Are you familiar with the MPN or Manufacturer Part Number?
What is it, and what does it stand for? As a retailer or a seller on online markets, what can the MPN do for your business?
Or perhaps you have come across the number before but do not know its relevance. We are here to answer all of your questions on the manufacturer part number, whether you are an online shopper or a seller.
As a consumer, you must have needed to purchase a spare part of a broken machine, appliance, gadget, or equipment in your home or workshop at one time or the other.
At once, the MPN becomes critical. You need to buy the part that will exactly match the parent equipment. To ensure that you are accurate in your search, the MPN is one of the essential keys.
Consisting of a series of letters and numbers, the MPN is used to identify the exact parts of any needed equipment accurately. This number should not be confused with the serial number; a unique number used to signify that particular equipment or component.
The unique thing about the MPN is that the number is on the barcode of that part and is also accessible in online databases and on the manufacturer catalogs and manufacturer websites.
So as it is becoming more apparent, the buyer who needs a product part, and wants to be sure that the parts being purchased will be a perfect match, needs a product identifier, and the MPN is ideal for that job.
When an intending buyer uploads products to a comparison shopping engine, one of the apparent values that would be seen is the MPN.
MPN may also be helpful in retail, where they can help to track and manage stock. So, what exactly is the MPN, and what does it stand for?
Read on for more details.
What is MPN on Amazon?
What does MPN mean on Amazon product listings?
The MPN is the unique number that a manufacturer assigns to individual products.
MPN, as earlier noted, stands for Manufacturer Part Number. The keyword is part. Therefore, this number is used to identify any particular part of specific kinds of products.
The number is assigned by the manufacturer and has a unique value, consisting of numerals and alphabets, and is used to identify a product from other products more appropriately.
The MPN is a product identifier, as said earlier, and is used to differentiate a product from other similar products. For buyers, this helps find the right product and avoid counterfeits. This is because MPN is always accessible when the product is viewed online.
Thus, the MPN helps to guarantee that a shopper is buying the correct item. As a seller, this is critical to reducing conflicts that may arise over claims of being sold the wrong or counterfeit products.
The Manufacturer’s Part Number is not relevant for all products and is only essential for products that frequently involve spare parts of the whole product, especially in the automotive industry. Also, MPN would be relevant for electronics products where parts often need replacement.
Using the MPN to search for products on search engines makes it easier for buyers to access more information from sites like Amazon.
The MPN allows the sites to display more products relevant to your search. Moreover, more information, especially on technical specifications, can be accessed using the MPN of products.
Although the MPN always has alphanumeric characters, there is no strict code on its representation, which is always down to the manufacturer.
Why do I need MPN?
First, let’s look at the advantages of product identifiers, generally. Product identifiers like MPN are known to ease access to accurate products when searching online.
Because of this, there’s improved productivity as products can be found faster and more efficiently.
Product identifiers also make it very easy to bill products making checkouts incredibly faster. Their greatest advantage is their universality, which means that they can be accessed globally. The same code is used for the same product anywhere in the world.
They also help to track inventory much faster and more accurately.
Now to MPN, specifically
Manufacturer Part Number can help in
- Making it easier to search for products accurately
- Tracking the product information more accurately when purchasing
- Helping to match query results with exact item
- Reducing conflicts arising from customers purchasing the wrong item
- Ranking of products in search engines
This number allows us to refer to a product more easily. By simply entering the MPN of that particular product, which is a set of numbers and letters, you can get faster results than when entering the full details of the product.
For example, suppose you’re looking for a specific kind of hardware. In that case, all you have to do is refer to the MPN, e.g., GJT5327DD (which represents a hypothetical part number of a product), rather than inputting all the details of that product.
MPN is particularly relevant in specific industries where equipment parts are always essential and sensitive. One of such is the automobile industry, where parts are important.
For example, despite being made by the same manufacturer, a part from a vehicle may not precisely fit another car, even though they appear very similar.
Oil filters are a typical example. To be sure of the very part that will work with a vehicle, you need the MPN.
The MPN number is vital in helping the buyer distinguish between products that are similar in range. When buyers enter the MPN into search engines, it easily matches the queries with the product comparisons for accurate results.
When you search for products with the MPN, you will get exact matches. So, a buyer will always buy the right product.
When to use MPN
As an Amazon seller, it is essential to understand the importance of including details of MPN in your listing. When you do, you make life easier for the customer and improve your ranking online.
You should use MPN because it is also used internally and externally in Amazon’s searches. For greater visibility of products, it is highly recommended that this number is provided.
Buyers are more confident that they are getting the right product when used. Fewer returns, fewer complaints, and great reviews would follow. Your brand is getting bigger, certainly!
When used, it will be picked up by Amazon (and Google), ensuring that the search engines will easily match your products with queries. Do you know what that does to your brand? Greater visibility!
So you use MPN when you seek to satisfy the customer and retain them. When you wish to meet their specific demands and prevent the risk of returning the goods for not meeting specifications.
Interestingly, goods with MPN have no alternatives, so customers aren’t looking for fancy options.
They want the same part that they need. Often, they aren’t moved by price; they want to ensure that the product meets their specifications.
And you know what gives the most excellent assurance that they are getting exactly what they need? A Manufacturer Part Number added to the listing on the platform.
MPN alternatives
For Amazon sellers, you must have noticed that not all merchandise has MPNs.
As such, it is only an optional field on the inventory listings. This is because MPN does not apply to all goods on the platform, although all goods have unique identifiers.
On Amazon, other alternatives to MPN include the following:
- UPC (Universal Product Code), which is a barcode commonly used in many countries to track retail items;
- ISBN (International Standard Book Number), which is the primary identifier and product code for published books, magazines, novels, and all other types of literature;
- SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), which is an internal method containing a series of numbers used to track inventory
Other labels and unique identifiers you may find on online marketplaces like eBay include:
- GTIN-14: Global Trade Item Number
- EAN: European Article Number
- JAN: Japanese Article Number
Conclusion
The Manufacturer’s Part Number, MPN, can be used by sellers to reach more customers.
Because they know they are getting the right product, they would easily patronize sellers who include this number.
Buyers who always run the risk of buying the wrong or counterfeit products would love nothing but to have easier access to the MPN. Making it readily available is a good idea if you’re a seller on Amazon or any marketplace for that matter.
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