TecCom believes its e-marketplace will help the aftersales distribution chain save time, money and increase efficiency.

The system is designed to provide an infrastructure for repairers, factors, wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers to benefit from e-commerce without the risk of development costs. Shareholders include Magneti Marelli, TRW and Valeo, with brand partners such as Bosch, Continental, Delphi and Federal Mogul, covering 98% of the car parc.

David Winter, TecCom vice-president of international sales, said: “What used to take hours to do can now be done in real-time with a few clicks of a mouse.

“A customer wanting to check availability, order, invoice or co-ordinate delivery times can simply carry out all of these activities online. But it will be the third or fourth quarter of the year before we see a significant uptake in users.”

Sister company TecDoc offers the aftermarket platform for components data, facilitating parts identification. Repairers search for parts via the TecDoc database, with TecCom providing the inventory facility. The subscription fee is typically £16-17 a month.