As traditional dealers compete with general automotive service shops to equip motor vehicles with new tires, wholesaler Max Finkelstein Inc. is out to make it easier for both groups to keep their storerooms stocked with fresh rubber.

Finkelstein, which wholesales tires to dealers and automotive repair shops throughout the northeastern United States from its base in New York and through its web site at MaxFinkelstein.com, recently deployed the OpenWebs B2B Commerce Platform from MAM Software Inc., a provider of point-of-sale, inventory management and other software for the automotive parts industry. The OpenWebs system enables Finkelstein’s customers to log onto the wholesaler’s web-web-based software to view available inventory and pricing, and place orders.

Many of Finkelstein’s wholesale clients already use a complementary software system from MAM Software—called VAST Enterprise—to view information on product pricing and labor costs to quickly estimate the total cost of tires and related parts and services to their customers. By letting its wholesale clients also access the OpenWebs system, Finkelstein enables them to use the same computer screen to view real-time availability of products across Finkelstein’s 12 distribution centers across the Northeast and place online orders.

“The new system has really allowed us to work more efficiently with retailers by streamlining and simplifying the searching, estimating and sales processes,” says Dale Gallear, director of business for Max Finkelstein. “More of our customers are using MAM’s VAST Enterprise software, and we found that by using the same platform, we’ve made our company and our products more accessible to our customers.”

The OpenWebs system also enables Finkelstein’s clients to look up order history, review pending transactions and access customize product guides pertaining to the tires and related products they retail. MAM Software, which is also based in Allentown, did not provide cost figures for deploying OpenWebs or VAST technology systems. MAM Software is part of MAM Software Group, which also includes United Kingdom-based MAM Software Ltd., which provides software to the automotive parts industry in the UK.

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