Manufacturing is the backbone for any country’s economy and it makes a significant difference in its employment, GDP, import & export etc. The manufacturing industry has evolved greatly over the last few decades and technology played the role of a major catalyst for change. Despite the advancements, the challenges in the manufacturing industry continue to exist.
However, there are ways by which manufacturing businesses can leverage the latest technology advancement to face these challenges.
Let’s see the challenges faced by manufacturers and how a CRM can resolve those.
Challenges faced by manufacturing companies
Poor Project management
To bring forth products to market, manufacturers must stick on to tight schedules and timelines. In the manufacturing industry, all projects are cost, quality and time sensitive and it is hence rigid and tightly controlled. Manufacturers who miss out deadline risk losing out millions in potential profit and revenue. Such tight control implies less ability to focus on
Such tight control means less ability to focus on project management like updating scope and making adjustments as the project advances.
Not only most projects require a design commitment in the early phase, but there would also be little flexibility to adjust if any requirement change comes in. That can be quite frustrating for a manufacturing team to produce the best products when handcuffed by deadline constraints.
Outdated Marketing Strategies
Conventional marketing efforts for manufacturers are proving less effective than in the past. Trade publications and cold calls no more work like they used to. In the digital era, manufacturers need to do more than putting up a website and hope that prospects will be drawn towards it. Manufacturers need to make a constant effort to be position themselves as experts and be found organically through online searches. They have to invest in tactics and inbound marketing and implement robust marketing strategies to generate sales qualified leads.
Lack of better Customer service
With manufacturing businesses focusing on delivery and quality of products to maximize revenue and profit, customer service often falls by the way side. Customers who want to obtain any information must make a phone call to the company, which is a frustrating task for customers of the modern age. A manufacturing business’s customer base typically consists or service providers, end-customers, subcontractors or a combination of all these. They have different requirements, a concern when interacting with manufacturers. This raises a concern when manufacturers are unable to offer the best customer experience possible.
