In most yards the problem is not that too few parts are removed. It is that removed parts reach the shelf without anyone later being able to say with certainty which vehicle they came from or what their number is. From that point the part is effectively unsellable — not because it is bad, but because it cannot be found.
The six entries that make a part sellable
| Field | What for | Where from |
|---|---|---|
| VIN of the donor vehicle | Fitment, provenance, records | Vehicle file — see VIN: Reading, checking and using the vehicle identification number |
| OE number including predecessors | Search hits and buyer-side fitment check | Part, catalogue, cross-check |
| Article type (e.g. GenArt) | Category, filters, marketplace mapping | Derived from the OE number |
| Condition and mileage | Price and expectation management | Vehicle file and visual check |
| Images | Trust, avoided returns | Taken during removal |
| Dimensions and weight | Shipping cost and storage slot | Measurement or derived attributes |
The more complete and unambiguous these fields are, the better a buyer can find, compare and verify the listing. Missing data does not automatically make a part unsellable, but it increases enquiries, manual rework and the risk of a wrong order.
Operating case: one item record for eBay, B-Parts and Ovoko
A used part without a dependable OE number and vehicle reference performs poorly in search filters and vehicle fitment lists. The API therefore returns identification to the item master rather than a note: normalise the OE number, cross-check reference family and supersession chain through GET /parts/oe/{oeNumber}, add aftermarket references and make the available fitment data ready for sales channels.
- Capture during removal. Photos, donor vehicle and visible identifiers stay attached to the same internal item ID.
- Enrich the record. OE and reference data flows machine-readably into the ERP, not into mail, spreadsheets or a clipboard.
- Serve channels. The existing shop or marketplace connector maps the relevant fields to eBay, B-Parts or Ovoko, for example.
- Keep stock in sync. Price, availability and sale are maintained in the system of record so several channels do not offer the same single item.
Operating case: dynamic pricing for new and used parts
After identification, GET /parts/oe/{oeNumber}/price can provide the documented price evaluation for the OE number. The ERP combines it with condition, acquisition cost, stock age, internal demand and minimum margin. The result is not a blindly adopted figure but a traceable pricing rule. The same logic is useful for new and used parts; each business model decides how the factors are weighted.
| Metric | What it reveals | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Time from removal to live listing | How quickly identification and channel mapping work | Shorter |
| Share of complete item records | How many listings need no manual completion | Higher |
| Returns caused by wrong assignment | Where OE or fitment data is insufficient | Lower |
| Margin by stock age | Whether pricing rules connect inventory and demand sensibly | More stable |
Why capture belongs to the part, not to the shelf
The most expensive moment in part identification is the second walk. Remove a part, put it on the shelf and postpone the record to „later“, and later means walking back, picking the part up again, searching for the number again — and usually no longer knowing which vehicle it came from.
The only genuinely cheap capture is the one during removal. There the vehicle file is open, the vehicle is identified, the part is in your hand and the number is visible before it disappears under dust.
The workflow that works
- Open the vehicle file. Capture the VIN, resolve the vehicle data, record year, engine and gearbox.
- Photograph before removal. Mounting position, surroundings and, where present, the type plate or printing.
- Remove and label. A tag with a running number referring back to the vehicle file. Paper notes without a vehicle reference are the most common source of data loss.
- Read the numbers. Extract the OE number and the supplier number from the photos.
- Cross-check. Verify the OE number against several sources, add predecessor and successor numbers, assign the article type.
- Store and publish. Assign a storage slot, set a price, push the listing out.
Where the time actually goes
- Duplicate capture. The same data in the record book, the ERP and the marketplace — typed three times, wrong three ways.
- Hunting for the number. A part without a visible identifier means catalogue work. This is exactly where one lookup beats ten browser tabs.
- Retrospective assignment. A shelf full of unlabelled parts costs more time than the removal did.
- Returns. Every wrong fitment statement costs shipping out, shipping back, a credit note and a review.
What a good record enables on the side
Once capture is clean, a set of analyses follows without additional effort: which model lines yield the highest revenue per vehicle? Which parts sit too long? Which vehicles are worth buying? These questions can only be answered if every part hangs off a vehicle — which is exactly the structure the record-keeping duty under end-of-life vehicle law requires anyway.
Frequently asked
Which entry matters most?
The OE number. Without it the buyer does not find the part. Immediately after comes the donor vehicle's VIN, because it makes fitment demonstrable.
Is capture worth it for cheap parts too?
For low-value small parts, per-item capture is often uneconomic. A threshold by product group works well — consistently above it, not at all below.
How many images does a part need?
Usually three to five: overall view, identifier or type plate, connectors or mounting points and, where present, the defect. Images replace enquiries.
Do I have to list predecessor numbers?
It is strongly recommended. Many buyers search with the number on their old part, and that is often the older number in the supersession chain.