network with 400+ individual members employed in the automotive industry. It is the only community devoted exclusively to the education and professional development needs of the automotive content management professional.

ACPN serves as the leader in content management and related activities; promotes industry technology standards; and provides a forum for discussing and promoting best practices within the automotive industry all of which will culminate in their annual Knowledge Exchange conference.

TestimonialsTestimonials

I’m an engineer. I love to solve problems. Through the Technology Standards Committee, we’ve been able to work on common problems across our trading partners and the customers that we serve to improve our delivery of goods and services.
Doug Wiggin,
Director, Software Architecture Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance

Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions

Is Auto Care Association and the ACES® and PIES™ data standards an industry data pool?

What are the benefits of using the ACES® and PIES™ data standards?

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 speed and speed to market, as well as contributes to increased sales, operational efficiencies, and reduced returns. Check out our Data Standards page for more information.

Who currently uses the ACES® and PIES™ data standards?

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 standards, please see our Data Standards page.

Where can I find documentation and sample data for Auto Care Association Data Standards?

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Ready to create and/or receive PIES^TM XML files for your products?

STEP 1

Subscribe to Reference Databases

Pricing and Subscribe Online

STEP 2

Download Documentation

Auto Care Digital Hub

STEP 3

Create and/or receive PIES^TM XML files for your products!

Need More Information?Need More Information?

technology@autocare.org

for data standards and technical support

techbilling@autocare.org

for billing and subscription support

Convenient, self-paced eLearning to help your more effectively communicate with your trading partners.

Data Standards eLearning from Auto Care helps aftermarket professionals learn how to use the data standards to speak the same technical language as their customers, getting the right part, to the right place, at the right time.

Explore the course!

What's New In PIESWhat's New In PIES

Translations covering North, South and Central America are now available!

Auto Care Association offers translations for the data standards supporting databases (VCdb, Qdb, PCdb and PAdb) in the following languages:

Spanish
Canadian French
Portuguese

Subscribing to these translation databases provides users the ability to easily translate the coded content within an ACES or PIES XML file.

Visit the subscriptions page to subscribe!

Heavy Duty Expansion

The Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES) was recently expanded for the heavy duty industry, as a result of an industry project managed by the Auto Care Association Community, HDDA: Heavy Duty, beginning with PIES Version 7.1 and newer.

This expansion included the addition of heavy duty fields into the PIES data standard, as well as the addition of product attributes in the Product Attribute database (PAdb)* for 20 product categories of heavy duty products found in the Product Classification database (PCdb), which are both utilized in the PIES data standard.

Heavy Duty companies can now use the PIES data standard to communicate their product information to their trading partners!