The Manufacturing Landscape
Less than 15% of manufacturers rate themselves as high-performance service providers. But there’s never been a more crucial time to be a high-performing manufacturer.
With 70% of consumers and 82% of business buyers saying that technology has made it easier than ever to take business elsewhere the moment they feel like it, staying competitive in the manufacturing industry is more important than ever before.
The Transformation of Manufacturing
The fourth industrial revolution is transforming the manufacturing industry as we know it. Manufacturers can no longer think of sales and customer relationships as purely transactional. They must become more customer-centric or be left behind by the competition. Three key challenges facing manufacturers today include the following:
1. Large Volumes of Data
The vast amount of data has manufacturers unable to analyse the information for use in their day-to-day business.
2. Siloed Systems
Manufacturers’ back offices are a disarray of multiple siloed ERP systems and trapped data, making it difficult to have a consistent view of their business and customers.
3. Legacy Systems
Legacy systems create a disconnect between departments and impact the customer experience. Adapting for the future of manufacturing is about creating agility and insight to drive success for everyone.
The Age of the Customer
Adapting for the future of manufacturing is about creating agility and insight to drive success for everyone. All the data in the world is only as good as the analysis and insights your system produces—that’s where you can gain competitive advantage and kick the pain points to the curb. The digital tools give sales teams timely information to create new levels of customer service for manufacturers. Priorities for manufacturers include the following:
Harnessing the Power of Data
To provide a personalised customer service, manufacturers need data in one centralised location, via a CRM. By leveraging all available data—from sales interactions, service history and marketing touches to product usage data and beyond—manufacturers can deliver smarter services that connect customer demand.
Driving Automation
IoT is driving automation at a rapid rate. It impacts all areas of the business, from sales and marketing to service and the back office. Automation enables organisations to deliver data-driven insights and strategies, creating a more positive customer experience.
Single Customer View
Creating a 360-degree view of the customer ensures that every interaction your customer has is consistent and seamless—from before, during and after the sale.
Why Partner with Simplus?
As the global leader in manufacturing, we have been advising and implementing since the beginning. Manufacturing is one of the core areas that Salesforce was built to support. Simplus, with the Salesforce platform, excels in digital business transformation within manufacturing. Our team of industry experts are passionate and highly skilled. Through our bespoke capabilities, they help create a seamless customer journey and a Salesforce platform that delivers, driving you to remain competitive in this changing digital world.