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Letter to the Editor

Bell & Howell's Improves Parts Publishing Process with "Change Only" for GM, Dealers

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bell & Howell Publishing Services, a subsidiary of ProQuest Company, has released a significantly enhanced electronic parts catalog (EPC) product that provides General Motors Corp.'s U.S. dealerships with monthly updates on all parts changes.

Bell & Howell is currently the only EPC supplier to adopt the mandatory GM "change only" data publishing process. The "change only" process benefits both GM and its dealers by allowing for even minor changes to be included in regular monthly catalog updates. Previously, catalogs were not always updated when only minor changes were made, because each modification required a total republishing of the catalog. This caused some past model year catalogs to remain frozen for as long as 10 years.

The "change only" process systematically incorporates modifications all the way down to a bolt change directly onto Bell & Howell's regularly updated EPC at no additional fee to GM's U.S. dealers. Parts technicians can now be confident they are receiving the latest parts information on all vehicle data from 1982 to present.

"The change only enhancement benefits GM dealerships by minimizing the time needed to look up and research correct parts data, and by reducing order errors and costly returns," said Lee Poseidon, senior vice president and general manager, Bell & Howell's Global Automotive business unit. "Bell & Howell naturally took the lead in making the significant software development investment necessary to continue to provide GM and its dealers with innovative catalog functionality."

Bell & Howell Publishing Services provides electronic content applications to automotive dealerships, giving them immediate access to technical information and diagrams related to parts and service.

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