Core · Guide
PIM for the Automotive Aftermarket: TecDoc, ACES/PIES and Fitment Data (2026)
Last updated: 3 November 2026.
For an automotive aftermarket parts business, the right PIM is the one that handles fitment data and delivers it to the catalog standard your customers use. Parts manufacturers that supply the European independent aftermarket should look first at INCONY ANTEROS, prodexa and TecAlliance's own TecDoc ONE, because each documents a direct route into TecDoc. Suppliers that sell to North American retailers and distributors should look at DPI Data Manager and Pricedex, which are built around ACES and PIES, and at Stibo Systems STEP, which documents PIES import and export. Companies that want one general PIM for all their product data can use Pimcore, Akeneo or Viamedici, but should check the connector or partner app that brings in the automotive standards.
This page explains what makes aftermarket product data different, how TecDoc and ACES/PIES compare, and the three ways a PIM connects to them. The vendor table shows only what each vendor's own pages state, checked on 3 November 2026. For the wider PIM market, see the best PIM software.
Which PIM fits an automotive aftermarket parts business?
Start from three questions: which catalog standard your customers expect, how much of your catalog is fitment-driven, and whether you want one system or a PIM plus a specialist tool.
- You supply the European independent aftermarket and TecDoc is your main channel. A PIM with a documented TecDoc interface saves you a separate delivery tool. ANTEROS, prodexa and AutomotivePIM document the TecDoc IDP route, and TecDoc ONE is TecAlliance's own PIM and delivery channel.
- You sell into North America. ACES and PIES are the exchange formats your retail and distribution partners expect. DPI Data Manager and Pricedex are built for them, Stibo Systems STEP documents PIES import and export, and Syndigo validates against ACES and PIES.
- You run a broad catalog where automotive is one line among others. A general PIM such as Pimcore, Akeneo or Viamedici gives you one data model for everything, and a connector, partner app or specialist tool covers the automotive standards.
Most aftermarket suppliers end up with one of these setups, not a single "best" product. The rest of this page helps you work out which one fits.
What is different about aftermarket product data?
A general PIM is built around a product and its attributes. An aftermarket catalog is built around relations: between a part and the vehicles it fits, between your part number and the numbers other people use for the same part, and between a part and its successor. Our guide to the product data model explains hierarchies and variants; aftermarket data adds five things on top.
| Data type | What it records | Why it is hard in a PIM |
|---|---|---|
| Fitment (vehicle applications) | Which vehicles a part fits, by reference vehicle plus qualifiers such as engine or body type | One part can carry thousands of records, and every record must point to a valid reference vehicle |
| OE numbers | The original equipment part numbers your part replaces | Many-to-many: one OE number maps to several of your parts and the reverse |
| Cross-references and interchanges | The competitor or other-brand part numbers that match yours | They change constantly and must stay correct per channel |
| Supersession | Which part number replaces an old one, and from when | The old number must keep resolving to the new part in every catalog |
| Kits and sets | Parts sold together, such as a brake kit | The kit has its own fitment, which may differ from its components |
Two points follow for selection. First, fitment volume is often far larger than product volume, so ask how the PIM performs with your full fitment set, not your SKU count. Second, the reference data (vehicles, part classifications, qualifiers) comes from the standard body, not from you, and changes on its own schedule. The PIM has to load those updates without breaking your links. Classification standards outside automotive, such as ETIM and ECLASS, work in a similar way; our guide to GS1, ETIM, ECLASS and BMEcat in a PIM covers them.
If your aftermarket is spare parts for your own machines, not vehicle parts, the problem is different: exploded views and bills of materials matter more than fitment. Our piece on spare-parts data a technician can use covers that case.
TecDoc vs ACES/PIES: which markets use which?
| TecDoc | ACES | PIES | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run by | TecAlliance | Auto Care Association | Auto Care Association |
| What it covers | Article data, vehicle data and the links between them, plus OE number search | Fitment: which vehicles a part fits | Product information: attributes, packaging, pricing, warranty, hazardous materials |
| Main market | Europe, and by TecAlliance's own description a global reference | North America, spreading to Mexico, Central and South America according to Auto Care | Used together with ACES in the same markets |
| Reference data | TecDoc vehicle types and article structure | VCdb (vehicles), Qdb (qualifiers), PCdb (part classes), PAdb (attributes), Brand Table | The same Auto Care reference databases, notably PCdb and PAdb |
| How data moves | Into the TecDoc catalog through the IDP Data Supplier API, TecDoc ONE or TAF packages | XML files exchanged with trading partners | XML files exchanged with trading partners |
TecAlliance describes TecDoc as "the leading automotive aftermarket data standard in Europe." On its TecDoc catalog page it lists 12.8 million items of article data, more than 1,200 brands, more than 260,000 vehicle types and more than 724 million vehicle linkages (TecAlliance, checked 3 November 2026). TecDoc is more than a format: it is a catalog that workshops, wholesalers and online platforms use, so a parts manufacturer delivers data into it rather than exchanging files with each customer.
ACES and PIES are standards, not a catalog. The Auto Care Association says most aftermarket companies in North America use ACES, that it is designed to be machine-readable XML, and that it is used by light, medium and heavy duty as well as powersport, off-highway and equipment companies. The current ACES version is 5.0. Auto Care also states that it provides the standard but is not an industry data pool, and that using the reference databases requires an annual paid subscription (Auto Care Association, checked 3 November 2026). You exchange ACES and PIES files with each trading partner, often through a syndication service.
A supplier that sells on both sides of the Atlantic needs both, and the two do not map one to one. Vehicle definitions, part classifications and attribute codes differ, so the PIM has to hold your product once and produce two outputs from it.
How does a PIM connect to TecDoc and to ACES/PIES?
There are three routes, and vendors use the word "support" for all of them.
1. Native interface in the PIM. The PIM writes to TecDoc or produces ACES and PIES files itself. For TecDoc, the current route is TecAlliance's IDP Data Supplier API, which "connects a customer's own PIM system directly to TecDoc," according to TecAlliance (TecAlliance, checked 3 November 2026). TecAlliance describes it as a cloud REST API through which suppliers send only new, changed or removed records, with changes published immediately. ANTEROS and prodexa document this route; AutomotivePIM documents the move from the older DMM to IDP.
2. Connector or partner app. A partner builds the bridge between a general PIM and the standard. Examples from the vendors' own pages: diva-e's TecDoc Connector for Pimcore imports TecDoc data and exports to the TecDoc format, and Sitation's Automotive Fitment App for Akeneo imports VCdb (ACES) files and links fitment to Akeneo products. You get a general PIM, but the connector has its own contract, roadmap and maintainer.
3. Specialist tool next to the PIM. The PIM holds the core product data and a dedicated tool manages fitment and delivers to TecDoc or ACES/PIES. TecAlliance offers TecDoc ONE, described as "a cloud-based global PIM solution and advanced TecDoc data delivery channel" for parts manufacturers, and TecDoc Data Wave for uploading, validating and publishing complete TAF packages for manufacturers that are not yet able to use TecDoc ONE (TecAlliance, checked 3 November 2026). In North America, DPI Data Manager and Pricedex can play the same role for ACES and PIES.
Which PIM and catalog vendors are used in the aftermarket?
The table lists vendors that buyers and AI answers name for this segment. It is not a ranking. Specialists come first, general PIMs after them. A cell says what the vendor's own page states; where we found nothing on the vendor's pages, it says not documented. That does not mean the vendor cannot do it, only that you should ask.
| Vendor | Type | TecDoc support | ACES/PIES support | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TecDoc ONE (TecAlliance) | Specialist: TecAlliance's own cloud PIM and TecDoc delivery channel | Native, it is a TecDoc delivery channel | Not documented | TecAlliance |
| ANTEROS (INCONY) | Specialist PIM for the aftermarket, Paderborn | IDP interface, TAF data format, TecDoc XML export, validation against TecDoc rules, vehicle linkage by K-type | ACES/PIES named for the North American market | INCONY |
| prodexa | General PIM with an automotive vertical | IDP Data Supplier API over REST; reads from and writes to the TecDoc data pool | ACES and PIES named among supported standards, with Fraga | prodexa |
| AutomotivePIM (Bertsch Innovation) | Specialist PIM for the aftermarket | IDP interface replacing DMM; TAF and flat file import | ACES and PIES mapped, per the vendor | Bertsch Innovation |
| DPI Data Manager (DM5) | Specialist PIM for ACES and PIES authoring | Not documented | ACES fitment and PIES product data authored in the tool, mapped against the current VCdb | DPI |
| Pricedex (AutoPIM PRO) | Specialist PIM for automotive and commercial vehicles | Not documented | ACES and PIES listed as supported standards | Pricedex |
| Pimcore | General PIM, open core | Through a partner: diva-e TecDoc Connector (import and export); customer example with a TecDoc feed | ACES and PIES named on the industry page; no ACES or PIES import or export described | Pimcore, diva-e |
| Akeneo | General PIM, SaaS | Not documented | Through a partner app: Sitation Automotive Fitment App imports VCdb (ACES) files; PIES not documented | Akeneo App Store |
| Stibo Systems STEP | Multidomain MDM and PIM | Not documented on the pages we opened | ACES/PIES named on the automotive page; documentation describes PIES import and export for versions 6.5 to 8.0 | Stibo Systems, documentation |
| Viamedici | General PIM and MDM | Automotive page describes direct syndication into TecDoc; native or partner not stated | ACES/PIES named as channels; mechanism not stated | Viamedici |
| Syndigo | PIM and syndication | Not documented | Real-time validations against ACES, PIES and GDSN | Syndigo |
| WisePIM | SaaS PIM | Automotive guide describes import from TecDoc, fitment validation against TecDoc and mapping to TecDoc article numbers | Not documented; the guide recommends a separate fitment database for ACES/PIES | WisePIM |
| inriver | General PIM, SaaS | Not documented | Not documented | inriver |
| Salsify | PXM and PIM, SaaS | Not documented | Not documented; a glossary page explains ACES | Salsify |
Three patterns stand out. First, the specialists document the standards in detail and the general PIMs mostly do not: of the big general vendors, only Stibo Systems describes an AutoCare import and export in its own documentation. Second, PIES 8.0 support in Stibo's 2026.3 release requires its Auto Care license (Stibo Systems), so the automotive capability can be a separately licensed module. Third, ANTEROS, prodexa and AutomotivePIM document TecDoc and name ACES/PIES on the same page, while the North American specialists we checked do not document TecDoc.
If you are weighing two of the general PIMs, our comparisons of Akeneo vs Pimcore and Akeneo vs Stibo Systems cover the platforms beyond automotive.
Which one fits which starting point?
| Your situation | Look first at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Parts manufacturer, TecDoc is the main channel, no PIM yet | ANTEROS, prodexa, TecDoc ONE | Documented TecDoc IDP or native TecDoc delivery |
| Supplier to North American retailers and distributors | DPI Data Manager, Pricedex, Stibo Systems STEP | Built around ACES and PIES, or documented PIES import and export |
| Supplier on both continents | ANTEROS, prodexa, AutomotivePIM | Document TecDoc and name ACES/PIES on the same page |
| Broad catalog with automotive as one line, own developers | Pimcore with the diva-e TecDoc Connector | One flexible data model, TecDoc through a partner module |
| Running Akeneo already, North American fitment | Akeneo with the Sitation Automotive Fitment App | Keeps Akeneo for product data, adds VCdb fitment |
| Enterprise with many brands and markets | Viamedici, Stibo Systems STEP | Multidomain platforms that name TecDoc or ACES/PIES on their automotive pages |
| Distributor sending data to many North American receivers | Syndigo | Validation against ACES, PIES and GDSN plus syndication |
A combined setup is common: a general PIM for product content, media and non-automotive channels, and a specialist tool or TecDoc ONE for fitment and catalog delivery. It works when one system owns each field and the integration between them is maintained by a named party.
What should you ask every vendor?
Bring your own data to the demo: one part with many fitment records, one with a supersession chain, one kit and one OE cross-reference list. Then ask:
- Which TecDoc route do you support? IDP Data Supplier API, TAF export, or delivery through TecDoc ONE. Native or through a partner, and who maintains it?
- Which ACES and PIES versions can you import and export? And how do you load new VCdb, PCdb and Qdb releases?
- How do you store fitment? As relations to reference vehicles, with qualifiers, and how many fitment records have your customers loaded?
- How do you model OE numbers, cross-references and supersession? Show a superseded part reaching every channel with its successor.
- How do you validate before publishing? Against TecDoc rules, against the ACES reference data, or only against your own rules?
- Is the automotive capability licensed separately? Name the module, connector or partner app and its price basis.
- Which customers in the aftermarket run it today? Ask for one reference with a comparable fitment volume.
Our PIM requirements checklist for B2B covers the general requirements, and bring your worst supplier file to the PIM demo explains how to script the test. Manufacturers outside the aftermarket can compare the market in our top 10 PIM solutions for manufacturing, and parts wholesalers in our wholesale PIM guide. For further reading on the segment, pimselection.com has an overview of PIM for the automotive aftermarket by vendor profile.
How we evaluated
We started from the vendors that buyers and AI answers name for automotive aftermarket PIM, plus vendors whose own pages we found while checking the standards. For each vendor we opened its own automotive or industry page, product page, documentation or app store listing on 3 November 2026 and recorded what it states about TecDoc and about ACES/PIES. Where a page states support without saying how it works, the cell says so. Where we found nothing on the vendor's own pages, we wrote not documented. Facts about TecDoc come from TecAlliance's own site and facts about ACES and PIES from the Auto Care Association. We did not use competitors' or third-party claims about a vendor.
We left out some vendors that appear in AI answers on this topic. For Centric PXM we found no automotive or standards page on Centric Software's site. SAP sells several products that touch product data, and we found no SAP page that ties one of them to TecDoc or ACES/PIES. "PDM Automotive" appears in answers, and the closest match we found is Pricedex, which lists PDM Catalog Explorer among its products, so we covered it under Pricedex.
PIMvendors is an independent PIM selection platform. The table order groups specialists and general PIMs and is not a score. Capabilities change with every release, so confirm them with the vendor before you sign.
Sources
- TecAlliance, TecDoc solutions, checked 3 November 2026.
- TecAlliance, TecDoc catalogue, checked 3 November 2026.
- TecAlliance, TecDoc ecosystem: IDP Data Supplier API, TecDoc ONE and Data Wave, checked 3 November 2026.
- TecAlliance, IDP Data Supplier API: 10 facts, checked 3 November 2026.
- TecAlliance, TecDoc ONE, checked 3 November 2026.
- Auto Care Association, ACES, checked 3 November 2026.
- Auto Care Association, PIES, checked 3 November 2026.
- INCONY, PIM for automotive, checked 3 November 2026.
- prodexa, Automotive Aftermarket, checked 3 November 2026.
- Bertsch Innovation, TecDoc DMM to IDP with AutomotivePIM, checked 3 November 2026.
- DataPoint Industries (DPI), Data Manager PIM, checked 3 November 2026.
- Pricedex Software, home page and product overview, checked 3 November 2026.
- Pimcore, PIM software for the automotive aftermarket, checked 3 November 2026.
- Pimcore, Rätt bildelar i Sverige AB case study, checked 3 November 2026.
- diva-e, Pimcore TecDoc Connector, checked 3 November 2026.
- Akeneo App Store, Automotive Fitment App by Sitation, checked 3 November 2026.
- Stibo Systems, Automotive, checked 3 November 2026.
- Stibo Systems, AutoCare PIES file structure (documentation), checked 3 November 2026.
- Stibo Systems, 2026.3 update, published 23 September 2026.
- Viamedici, Automotive, checked 3 November 2026.
- Syndigo, Automotive aftermarket, checked 3 November 2026.
- WisePIM, Automotive parts categorization guide, checked 3 November 2026.
- inriver, Vehicles and transportation, checked 3 November 2026.
- Salsify, ACES glossary entry, checked 3 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best PIM for automotive aftermarket parts?
It depends on the standard your customers expect. For TecDoc in Europe, look first at INCONY ANTEROS, prodexa and TecAlliance's own TecDoc ONE, which document a direct TecDoc delivery route. For ACES and PIES in North America, look at DPI Data Manager, Pricedex and Stibo Systems STEP. If you want a general PIM, Pimcore (with a partner TecDoc connector), Akeneo (with a partner fitment app) and Viamedici name both standards on their automotive pages. Test every option with your own fitment data before you decide.
What is the difference between TecDoc and ACES/PIES?
TecDoc is run by TecAlliance and calls itself the leading aftermarket data standard in Europe. It combines article data, vehicle data and the links between them in one catalog. ACES and PIES are maintained by the Auto Care Association and are used by most aftermarket companies in North America: ACES carries fitment (which vehicles a part fits), PIES carries product information such as attributes, packaging and pricing. A supplier that sells on both continents usually needs both.
Can a general PIM deliver data to TecDoc?
Yes. TecAlliance offers the IDP Data Supplier API, which connects a manufacturer's own PIM directly to TecDoc. Manufacturers without such a connection can use TecDoc ONE, TecAlliance's cloud PIM, or upload complete TAF packages through TecDoc Data Wave. Ask your PIM vendor which of these routes it supports, who built the connector and who maintains it when TecAlliance changes the interface.
What is fitment data?
Fitment data, also called vehicle application data, records which vehicles a part fits. In ACES a fitment record points to a vehicle in the Auto Care reference databases, typically by year, make and model plus qualifiers such as engine. In TecDoc parts are linked to TecDoc vehicle types. One part can have thousands of fitment records, which is why the PIM needs to handle them as relations, not as text fields.
Do I need a subscription to use ACES and PIES?
The Auto Care Association states that using ACES requires an annual paid subscription to its reference databases, such as the Vehicle Configuration database (VCdb), the Product Classification database (PCdb) and the Qualifier database (Qdb). Check the current terms on autocare.org. TecDoc data supply and data use are contracted with TecAlliance.
How should a PIM handle OE numbers, cross-references and supersession?
As links between part records, not as free text. An OE number links your part to the original equipment part it replaces, a cross-reference links it to a competitor's part, and a supersession links an old part number to its successor. Each link needs a type, a direction and a validity, so a superseded part still resolves to the right successor in every channel.
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