Why Are Manufacturers Using CRM Systems?

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruption, and other global events, manufacturers have discovered the importance of superior customer and partner experience for the industry. It’s not just about what the product is and whether it’s delivered—it’s about how the product is delivered, from the first touchpoint to post-delivery conversations. While ERP solutions are quite handy for managing the “who, what, when, and where” of manufacturing, CRM software has the capacity to handle the more interpersonal “how and why.”  

Manufacturing companies rely on CRM systems’ forecasting, lead conversion, and sales satisfaction features to make every part of the process run smoothly both internally and externally.  

Why Is Salesforce a Popular CRM?

Lauded as the #1 CRM in the world, Salesforce is a powerhouse for customer-centric organizations across any industry imaginable. The reason for its popularity? Salesforce is a highly flexible platform that welcomes customization in all shapes and sizes. With an open API and a large developer community, Salesforce has proven popular among businesses from all different industries. 

For manufacturing companies, this means it’s easy to tailor a Salesforce CRM solution with all the bells and whistles necessary for your everyday operations. Of course, you can’t start customizing without a baseline. Let’s explore which options might fit your manufacturing business. 

What’s Included in Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud?

Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud is a CRM built specifically for enterprise-level manufacturing companies to use out of the box. Its key features include: 

• Forecasting for demand and production 
• Sales agreements 
• Prebuilt data models such as objects, processes, and frameworks 
• Embedded dashboard templates 
• Workflow automation 

Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud comes in three versions—one based around Salesforce Sales Cloud, another based around Salesforce Service Cloud, and the final including features from both. 

How is Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud Different than Salesforce Sales and Service Cloud?

Salesforce Sales Cloud and Salesforce Service Cloud are two sides of the same coin—broad CRM software that can be used out of the box but performs best when tailored to fit your unique business with custom integrations and features. Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud is just as flexible as the other Salesforce solutions when it comes to customization, but because it was designed for the manufacturing industry, it will largely be tailored to your business out of the box and require much less configuration and customization. 

One important consideration is your budget for a CRM. Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud might seem like the better option, but it is built for large organizations—and priced for them, too. Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud for Sales costs more per user per month than the Unlimited tier of Salesforce Sales Cloud. While this price does include the manufacturing data model and forecasting and sales agreement features, it may be out of reach for small and mid-sized manufacturers to pay. 

Can I Use Salesforce Sales or Service Cloud for Manufacturing?

Salesforce tools are designed to support the sales organization—if that’s your primary goal, you can find success using Salesforce sales solutions rather than manufacturing-specific software. 

While Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud has all the bells and whistles enterprise manufacturers love, it may not be a good fit for smaller companies with stricter budgets. However, with Salesforce Sales Cloud or Salesforce Service Cloud, small and mid-size manufacturers can increase their operational efficiency and improve customer experience.  

Sales Cloud and Service Cloud set a solid foundation of CRM capabilities for any business, while more niche modules can either be purchased on AppExchange or developed by one of Salesforce’s developer community members.  

So, if Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud isn’t a good choice for your budget, don’t despair! You can still achieve your goals with another Salesforce solution and the right partner to help you develop the software and scale over time.