Case Study: ZF Services achieves centralized, cost-effective management of millions of auto parts with Stibo Systems Product MDM

Managing Millions of Auto Parts in a Cost-Effective Way from Ideation to Sale

ZF Friedrichshafen’s ZF Services, an aftermarket division supplying driveline and chassis components under brands like Sachs and Lemförder, needed to manage a rapidly growing, complex parts portfolio driven by roughly 180 new car models each year and a target to cover 95% of models. The company faced fragmented processes and duplicated data across 15 databases, creating delays and errors and requiring a scalable, centralized system to speed time-to-market and support diverse product groups.

ZF implemented Stibo Systems Product MDM to centralize product, design and vehicle information and manage relationships and specifications across the lifecycle. In 18 months it replaced 15 databases, now handles almost 1 million items (scalable to about 5 million), reduced network load by sending only needed data, expanded users from 5 to ~40 (target ~100), integrates with SAP, and delivered faster, lower‑cost, scalable product data management ready for future growth.

ZF Services

Dieter Stich

Head of Product Management