ABPArtslink® system enters transitional maintenance phase with Shin
HONOLULU--At the April 23 Board of Directors meeting here, members heard the report of the ABPArtslink® Committee as it pertained to the future maintenance of the program and voted for a change.
After careful deliberation for more than a month, the Committee determined that the strongest bid was that of Mark Shin’s and the telemark software® company.
Three companies had submitted bids by March 14th for consideration--Bodydata.com, the Falkor Group and telemark software®.
That same recommendation was then brought before the entire Board which had to either ratify the report of the Committee, or reject the same. After discussion and deliberation, your board overwhelmingly voted to award the ABPArtslink® maintenance contract for the next two years to Mark Shin’s telemark software® effective June 1.
ABPA Chairman, in a May 12th letter to the subscribers as well as other Association members, wrote:
“The board believes that telemark software® will bring much needed additional resources to our program. Subscribers will have a new dedicated website at www.partslink.org from which to enter the program.
“This website will be linked to the Association’s primary website of www.autobpa.com or can be sourced on-line directly. It will still be password protected. Among the new features on this site will be that of a chat-room where users can exchange ideas and tips on use and/or situations with each other.
“Improvements on the near future will include the automation of assigning new numbers which will speed up the process for the manufacturers. Mark Shin believes this type of automation can encompass as much as 90 percent of the number requests; the remaining 10 percent will still require the application of the human touch. Also, telemark software® will expand our universe of available numbers without changing the number of characters in the current ABPArtslink® format.
“As important as are these planned improvements, there was one specific recommendation which helped to make Mark Shin’s bid the most attractive and compelling. And that is Mark Shin has offered to document and make available to ABPA the procedures which comprise the maintenance process.
“This would allow the Association to continue the operation of ABPArtslink® were something to happen to the primary individual(s) responsible for this task. Many of you will recall the program was placed in a precarious situation in late 2005-early 2006 when a partner of Data Derivatives--the then provider of maintenance service--was incapacitated with a health issue.
Actually, when the program was presented with its greatest challenge, it was Mark Shin and telemark software® which was instrumental in redesigning the program to incorporate a more in tune with the times operating system.
“In choosing telemark software® to maintain ABPArtslink®, ABPA as of June 1st will be partnering with an individual and a company which possesses both the technical expertise and knowledge of the system currently utilized in the maintenance of the program.
“And because Mark Shin’s staff designed, programmed and implemented the current PL database system, the company is fully capable of assuming the maintenance duties in less than 30 days in what should prove a seamless transition.
“We are now soliciting from each subscriber a new user name--based on your e-mail address. And also a new password. That information is being requested with a form in this mailer.
“Your Board understands that ABPArtslink® is a crucially important program for both ABPA and our industry.
“We believe that the decision we have made to change to telemark software® will insure that the program will continue to improve and provide added benefits to our members.
“I invite any of the subscribers who may have questions as to this transition to contact me directly at my e-mail address: chogarty@ca.rr.com or call Stan Rodman at the association’s staff offices at (800) 323-5832. Following this announcement were some words from Mark Shin.