Mission Vision History of FRGI

Mission

FRGI is committed to publishing reports and reference works that provide insights to assist in strategic planning, market assessment, product road maps and business development. Ultimately, FRGI research and analysis will provide the insights leading to new and expanded business opportunities for clients.

Vision

Inevitably, many productivity solutions start as “Islands of Automation.” FRGI is dedicated to the proposition that alliances and collaboration between solution providers (that is, the building of “bridges” between the “islands of automation”) will lead to better improvements sooner. FRGi will identify where one plus one is more than two – and FRGI will promote these “integration points” between classes of productivity-improving applications.

History

Fellowes Research Group was founded by Ted Fellowes to fill a need in the Service Parts solutions space. While other industries (automotive vehicle, aerospace, life sciences, ...) are well covered with reports on market developments and trending, technology assessments and market research for major products and services, FRGI fills a comparable role for Service Parts solutions.

Bio - Ted Fellowes

Ted Fellowes has more than 25 years of experience in service parts solutions for the automotive, truck, heavy equipment and power sports industries. An accomplished innovator, Mr. Fellowes has been in the forefront of many advances in OE service parts productivity.

Mr. Fellowes is also a strong proponent of business alliances, initiating a series of integrations between solutions from various system providers.

Working for Bell & Howell’s Parts Cataloging unit (now Snap-on Business Systems), Mr. Fellowes played a leading role in establishing and growing the EPC business. While at Bell & Howell, Mr. Fellowes helped launch OEConnection, the industry leader in OE parts e-commerce and logistics solutions in North America. And, while at OEConnection, Mr. Fellowes led the design and deployment of e-commerce enabled parts sourcing solutions.

Innovation leadership:

EPC – 1985 (General Motors) - world's first commercial illustrated replacement parts digital catalog
VIN / BoM based EPCs – from late 1980s (Mercedes-Benz)
Web EPCs – from late 1990s
Parts E-Commerce Portal – from late 1990s (B & H / Click Interactive / Hyundai)
Idle & distressed parts market-making – from mid 2000s
Back –Order Referral / Fulfillment – from mid 2000s (Ford)
Managed Inventory – mid 2000s (Ford & GM) - first multiple-supplier replacement-tire replenishment system

Examples of Published Articles

An accomplished and published author, Mr. Fellowes is writing about service parts solutions. A few past publications available electronically: