In 2002, Progressive Automotive Systems, Inc. integrated the power of the Activant catalog into theR.O. Writer® Shop Management System. The Activant catalog has information on over 4.5 million parts, labor time information, factory scheduled maintenance, tire fitment, VIN decoding, electronic ordering, cover to cover part pictures and much more.

Of course R.O. Writer^® didn't stop there! Four years ago, we built new functionality on top of the Activant catalog and brought you R.O. Writer®'s SmartJob functionality. These are predefined jobs containing parts, labor times, shop supplies, and vehicle specifications. They are setup for package or flat rate pricing, presenting information specific to the vehicle that you are working on in an easy to use step by step methodology.

eOrder within R.O. Writer® is a powerful innovation that we launched three years ago. With electronic connectivity to all the major parts suppliers including NAPA, CARQUEST, O'Reilly, CSK, and 1,000's of independent parts suppliers, R.O. Writer®'s eOrder functionality easily connects you electronically to the parts suppliers in your area.

Then what's this new Smart eCat feature? Well, Smart eCat combines the data from Activant with the connectivity of eOrder, presenting the information to you the way you want to see it, in the way that you conduct business. You can now lookup a Water Pump for a 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier and see all the parts that fit that application from all of your part suppliers including pricing and availability in real time on one screen. No more jumping from the Activant catalog to the eOrder module to check part stock and determine profit margin. R.O. Writer® Smart eCat gives you all that functionality in one easy to use, simple interface.

But we didn't stop there… We built on top of Smart eCat brand new Smart eJob functionality that takes all the best features of R.O. Writer®'s SmartJobs and combines them with the real time lookup capabilities of R.O. Writer®'s new Smart eCat. Real time pricing and availability displayed from multiple suppliers within a SmartJob that is fully integrated into R.O. Writer®'s workflow and application functionality. You must see how this seamless integration really addresses the needs of the service writer.

So don't waste your time with Web Based Catalogs or buttons to other third party modules that force you to learn new navigation techniques. Use the power of R.O. Writer® and Smart eCat functionality to reduce your estimating time. Improve your shop profitability by knowing the actual cost of the parts before you present the estimate to the customer and finally be able to protect your profit margins. Live up to the promises you make to your customers by ensuring that parts are available before you tell them that their car will be ready by 5:00pm today.

Smart eCat does not emulate the way you conducted business yesterday. Smart eCat is the way that business will be transacted in the future. Smart eCat and Smart eJobs are both available now in the R.O. Writer® Shop Management Suite.

Are you ready for the future?