The manufacturing industry has been slow to adopt changes to its operations. Many are still holding onto older processes that could easily be streamlined with the implementation of the Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud.
Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud was launched in late 2019 with the intention of introducing a modernized way for manufacturers to have a comprehensive view of their entire operations. This would allow businesses to connect disparate departments together to gain insights that could be used to better understand—not only the company—but market changes and the ability to react quickly to them. Here are 5 benefits you can achieve by transitioning to automated processes.
1. Manufacturers can better meet commitments and run a more streamlined business
The Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud allows companies to connect disparate departments together. By connecting Sales and Operations, businesses can instantaneously and automatically submit sales orders into a unified system that are then sent straight to fulfillment.
Eliminating extra manual steps removes the possibility of human error, which can be costly. We’ve all heard stories of how entering a simple, extra zero in a fulfillment order, can cost a company thousands of dollars. Automating and connecting the process creates reliable data for Sales and Operations to work together.
2. Create accurate business predictions
Instant access to reporting provides information on product performance that can be invaluable. These insights give businesses information about what products are selling best and which are underperforming. Manufacturers can use these insights to identify trends and better predict where resources should be allocated. If there are high return rates on a certain product, having a connected system gives a manufacturer instant knowledge of the problem. This allows them to address issues quickly instead of costly production problems continuing indefinitely.
3. Manage inventory appropriately
Manufacturers often create a designated amount of product to meet the estimated demand. The ability to accurately track customer demand not only assures that you aren’t creating a surplus of product, but also able to meet customer needs. Without a 360-degree view of your operations you can easily over or under produce. If you create too much of something without the demand, you’re going to lose money. If you are out of stock, customers will be disappointed and may move on to a competitor. There is definitely a balance that must occur and Salesforce can help hit that sweet spot of just enough stock on hand.
4. Update contracts instantly
Separate updates to client agreements coming from various parties can create version-control chaos. With an automated digital process for contract management, any changes to existing agreements can be made instantly and accessed by all. Having a single source of truth ensures that your operations are all unified, legal liability is diminished, and departments are executing to the same specifications.
5. Track leads and improve conversion rates
Implementing an automated system that tracks leads through the sales process gives greater insights to businesses about what is successful and where there is room for improvement. A company can then better understand what type of sales strategies work with prospective customers.
Any attrition in the sales journey can be identified and trigger an alert so manufacturers can find out what is happening at that point in the process. Once the problem is identified, sales teams can adjust so that prospects don’t fall out of the pipeline at that point any more. Ultimately this leads to more sales and adds revenue to the bottom line.
Summary
The implementation of Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud into your operations can create efficiencies up and down the organization. While many manufacturers have been cautious about adopting new technologies, and protective of their long-standing processes, there is a real business benefit to deploying this technology across the organization.
Manual processes are time consuming and often lead to errors that can be costly. Transitioning to an automated system that delivers information in real time is far more reliable and accurate. Adopting Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud helps companies stay competitive and is a real game changer for the manufacturing industry.