Top 6 Benefits of CRM for Manufacturing Companies

Did you know that the CRM industry is a $36 billion industry and that the manufacturing industry is one of the top five industries using CRMs to grow their business? 

The manufacturing industry and CRM systems haven’t always been integrated. However, if you want to stay competitive in today’s market then you need to use a customer relationship management program.

Don’t worry if you don’t know what is a CRM or how CRM for manufacturing can change your business because you’re in the right place. Keep reading to learn our top six benefits of using a CRM to grow your manufacturing business.

1. Build Stronger Customer Relationships

Quality customer service is at the heart of building a successful business.  The majority of customers say that a quality experience is more important to them when choosing brands even over price. And the best way to provide this level of experience is to give your customers a cohesive experience. 

It can be difficult to give your customers a unified and consistent experience each time they engage with you and your brand. However, having a central location where you can track all your customer information gives you the tool you need to provide the level of experience your customers deserve. 

Some of the biggest problems customers have with companies can be solved with a CRM software program. Examples of these problems include non-personalized service, inconsistent messages from employees, long wait times, and employees who don’t understand the customer’s problem.

But when you work with a CRM you can solve these problems by keeping the important information where your employees can find it each time they interact with your clients.

2. Make Educated Supply Chain Decisions

As a manufacturer, it can be difficult to gauge how much you need to order from your supplier and how many products you need to send to your distributor. What you need is a way to make better sales projections. Using a customer relationship management system is the answer to this problem. 

Your customers are the key to building a successful business. But your supply chain is a close second. Without an effective supply chain, you can’t deliver your quality products to your customers on time.  

Your manufacturing CRM can provide real-time data regarding your customer’s purchases and interest levels. This gives you an advantage when you need to make important decisions regarding what to order and how often. Without a central database tracking this important information your supply chain decisions are simple guesses and can end up costing you valuable time and money in the long run.

3. Increase Sales

If your sales team struggles to meet their numbers each month then you need to give them the tools they need to succeed. Two tools that every sales team needs are a mapped-out sales pipeline and a customer outreach program. Luckily, your CRM can help you build a better sales pipeline and show your team where each prospect is in that journey.

Unfortunately, too many companies keep their marketing team, sales team, and customer service team separated from each other. However, if you want to build a successful business then you need a streamlined and consistent way to track messages, contacts, and sales history. 

When you track each step along the sales process then your entire team can give your customers that streamlined and consistent experience that is so important to increasing your sales, improving customer service, and long-term growth.

4. Better Production Planning and Forecasting

Every business owner wishes they could predict the future buying patterns of their customers. And while a CRM isn’t an actual crystal ball, it is as close as you’ll get to see the future. 

Your CRM provides you an overall view of all your customers’ purchases over time. You can use past information to identify patterns in behavior and purchases. This information is invaluable to planning your production timeline and forecasting possible future sales. 

For many manufacturers knowing when to purchase supplies and ship the final products means you will waste less time waiting on orders and less money storing items that can’t be shipped. Understanding the demands of your customers can give you the competitive edge you need in your manufacturing business to rise above your competitors.

Dynamics 365 CRM Case Study

The Welty Corporation

5. Better Quality and Consistency

Your CRM can store more than just your customer information. You can also track your product information. This will give you the insight you need to maintain and improve the quality and consistency of the goods you manufacture.

As mentioned, quality customer service is vital to growing your business followed closely by maintaining a timely supply chain process. The information you can gain from your CRM program will allow you to do both these things. And that will ultimately lead to providing better products to your customers consistently.

6. Strengthen Customer Retention

You’ve worked hard to build your customer list and grow your sales. Don’t neglect your customers once they purchase from you. When you use a quality CRM program you can better engage with your clients and improve your customer retention. 

If you’ve ever complained about how hard it is to keep track of following up with your customers or remembering to offer a valuable upsell, then you need to work with a CRM. Many business owners forget that the final piece to tracking customer information goes further than simple lead generation and making the sale. 

The final piece of data you need to track with your CRM involves the lifetime value for each of your customers. As you know it costs your business less to maintain a current and happy customer than it does to acquire new ones. That’s why you should maximize the amount that each customer spends with your company throughout the lifetime of your relationship with them.  

Increase Your Sales With the Best CRM for Manufacturing

As you can see it makes great business sense to adopt using a customer relationship management tool to grow your business. CRM for manufacturing is no longer optional if you want to stay competitive in the manufacturing industry.

However, remember that any tool you use is only as good as how effectively your team uses it. If you need help integrating your new CRM into your work processes so your team can maximize the benefits shown above then you need to work with an expert. 

If you’re ready to up level your business using your CRM then reach out to us today.

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