Need
What can consistent customer orientation in the field of automotive spare parts look like in concrete terms? This was the question we dealt with intensively for a spare parts wholesaler. The plan: to respond even more intensively to the wishes and needs of the customers with a new category management system. The goal: concrete recommendations for action to sustainably strengthen the competitive position.

Solution
The study was conducted in two stages. In the first qualitative phase, approx. 75-minute individual interviews were conducted with buyers from car repair shops. These interviews were intended to provide information about the ordering procedure, relevant aspects in the ordering process and possible product families. Based on the findings, standardised interviews were then set up in a quantification phase to validate the results on a representative level.

Benefits
Through the individual explorations, we gained deep insights into the individual perspectives of the workshops - with detailed impressions and a high degree of clarity. It was particularly interesting to see how much the ideas about the product groups on the customer side differed from the ideas of the partners involved and where there was fundamental agreement. In combination with the validation of the results in phase 2, it was possible to make well-founded concluding statements and target-oriented recommendations for action.