After a whirlwind trip to SEMA and AAPEX, we would like to share some PartsTech highlights from the showroom floor and some insights into what stood out at both events, including where the auto repair industry trends are headed as we close out 2025 and shift to 2026!
PartsTech on Display at SEMA & AAPEX
This year, PartsTech and OEC set up shop at both SEMA and APPEX, taking full advantage of this amazing opportunity (big thanks to all the attendees & organizers!) to connect with new shops, catch up with our current customers, and showcase some of our latest features. These enhancements took center stage at the booth, where the team delivered hands-on demos and walkthroughs for tools like:
Multi-Vendor Lookup
PartsTech significantly speeds up the time it takes to find and order parts and tires by putting all of your suppliers into one place. With our multi-vendor search, you can search an unlimited number of your preferred suppliers in one lookup. This gives you up-to-date product information, availability, and pricing that reflects your commercial information from each of your suppliers.
Didn’t get to see multi-vendor search in action at SEMA/AAPEX? Check out our on-demand demo!
Watch Demo of Multi-Vendor LookupCustom Jobs
Custom Jobs allows you to create your own personalized job templates with exactly the parts you need for your specific repair. Instead of relying on standard job templates that might leave out critical parts, you can now build personalized templates tailored to your shop’s repair procedures. Build it once, use it every time and save on average 5-10 minutes on every parts order with these pre-built templates!
Missed a live demo of Custom Jobs at SEMA/AAPEX? Watch one on-demand below!
Watch Demo of Custom JobsA Few Observations from SEMA & AAPEX
With so much technology on display at SEMA and AAPEX, one theme stood out above the rest: the growing power of connectivity. Product and repair shop innovation appeared down every aisle at both SEMA & AAPEX. From streamlining workflows to strengthening diagnostics and estimates, auto repair is becoming more data-driven, integrated, and connected than ever before. And it’s clear that the shops that tap into that connectivity are in prime position to benefit in a big way.
At both shows, exhibitors showcased tools and platforms designed to eliminate repetitive tasks and cut down on manual processes, while AI-driven repair order automation and enhanced digital vehicle inspections demonstrated just how rapidly shops – and the industry at large – are moving toward a fully connected workflow. Both events made it clear that the auto repair industry is leaning into smarter, more integrated solutions.
With this goal in mind, shop efficiency and seamless workflow automation remained front and center, with a heavy emphasis on streamlining:
Diagnostics
Estimates
Parts ordering
As vehicle complexity and precision increase, including sensors, calibrations, and system dependencies, so do the requirements for their repairs. Data accuracy has become absolutely critical with shops needing to know the exact part(s) tied to each VIN in order to get repairs right the first time. As a result, the importance of correct part data and reliable cross-catalog lookup continues to rise. This is where platforms like PartsTech come in to remove guesswork from the process and help shops quickly identify compatible parts across multiple suppliers.
SEMA and APPEX are, of course, a whirlwind experience, but they’re also inspiring. Between the evolving technology and talented people in the repair shop industry, it’s hard not to be excited about the future. It’s also clear that the shops that integrate technology into their workflow are not just setting themselves up to keep pace with the industry, but to lead it.
