The verdict in three sentences
On a spare parts site, the buyer is not searching for a product name but for a serial number, a manufacturer reference or a callout on a diagram. A 40,000 SKU catalogue therefore needs three building blocks: a PIM that structures compatibilities, a search engine tolerant of reference formats and interactive exploded views linking each diagram callout to a buyable product page. The 2026 budget sits between EUR 35,000 and 100,000 excl. VAT, and a realistic goal is to bring online revenue to 15 to 25% within three years.
Why standard search fails for parts
A maintenance technician types "SN 4471-B-0932" or "pump seal XR200 2019". The default search in PrestaShop, Magento or WooCommerce looks in titles and returns zero results, or 300 irrelevant ones. The technician then calls the counter, which checks the paper catalogue or the manufacturer software. Each call costs EUR 5 to 10, and the customer ends up ordering from whoever answers fastest.
Three difficulties are specific to parts: references exist in several formats (dashes, spaces, prefixes), one part supersedes obsolete references, and compatibility depends on the machine's serial number, not just the model.
| Building block | Role | Setup cost excl. VAT (2026 order of magnitude) | Recurring cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| PIM (Akeneo, Pimcore, Plytix) | References, compatibilities, supersessions | EUR 8,000 to 25,000 integration | EUR 300 to 2,000 a month |
| Search engine (Algolia, Typesense, Meilisearch, Elasticsearch) | Tolerant search, synonyms, filters | EUR 4,000 to 12,000 | EUR 100 to 800 a month |
| Serial number to bill of materials resolution | Find the right machine version | EUR 6,000 to 18,000 | Included in hosting |
| Interactive exploded views (clickable SVG) | Diagram callout to product page | EUR 5,000 to 20,000 + drawing conversion | EUR 0 to 300 |
| B2B customer area (negotiated prices, multi-buyer accounts) | Net prices, quotes, history | EUR 8,000 to 25,000 | Included |
| ERP connector (price, stock, orders) | Synchronisation | EUR 6,000 to 20,000 | EUR 50 to 500 a month |
Exploded views: the most profitable lever
The exploded diagram is what the technician already has in the machine manual. Reproducing it online, with every callout clickable to the part, the stock and the customer's net price, removes the most expensive step: identification. Technically, PDF or DWG drawings are converted to SVG, each callout is linked to a PIM reference, and the cart fills directly from the diagram.
The real cost item is not development but data preparation: converting 500 drawings costs EUR 15 to 40 per drawing if the bills of materials are clean, far more if they must be re-keyed. So you start with the 20% of machines that generate 80% of requests.
| Project scenario | Scope | Budget excl. VAT | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | Catalogue + tolerant search + B2B area | EUR 35,000 to 50,000 | 3 to 4 months |
| Intermediate | Core + PIM + serial numbers + 200 exploded views | EUR 50,000 to 75,000 | 4 to 6 months |
| Full | Intermediate + 1,000 views + real-time ERP connector + punchout | EUR 75,000 to 100,000 | 6 to 9 months |
| Drawing conversion | Per drawing, clean bill of materials | EUR 15 to 40 | 50 to 100 drawings a week |
| Hosting and maintenance | Servers, updates, support | EUR 400 to 1,500 a month | Ongoing |
Mini case study
Illustrative scenario: Nathalie, CEO of an agricultural machinery parts distributor in Angers, turns over EUR 12M, 4% of it online. Her counter receives 220 identification calls a day at an average cost of EUR 7, about EUR 33,900 a month over 22 working days.
She launches the intermediate scenario at EUR 62,000 excl. VAT, plus EUR 1,400 a month for PIM, search and hosting. Cautious assumption: 35% of calls move to self-service in year two, saving about EUR 11,900 a month. The online share rises from 4 to 12%, or EUR 960,000 of sales captured online, part of it won from competitors. Excluding extra margin, counter savings alone pay back the project in about six months after launch.
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FAQ
Can this be done on Shopify or PrestaShop?
Partly: these platforms handle the catalogue well, but serial number resolution and exploded views require custom development. Beyond 20,000 SKUs with compatibilities, a custom or headless core is often cheaper to evolve over 5 years.
Is a PIM mandatory?
Above 10,000 SKUs and several sources (manufacturers, ERP, supplier files), yes. A PIM at EUR 300 to 2,000 a month stops compatibilities from living in unmanageable Excel files.
How do we handle superseded references?
The PIM stores a supersession table: the old reference redirects to the new one with a clear message. Search must find both, which often covers 10 to 15% of queries on an older installed base.
How long does it take to digitise exploded views?
Allow 50 to 100 drawings a week with clean bills of materials. A 1,000 drawing catalogue therefore takes 3 to 5 months, run in parallel with development.
What is the SEO impact?
Every reference and every old number becomes an indexable page. On 40,000 SKUs, organic search on part numbers can bring 20 to 40% of site traffic after 12 months.
Let's scope your project. Share your SKU count, drawing formats and ERP: we will price the core, the PIM and a first batch of exploded views with a realistic schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.