What if the catalog knew which kit fits?

Hundreds of catalog pages, one right answer

Manufacturers with many variants know the problem: which kit fits exactly this vehicle? Which parts are mandatory, which only apply under certain conditions, what’s excluded? The answer is buried in an order catalog with hundreds of sheets, footnotes and cross-references.

A wrong choice costs twice: a wrong order, a return, frustrated dealers. So the answer must be not only fast but evidenced.

From registration document to an evidenced proposal

• Channel
• Model
• Custom tool
• Result

1. 1

   Channel Photos & details

   Registration document, type plate or ID plate as a photo in the chat.

2. 2

   Model Identify the vehicle

   The agent reads manufacturer, type, axle loads and IDs and shows how certain each value is.

3. 3

   Custom tool Query the catalog

   Exact ID search, matching kits and details with mandatory, conditional and excluded parts.

   orderbook_kit_details
4. 4

   Result Proposal with source

   Part numbers, prices and fitting time, each with catalog chapter and page.

The order catalog is converted from the original Excel files and checked against known cases before every update.

In practice: air suspension for vans and motorhomes

For a manufacturer of air suspension systems, P-CATION built an internal product advisor. The order catalog covers many vehicle platforms, axle variants, control units and accessories. Three custom tools make it queryable for the agent:

Tool	Purpose
ID search	Exact match via the chassis ID on the type plate
Kit search	Matching kits by vehicle, model year, drive, axle and product group
Kit details	Mandatory parts, conditional parts, exclusions, options, prices, fitting times and notes with source references

Found doesn’t mean it fits

The agent distinguishes “this part exists” from “this part fits this vehicle”. It only recommends what the catalog supports.

Targeted follow-up questions

Research first, then ask: the agent only asks about what actually distinguishes the variants it found.

Careful document reading

Registration documents and type plates are read separately. Uncertain characters are flagged rather than guessed, weights and axle loads aren’t mixed up.

Nothing made up

Parts, prices and fitting times come only from the catalog. If the source lacks a value, the agent says so.

15-second demo: from photo to parts list

Note

The following chat messages are a simplified example. Vehicle data, part numbers, prices and times are made up.

Inside sales

Customer wants an auxiliary air spring at the rear. Registration document attached.

Product advisor

Read from the registration document:
Base vehicle: Van type X, first registered 2021, rear-wheel drive
Permitted rear axle load: 2,700 kg
Wheelbase: not in the document, not needed for the search

Custom toolorderbook_kit_search

2 kits for type X, rear axle

Custom toolorderbook_kit_details

Condition: dual rear wheels version

Product advisor

There are two kits that differ only in the tires. Does the vehicle have single or dual rear wheels?

Inside sales

Single rear wheels.

Product advisor

Matching kit: SA-4711-10, €1,290, fitting time 3–4 h
Mandatory part: mounting kit SA-0815, €89
Option: control unit with display, €240
Source: order catalog, chapter 12, page 48

Capturing the advisory logic together

The real work lies in the rules experienced staff use when advising. We work out these rules together with inside sales and test the agent on real requests before it goes into daily use. More on our approach

What changes day to day

Before

• Catalog research takes time, footnotes get missed
• New employees need months to advise confidently
• Wrong orders due to missed mandatory parts or exclusions

After with LIVOI

• Complete parts list in minutes, with source
• Consistent advice quality across the team
• Mandatory parts and exclusions checked systematically

Works for other catalogs too

The pattern fits wherever variants depend on conditions: spare parts in mechanical engineering, accessories for product lines or configurations with mandatory and excluded parts.