Update: version 2.9.0 is now available for download and includes a number of new features, vendors, and improvements. Most notably is a new tab for international vendors and the ability to export instant “OE Prices” to Excel for easy spreadsheet creation.
There is a new video, as well, which replaced the much earlier and outdated one in the original post. Updated video covers some of the main features and includes chapter sections for easier navigation. The Excel pricing matrix, as seen in the video, is also available for download. Website includes some new sections, as well, and more information on everything below the fold:
Additional Vendors Added:
- BMW Parts 4U
- BMW Parts Pros
- Schmiedmann (Europe)
OE Price Detection Improvements (beta):
- Turner Motorsport now supported
- General detection improvements
Integrating Turner Motorsport was more of a challenge than any other vendor, due to their site and page layouts, as well as the inconsistencies in identifying Genuine BMW parts. If language other than “Genuine BMW” or “Original BMW” is used to identify a part, price detection may skip it, but have had good luck with the results so far. As of now, the “OE Price” feature is available for every vendor that sells OE Genuine BMW parts.
General Usability Improvements:
- Clicking in OE Price column selects single vendor
- “Save Settings” button tweaks
After running an instant price search, clicking in the OE Price column will now select a single vendor for easier launching of individual sites. Because of this, the “Save Settings” button has been tweaked to no longer save settings on each exit. Click once and your settings will remain unchanged until you do so again.
New OE Price Export Feature:
- Export OE prices to Excel after search
For easier handling of multiple part numbers and building pricing spreadsheets, OE prices can optionally be copied to the clipboard (pre-formatted for Excel) after each search. For those looking to run multiple part numbers, the included Excel template calculates the cheapest total cost from a single vendor, as well as the price savings of buying everything individually. This template was designed to be used in conjunction with the instant "OE Price" feature of BMW PNPC, but feel free to modify it to your liking (
click here to download).
The main website has undergone some changes, featuring a new “ChangeLog” and "About" section for full details on future updates, as well as some additional entries on the FAQ page. As always, the most up-to-date version of BMW PNPC is available for download on the homepage,
here. For details on past and future releases, be sure to visit the changelog page,
here.
This shopping tool has come a long way in the past couple months and most of the updates and improvements in this version were suggested by other people. Appreciate all the feedback from everyone so far. Give the new version a spin and see what you think. If it saves you a decent amount of money and you'd like to show your appreciation by passing along some of the savings, please
drop a tip in the tip jar!