Over 91% of businesses with more than 11 employees are using CRM to target leads, close deals, and stay one step ahead of consumers. From technology and financial services to agribusiness and everything in between, CRM is proving itself to be a serious game changer across all industries.

Want to know the truth? CRM is for manufacturing companies too.

Manufacturing CRM is designed to increase team efficiency and maximize production. Whether you want better route planning, shorter sales times, or consistent quoting, your team can get more done in less time with the help of a CRM solution. Here’s how CRM for the manufacturing sector helps you accurately forecast sales, anticipate customer needs, and simplify processes.

#1 Better Forecasting

Predicting future demand is admittedly difficult. CRM for manufacturing takes the guess work out of the equation by tracking sales records to create a comprehensive view of every customer’s order history, including when orders were placed, what and how much was ordered, and at what cost. Manufacturing CRM helps teams identify each customer’s unique buying patterns and combines this data with advanced analytics tools and algorithms to generate real-time forecasts.

More accurate sales projections allow you to schedule production sooner, stay on top of inventory needs, and have product readily available when future orders come through. This also leaves ample time to resolve any unforeseen production issues without impacting consumer wait times.

#2 Shorter Sales Times

The manufacturing industry is shifting to a customer-centric focus. CRM supports this initiative by strategically organizing lead data and making it available to the right salesperson at the right time. In one click, teams can access complete customer profiles with crucial information like sales histories, call notes, active and past quotes, and more. Manufacturing CRM makes it easy to track leads throughout the sales pipeline and even offers automated notifications that queue follow-up messages and emails, so you never miss a sale.

#3 Personalized Automation

Every company’s voice is slightly different. Leveraging manufacturing CRM’s template functionality makes yours stand out. With CRM for the manufacturing sector, teams can ensure consistency across all corporate communications, such as emails and texts. These campaigns can be tailored to specific audiences, meaning you can send personalized mass messages to customers based on interests, location, and other demographics.

#4 Complete Customer View

Knowing customers inside and out is essential for better customer service and relevant product upsells. CRM for manufacturing collects data, organizes it, and pinpoints long-term trends to give teams a 360-degree view of consumers and their needs. Having this insight is critical for understanding customers and identifying ways to better serve them. After all, a happy customer is more likely to return.

#5 Optimal Route Planning

When it comes to territory management, route planning is key. Mobile manufacturing CRM integrates with mapping tools to optimize sales reps on the road. Routes can be tracked over specific geographic territories to save reps time and maximize the number of customers reached in a given day. Not only does manufacturing CRM boost sales teams’ productivity and help manage opportunities and interactions, but these capabilities also cut travel costs by lowering fuel consumption and increasing route efficiency.

#6 Consistent Quoting

What if quoting could be simpler, faster, and more accurate? CRM for manufacturing allows you to save customer quotes for future reference, so you no longer have to add, calculate, and estimate for each re-order. Manufacturing CRM even lets teams make quotes based on list prices and reuse frequently used quotes to save hours of time and make quoting more consistent.

#7 More Satisfied Customers

Customers drive your business. Keeping them happy extends beyond offering innovative products. Manufacturing CRM maintains detailed customer profiles with key information such as call logs, purchase histories, warranties, service requests, and repairs so teams have everything they need to know right at their fingertips. Sales reps and technicians alike can access the information they need to best serve the client, providing crucial support and recommending complementary products. Consumers appreciate small gestures that make them feel cared about, and satisfied customers are more likely to return.

#8 Customer Communities

Collecting and interpreting customer feedback is an easy way to check product performance. CRM for manufacturing can build and distribute surveys or feedback forums upon case resolution and store results for reporting purposes within the system. Having direct consumer input on product design, performance, or simply customer satisfaction helps shape future products for success.

#9 Partner Management

Manufacturing CRM makes referral tracking a breeze. CRM software automatically monitors business partner referrals so management can quickly and easily view the statuses of these relationships. Each lead is recorded in the CRM, highlighting partnerships that prove most beneficial over time.

#10 Defect Tracking

Consistently high-quality products are the trademark of successful manufacturing organizations. Using CRM in the manufacturing sector helps quality assurance teams collect and analyze product data and troubleshoot production errors in real-time. Maintaining product quality and production efficiency reduces the number of defective products, keeping customers satisfied and sales soaring.

#11 Better Leads

All sales reps know that it’s not the number of leads, but the quality of leads that matter most, so the more quality leads the better! CRM for manufacturing tracks potential distributor and retailer partner interactions and organizes the data with lead management tools like lead scoring to identify leads worth pursuing. The higher the likelihood of converting, the higher quality the lead and the more focus your team should put on that specific contact.

What are you waiting for? Simplify backend processes and increase sales with CRM for manufacturing. Get in touch with a TAI advisor to learn more about how manufacturing CRM can help you stay one step ahead.