Managing Data Standards
How are the Data Standards managed?
The Auto Care Association data standards (ACES®, PIES™, IPO™,iShop), their supporting databases, and best practices, are managed by the Auto Care Association and the Technology Standards Committee (TSC), within the Auto Care Vehicle Information Portal (VIP) platform.
The utilization of data standards and best practices allows the auto care industry to pool resources and leverage economies of scale. By pooling resources through the Auto Care Association, the data is more accessible and affordable to each industry player. This pooled research effort provides an economy of scale for all subscribers to the data standards and keeps the data used by the industry under management of a non-profit, non-partisan entity.
TSC
Technology Standards Committee
The TSC is made up of data standards user community professionals from across the industry, and their objective is to be responsive to member/user needs and to effect a lower cost of doing business and increased efficiency throughout the auto care market supply chain.
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Vehicle Information Portal
The data standards, and their supporting databases, are updated based on the user community's input/expertise, third-party research, as well as internal Auto Care Association research. This is all managed through the Auto Care Vehicle Information Portal (VIP).
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The Auto Care Vehicle Information Portal (VIP) serves as the single platform for all things data standards, including:
Maintenance and Downloads
VIP allows users to view, request changes to, and download the data standards supporting relational databases (VCdb, Qdb, PCdb, PAdb and Brand Table).
Documentation and Best Practices
Documentation and Best Practices for the data standards and their supporting databases can be accessed through the Auto Care Digital Hub.
Release Notes and Change Log
Release notes provide insight into current and future changes to the data standards (ACES®, PIES™, IPO™ and iShop™) and their supporting databases (VCdb, Qdb, PCdb, PAdb and Brand table). A change log is also provided within each database to show all content changes that occurred for the publication. Release notes and change logs are made available with each publication of the supporting databases.
Review the release notes and change log for each publication to stay ahead of changes that may impact your content and/or software!
Discussions
Discussions center around different topic areas of the data standards. The data standards user community can engage with each other by reading, submitting and/or commenting on discussion topics. This is a great resource to get input from the data standards user community.
Technology Standards Projects
A Technology Standards Project is the data standards user community's way to propose structural changes to the data standards, changes to best practices, and new technology standards product ideas. All requests are reviewed and voted on by the Technology Standard's Committee (TSC), who are the governing body of the Auto Care data standards. If the TSC approves a project, it then goes to workgroup to work through the project to develop a solution. Workgroups are open to the entire user community and are highly encouraged to attend to listen, contribute or both. Workgroups are found on our events page for each individual project.
Click here to view the complete technology standards project workflow process.
Database Content Projects
A Database Content Project is the data standards user community's way to report and discuss database (VCdb, Qdb, PCdb, PAdb and Brand Table) content issues and opportunities for improvement. These projects are reviewed by the user community through a monthly (minimum) workgroup. Workgroups are open to the entire user community and are highly encouraged to attend to listen, contribute or both. The monthly database content project workgroup can be found on our events page.
Catalog Assessment Tool
The Catalog Assessment tool, which is available to data standards subscribers, is a tool used to assess ACES® and PIES™ xml files. The tool is designed to identify discrepancies to help users produce the best ACES® and PIES™ xml files for their products.
Service Provider Directory
The Auto Care VIP Service Provider Directory is a year-round resource that lists industry service providers that help keep your business moving forward.
Events
The Auto Care Association host workgroups, webinars, trainings, and conferences throughout the year related to the Auto Care Association’s data standards and it's supporting community Automotive Content Professional's Network (ACPN).
New ACES & PIES Courses Available at academy.autocare.org
Convenient, self-paced e-learning courses for auto care industry professionals.
Learn MoreHow to get involved
Getting involved with the Auto Care Association, the Technology Standards Committee (TSC), and the management of YOUR data standards is critical to the advancement of the data standards for your business and industry. Your expertise is needed!
There are many ways to get involved, including:
- Discussions: Join one or many of our industry discussion forums centered around different topic areas of the data standards.
EXPLORE DISCUSSIONS - Workgroups: Join one or many of our industry workgroups to review topics in question in order improve the quality of your data standards.
EXPLORE WORKGROUPS - Webinars and Trainings: Join one or many of our webinars and trainings throughout the year hosted by the Auto Care Technology team and the Automotive Content Professionals Network (ACPN).
EXPLORE UPCOMING WEBINARS & TRAININGS - E-learning: Auto Care Academy provides convenient, self-paced e-learning courses for auto care industry professionals. This includes, but is not limited to ACES® and PIES™ intro and intermediate courses.
EXPLORE AUTO CARE ACADEMY
- ACPN: Join, for free, the Automotive Content Professional's Network (ACPN), a community of the Auto Care Association, which is exclusively devoted to educate, inspire and connect industry content professionals.
EXPLORE ACPN - ACPN On-Demand Content: The Automotive Content Professional's Network (ACPN) offers year-round educational content centered around the data standards and other content management topics.
EXPLORE ACPN PIPELINE - Conferences: Join us at multiple educational/networking events that related to the data standards throughout the year, such as ACPN at Auto Care Connect Week, the Technology Standards Committee Open Session at Fall Leadership
Days, and much more!
EXPLORE CONFERENCES - Leadership Committee/Councils: Join the Technology Standards Committee (TSC) and/or ACPN Leadership Council to provide
your expertise to ensure the advancement of the data standards as well as the educational advancement of content professionals across the industry.
Events
The Auto Care Association host workgroups, webinars, trainings, and conferences throughout the year related to the Auto Care Association Data Standards and it's supporting community Automotive Content Professional's Network (ACPN).
Bookmark our event calendar, as new events are added throughout the year!
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