In this article, learn:
What ACES and PIES data cover and how the standards differ
Why retailers, distributors, and marketplaces rely on both
What can happen when fitment or product data is incomplete or outdated
How ACES and PIES relate to EDI and the EDI 832 Price/Sales Catalog
For automotive aftermarket suppliers, ACES and PIES data are more than industry terminology. They provide the common language suppliers, distributors, retailers, and marketplaces use to exchange information about automotive parts.
ACES tells a trading partner which vehicles a part fits. PIES provides information about the part itself, including descriptions, pricing, packaging, dimensions, and digital assets.
Getting this data right matters more as suppliers sell through more channels. Bad or outdated data can keep products out of marketplace fitment tools, cause fitment errors and returns, or slow down retailer onboarding.
Note: Fitment refers the specific compatibility information that maps an auto part or accessory to the exact vehicle makes, models, years, submodels, engines, and physical positions it fits.
What Are ACES and PIES Data Standards?
ACES and PIES are separate but related data standards, and both are maintained by The Auto Care Association.
ACES, or Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard, covers vehicle fitment data. It lists which vehicles a part fits: year, make, model, submodel, and engine.
PIES, or Product Information Exchange Standard, covers product information. That includes descriptions, pricing, packaging, dimensions, weights, attributes, and images.
Both standards use XML (extensible markup language) to structure information. That format lets the data move cleanly between systems. Both also rely on standardized databases the Auto Care Association maintains:
Vehicle Configuration Database (VCdb): Standardized vehicle information used for fitment
Qualifier Database (Qdb): Standardized qualifiers used to further define vehicle applications
Product Classification Database (PCdb): Standardized product categories and classifications
Product Attribute Database (PAdb): Standardized attributes used to describe products
Brand Table: Standardized brand information and identifiers
Suppliers pull these values from the right databases to build standardized files. That gives trading partners one consistent way to read the same data.
Why ACES and PIES Ecommerce Data Matter
The value of ACES and PIES is consistency across all trading partners.
An automotive aftermarket supplier might sell through several distributors, retailers, marketplaces, and ecommerce sites. Without common data standards, each trading partner could require information in a different format. Suppliers would then have to maintain multiple versions of their catalog or repeatedly map their data to each partner’s requirements.
ACES and PIES massively reduces complexity. A distributor can ingest a supplier’s catalog using standardized fields. A retailer can use fitment data to power a vehicle-specific search or fitment tool. A marketplace can double-check product information against established automotive terminology and identifiers.
For suppliers, that means standardized catalog data can make it easier to establish and maintain trading relationships across multiple sales channels.
It also means ACES and PIES data can’t be treated as a one-time setup. Vehicle applications change. Products are added and discontinued. Attributes and digital assets are updated. Pricing and packaging can change, too. The catalog has to keep pace with all of it.
Related Reading: Help Consumers Find Your Product with a Catalog Management System
What Happens When ACES and PIES Data Is Incomplete?
The consequences of incomplete ACES or PIES data tend to show up where suppliers notice them most: product visibility, returns, and onboarding.
For example, Walmart Marketplace requires sellers to submit ACES- or PIES-formatted fitment files for listings that use its Auto Parts Fitment widget. Its documentation lists common reasons a file fails: a missing part type ID, invalid or unmatched vehicle information, or a missing brand code.
PIES data can run into similar issues. Missing item-level GTINs, brand identifiers, or part terminology IDs can prevent product information from passing validation, which causes real issues later in the supply chain.
Products May Not Appear Correctly
If fitment data fails validation, shoppers searching by vehicle may not see the product at all. The supplier can have stock and a good price, and the product can still be hard to find.
Incorrect Fitment Can Drive Returns
Bad fitment data creates an especially frustrating customer experience. A shopper may purchase a part believing it fits their vehicle, only to discover that the application was incorrect.
That can lead to returns, additional fulfillment costs, customer-service issues, and damage to the supplier’s relationship with the retailer or marketplace.
Onboarding Can Take Longer
New trading partners need clean, standardized data to load a supplier’s catalog. Missing identifiers or inconsistent data can cause validation failures, manual fixes, and delays before products are ready to sell.
For suppliers managing catalogs across multiple channels, accurate ACES and PIES data is an ongoing job, not a one-time compliance task.
Related Reading: The Importance of Data Analytics in the Automotive Aftermarket
How Do ACES and PIES Data Relate to EDI?
ACES and PIES and EDI solve related but different problems. ACES and PIES define the data, while EDI helps exchange business documents. Standardizing catalog data and sending that data are two separate steps.
Electronic data interchange, or EDI, is a broader set of standards trading partners use to exchange documents. These include purchase orders, invoices, advance ship notices, and product catalogs.
One EDI document particularly relevant to catalog management is the EDI 832 Price/Sales Catalog.
The 832 lets a supplier send product and pricing information to a retailer or distributor. It can include item numbers, descriptions, pricing, and other catalog details the trading relationship requires.
An EDI 832 is not a replacement for ACES or PIES. They serve different purposes.
ACES: Structures vehicle fitment information
PIES: Structures product information
EDI: Provides a standardized way to exchange business documents between trading partners
EDI 832: Communicates catalog and pricing information electronically
For example, a supplier might keep its ACES and PIES data structured internally, then use EDI to exchange catalog, order, shipment, and invoice documents with its trading partners.
Which ACES and PIES Databases Does a Supplier Need?
One confusing part of getting started with ACES and PIES is the database subscriptions.
Suppliers do not necessarily need access to every database. The databases required depend on the type of information the supplier needs to create or receive.
For ACES, suppliers need access to the Vehicle Configuration Database (VCdb). The VCdb subscription also includes access to the Qualifier Database (Qdb), Product Classification Database (PCdb), and Brand Table.
For PIES, suppliers need access to the Product Attribute Database (PAdb). The PAdb subscription includes access to the Product Classification Database and Brand Table.
The subscriptions overlap on the PCdb and Brand Table, but they are not interchangeable.
A supplier that only needs to manage PIES product information does not necessarily need a VCdb subscription. A supplier that needs to create fitment data through ACES does.
Sorting this out before subscribing helps suppliers avoid paying for access they don’t need, or finding out during onboarding that they’re missing a required subscription.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need both ACES and PIES to sell automotive parts online?
Not necessarily, but many suppliers selling automotive replacement parts need both.
ACES is used to communicate fitment, while PIES communicates information about the product itself. If a supplier sells parts where vehicle-specific fitment matters, both types of data may be required by its trading partners.
Requirements vary by retailer, distributor, marketplace, and product category, so suppliers should double-check the specific requirements of each trading relationship.
Is there a free way to access ACES and PIES data?
The Auto Care Association’s underlying databases require paid subscriptions. The database access a supplier needs depends on whether it is working with ACES, PIES, or both.
How often should ACES and PIES data be updated?
There is no single update frequency that works for every supplier. Suppliers should keep their data current as vehicle applications, products, attributes, pricing, packaging, and digital assets change.
They should also account for updates to the underlying Auto Care Association databases and the specific data-refresh requirements of their trading partners.
The key is to treat ACES and PIES data as living catalog data, not information that gets created once and left untouched.
Are ACES and PIES the same as EDI?
No. ACES and PIES are data standards for automotive catalog and fitment information. EDI is a separate method for exchanging business documents between trading partners.
An automotive supplier may use ACES and PIES to structure its catalog information and EDI documents such as the 832 to exchange relevant business information with retailers and distributors.
Keep Your Automotive Catalog Data Trading-Partner Ready
Accurate catalog data matters. It helps suppliers sell across retailers, distributors, marketplaces, and ecommerce channels, and it’s the same data that powers tools like SPS Analytics for the automotive aftermarket.