As safety-critical components, when it comes to steering & suspension, availability and quality assurance are key, as motor factors and technicians need to be able to access reliable and quality parts as quickly as possible to carry out the repairs and provide the reassurance that a vehicle is roadworthy – First Line Ltd. recognises this importance.
This year, the company is celebrating 30 years of its steering & suspension range, with its strong heritage and extensive experience showcasing its commitment to providing the automotive aftermarket with wide-spread vehicle parc coverage and access to quality parts.
With the vehicle parc constantly expanding, a greater number of parts is required to service a wider range of vehicles than ever before, according to First Line Ltd.
When the brand introduced its steering & suspension programme back in 1992, it launched a 1,000-reference portfolio to aftermarket professionals. As time has progressed, the range has evolved and, last year, it reached a milestone with its largest, most pertinent range in the aftermarket, with more than 9,100 references available.
Planning ahead
Availability of product is crucial to the company’s service offering and with an average of 96% availability across its entire product portfolio consisting of 40,000 references, First Line Ltd.’s commitment and forward planning paid off during these unprecedented times.
However, it is times like this that distributors really get to value the service offered by a longstanding credible supplier, and with a range like steering & suspension being critical for keeping a car on the road, availability is king and is something First Line Ltd. said it has consistently been able to deliver.
The range is constantly under review and to recognise the need to meet ongoing demand, new product is regularly added on a monthly basis, ensuring distributors are able to access parts for the very latest models, when they hit the aftermarket.
Getting technical – providing additional support
Advanced technology is playing a major role in streamlining the process of looking up parts, with online catalogues and enhanced data platforms providing technicians with instant access to a wide range of high-quality parts.
Whether using First Line or Borg & Beck steering & suspension brands, the company has ensured that factors and their workshop customers are able to identify the correct component accurately and efficiently by providing product layout images in its online catalogue, WebCat, showing the positioning of the components in reference to the vehicle.
First Line Ltd.’s team of expert data professionals work hard to ensure that vehicle data is maintained, and that all necessary information required to correctly identify the product is easily viewable; therefore, factors can confidently supply products, minimising the need for sending out multiple parts and helping them to efficiently manage their stock profiling.
Going the extra mile
First Line and Borg & Beck products save repairers both time and money by including, where necessary, the fittings required to complete the job effectively and efficiently.
All ball joints, link bars, and suspension arms that, where applicable, come with the necessary fitting components, can be identified by the ‘Includes Fittings’ logo on the packaging, giving customers total peace of mind that what they need will be included with the part.
With this clear message showing that the necessary fittings have been supplied with the component, technicians can be sure that a smooth and efficient installation can be carried out.
There may be times when technicians only need the nuts and bolts, so as well as supplying the necessary fittings as standard, the nuts and bolts are available separately as fitting kits, therefore catering for any scenario.
What’s more, First Line Ltd. said all of its components are developed and tested to original equipment specifications and tolerances, put through comprehensive durability testing of up to 1,000,000 cycles, and where required, cataphoresis coated for maximum protection and longevity, which is why both First Line and Borg & Beck products are supplied with a two-year, 24,000-mile warranty, against manufacturing defects.
