CarParts.com Offloads Manila Operations in Strategic AI-Powered Overhaul

MIAMI, FL – January 28, 2026 – In a significant strategic pivot, e-commerce automotive retailer CarParts.com (NASDAQ: PRTS) announced it has selected Lean Solutions Group, a global AI-enabled business services provider, to take over its extensive operations in Manila, Philippines. The multi-year agreement transfers CarParts.com's captive business functions to Lean Solutions Group, which will deploy its proprietary AI platform, LeanTek, to manage and optimize everything from complex order processing to finance and marketing.

The deal represents more than a simple outsourcing contract; it marks a calculated move by CarParts.com to navigate a challenging financial landscape and refocus on core growth initiatives, while simultaneously highlighting a profound shift in the nature of global business services, driven by artificial intelligence.

A Strategic Pivot for Efficiency and Focus

For CarParts.com, this transition is a direct response to both market pressures and strategic priorities. The company has faced headwinds, reporting a 12% year-over-year decrease in net sales and a $10.9 million net loss in its third-quarter 2025 earnings report. In response, leadership has emphasized a plan for 2026 centered on disciplined execution, profitable growth, and rigorous operational efficiency.

Handing over its Manila operations, which had grown to hundreds of employees, to an AI specialist is a core component of this strategy. It allows CarParts.com to streamline its back-office functions, reduce operational complexity, and unlock capital and management bandwidth. The company can now intensify its focus on strategic enhancements to its U.S. distribution network, including a new semi-automated facility in Las Vegas, and bolster its global supply chain excellence—areas critical for competing in the fast-paced auto parts market.

“Lean Solutions Group’s AI-driven platform and proven expertise made them the clear choice for this engagement,” said David Meniane, CEO of CarParts.com, in a statement. “Their technology will help us operate more efficiently while maintaining the high service standards our customers expect.” The move follows other cost-cutting measures, including global role reductions in 2024, underscoring the urgency to create a leaner, more scalable operational model.

The AI Engine Driving the Change

At the heart of this partnership is Lean Solutions Group's proprietary AI technology platform, LeanTek. This deal serves as a major validation of the company’s “AI-first” approach, which combines intelligent automation with embedded human expertise. Under the agreement, LSG will manage a wide array of functions for CarParts.com, including Complex Order Processing and Escalations, Finance and Accounting, Marketing, and various Back Office and Technology roles.

In practice, this means leveraging AI to automate repetitive tasks, identify patterns, and predict outcomes at a scale and speed unattainable through manual processes alone. For example, AI can automate invoice reconciliation in accounting, optimize digital ad spend in marketing, and instantly validate and route complex customer orders, flagging only the exceptions for human review. This creates immediate efficiency gains and provides a foundation for long-term competitive advantage.

“This win validates our AI-first approach to business operations,” said Jack Freker, CEO of Lean Solutions Group. “CarParts.com saw that our LeanTek platform and deep expertise will elevate their Manila operations to new performance levels.” By plugging into LSG's established platform, CarParts.com bypasses the immense cost and time required to develop a comparable in-house AI infrastructure.

Reshaping the Workforce in a Global Hub

The transaction, which involved Lean Solutions Group acquiring 100% of CarParts.com (Philippines) Inc., directly impacts hundreds of employees in Manila. While the introduction of AI often raises concerns about job displacement, the official narrative from both companies is one of opportunity. The Manila-based team will become part of Lean Solutions Group's global network of nearly 10,000 employees, with promises of greater career mobility and access to deeper training resources.

This transition exemplifies the future of work in the AI era. Roles centered on routine, repetitive tasks are diminishing, while demand grows for higher-value skills. The workforce in Manila will be reoriented to work alongside AI—managing the systems, analyzing the data-driven insights they provide, and handling the complex, nuanced escalations and problems that still require human judgment. This shift necessitates a significant focus on upskilling and reskilling, transforming a traditional BPO workforce into a tech-enabled team of experts.

The Philippines' Ascent in the Global AI Economy

Zooming out, this partnership is emblematic of a larger economic evolution within the Philippines. Long known as the world's premier destination for traditional Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) built on labor arbitrage, the nation is now pivoting to become a hub for higher-value, technology-driven services. Deals like this demonstrate a move up the value chain, from providing call center agents to offering sophisticated, AI-powered operational solutions.

Lean Solutions Group's expanding presence, alongside major competitors like Accenture and Teleperformance who are also heavily investing in AI capabilities, is transforming the country's economic landscape. This trend incentivizes the development of a more tech-savvy talent pool, attracting foreign investment not just for cost savings, but for access to a skilled workforce capable of powering the next generation of business services.

The automotive aftermarket itself is undergoing a rapid digital transformation. Companies are increasingly using AI for dynamic pricing, predictive inventory forecasting, and creating personalized customer experiences online. CarParts.com has already invested in AI for its customer-facing website and search functions. This partnership effectively extends that AI-first strategy to its operational core, creating an end-to-end, technology-driven business model. By entrusting its Manila operations to Lean Solutions Group, CarParts.com is not just cutting costs; it is building a more resilient and scalable foundation to compete in a future where operational efficiency is defined by intelligent automation.