Did everyone get a chance to read the press release today from GTS? Are they joking? Is the comment from Lynx even necessary?

I find it very upsetting that GTS can even say "It recognizes our ability to deliver more value to auto glass retailers than our competitors can."

Have they seen the POS competition lately? The only different POS company would be edirectglass so apparently they haven't really looked at the term "value". I am still having to pay for assignments, authorizations and EDI with my current GTS system so again I ask, where is the value?

You're right Randy, it's pretty amusing.

Let's see, one person would say that they were tooting their own horn. Like we don't know they're the same people, giving 'certification' to themselves?

Someone else might say that they just stuck their hand out and asked us to pull their finger.

If it weren't so pathetically transparent it would be amusing.

Reminds me of all the AGR companies out there that advertise their "Certified" technicians. They just flat lie about their installers qualifications.

It should have read something like this:

Notice to all AGR shops - we (GTS and Mainstreet) have built in more functionality to take more of your per job money and by the way, we're steering your data now too. SUCKERS.

C'mon people, $2.50 for electronic assignments, $1.75 for eFnol and extra charges for the modules to do ordering and inventory. It makes me sick. My POS provider told me that Glaxis charges them for these "transaction" fees so they have to pass it on to us.

So why aren't we also adding Glaxis to the list of problems with the industry?

Mike

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm -- PPG --- OWNS GTS - OWNS LYNX - OWNS GLAXIS ----- WHAT?

And they have a deal to supply Iowa Glass with their auto glass parts.

Eyes Wide Open: So what's your point. It a reasonable expectation to me that if Iowa sells their distribution, it would include a deal to have the purchaser supply their existing retail through some sort of supply agreement. Same thing happened when Pilkington purchased Autostock. Who do you think is the prefered supplier to the Speedy stores that were left behind? In addition, their SRP urethane needed a distributor and source for the Speedy stores. I'm sure it's a deal that benefits boths sides somewhat equally.

I think EWO's point was another string tying the grains of sand to the customer's car, right through the manufacture, wholesale sale, distributor sale, retail sale, and software to boot, and an online hub that allows just exactly 'what' info for some parties to see but others not see?

Tell me, is there any guarantee of confidentiality of proprietary information in the E-hub? Just what does your computer and it's software, or the E-hub facilitator, let others, such as insurers, see? Is your cost/buying structure being viewed by someone you might not want seeing it?

Are there any guarantees of confidentiality for the shop in the fine print?

PPG got their fingers caught in the wringer for something similar some years ago, and ended up in a consent decree for a long time...that has now expired, yes?

Good stuff Mark1. Yesterday I decided to call on the new kid (POS company) in town and I was quite impressed. What I like about their operation is they are not owned by anyone or any company in the auto glass or insurance industry. Why is this important, for the very same points Mark1 brings up. I have decided to go with this company (the "edirect" company) and I needed to make sure who they were before putting all of my information online and in one place. To boot, they have some really smart stuff for ordering parts and what not and I certainly didn't want any Big Brother to use that stuff against me.

It is a shame that we as an industry continue to support the likes of GTS, Lynx, etc. So I guess owners of both GTS and Mainstreet should print out Mark1's email and look at it every time they login.

M

Mark, unfortunately you were lead to believe something by your "new" POS software provider that is simply not true. It doesn't matter what they tell you about your information being "confidential"; they will pass all your Lynx invoices to Lynx and Safelite invoices to Safelite and Harmon invoices to Harmon. The POS software provider is just a middle-man in the EDI chain and they cannot guarantee that your data will remain confidential, that is up to the TPAs. Welcome to the world of e-commerce.

Oops, sorry Mark, my previous post should have been addressed to Mike.

Wirehead - We all know that the EDI is shared with the TPA and beyond that there is no control but I think what I am reading here has mostly to do with the parts ordering through GLAXIS.

If you figure that GLAXIS gets your Safelite and Lynx inovices and then can match it to your parts ordering either directly or indirectly, that is the real danger. For the most part, who cares about the EDI invoices but protecting my ordering online is what I want and I am not going to trust PPG with my information. My vote is for the independent system that can provide me with ordering from multiple vendors which brings me to a good question, is there one?

How about Quest? They are independently owned and their POS has been offering on-line ordering for the last 5 years that we've used it. We only order from Pilkington.

Although autoglass is down to 25% of our business we do more and more flatglass nowadays.

PPG/GTS/lynx/Glaxis = all the same company (PPG?) sounds scary to me.

Doesn't Pilkington have something to do with Mainstreet and Quest? I thought I read something on this awhile back?

Yes, Pilknington does have something to do with Mainstreet and Quest.

What about multiple manufacturers and distributors though? I only know of one doing that now.