Getting Automotive and Trucks Parts Just Got Faster; AUTOVIA Enhances Internet Service -- Auto Shops to Eliminate Costly Delays That Cut into Profits.

Business Editors/Automotive Writers

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 21, 2000

In its ongoing effort to reduce the time it takes for automotive repair shops to receive parts, Sacramento-based AUTOVIA announced that it has enhanced its parts ordering service to make it even easier and faster for repair shops to order and receive parts online.

With fewer screens, quicker response times and significantly faster stock check responses from vendor systems, AUTOVIA's service enables repair shops to streamline the process of locating and ordering parts from their local distributors. In addition, AUTOVIA is a free of charge service to the automotive repair shops.

"Reducing the time it takes to find the right part quickly from their preferred local sources is the number one priority for repair shops," said AUTOVIA's Founder and CEO Rod Georgiu, who also founded ALLDATA. "AUTOVIA's service automates the ordering process and allows repair shops to increase productivity, improve profitability and save time by checking inventory and placing orders to multiple distributors all at once."

The process is simple: Technicians and Service Writers log onto AUTOVIA's service and click on the year, make and model of the vehicle they are working on. Then they choose the parts they need. The AUTOVIA service automatically displays each local vendor's stock information on the desired parts. The customers then select the parts he wants and AUTOVIA processes the order instantly.

AUTOVIA also reduces the time it takes for repair shops to place an order by 70 percent and improves delivery time by as much as 20 minutes. These two important factors can eliminate delays in the ordering process that cut into a repair shop's profits.

"Seeing all of my distributors and their available inventory at once keeps me from having to call around town to find parts," said Lynne Cardwell of Car Care Center in Sacramento, Calif. "With AUTOVIA, we only have to spend two minutes on a stock check for all my (five) suppliers versus three to four minutes that I would normally spend on the phone with each one. This is a huge time-saver."

AUTOVIA's automated ordering process is also allowing distributors to dedicate more time to their customers as routine stock checks and orders are processed automatically. "It's a win-win for both distributors and repair shops," Georgiu said. "Distributors become more efficient when traditional time-consuming procedures such as stock checks and final orders are now processed automatically, freeing the counterman and boosting his productivity."

Distributors using AUTOVIA's services are reducing manual-order processing costs by as much as 75 percent and cutting the current manual cost of 10-12 percent down to 3 percent. Final orders print out automatically on the suppliers' existing invoice printers, which significantly reduce per order operating expenses as well as return rates for ordered parts.

"AUTOVIA has significantly improved our production and customer service," said distributor Sam Cracraft, of Sacramento Tires, Batteries and Accessories Company. "Several of our accounts have increased their monthly sales by more than 20 percent."

AUTOVIA's service is free of charge to repair shops. AUTOVIA provides free access to registered repair shops and fleets so that they can instantly compare parts availability among multiple distributors, quickly find the quality brands that they trust, provide them price information before they order, by part number, from each of their current local suppliers. Distributors pay a small transaction fee for each order they receive from registered customers. This minimal fee is significantly less than the 10-12 percent in extra costs that stem from processing orders by the traditional phone method. More importantly, the charge is only incurred when an order is actually accepted on the AUTOVIA network.

AUTOVIA is the first business-to-business e-Commerce company that provides repair shops with simultaneous access to multiple automotive and truck parts distributors. Launched in 1998, by a team of leading automotive industry experts, including Rod Georgiu, former CEO and founder of ALLDATA, AUTOVIA is backed by several venture funds, including Internet Capital Group (Nasdaq:ICGE), Crosspoint Ventures and Hearst Corporation. Its integrated web-based Electronic Parts Catalog includes more than 450 national brands. Based in Sacramento, AUTOVIA currently offers service in selected metropolitan markets and plans to expand into the nation's top markets. More information about the company can be found at: www.autovia.net.