CRM is often the forgotten element in the road to manufacturing profits. CRM stands for customer relationship management. It’s a method of building relationships with customers that leads to sales. It involves communications, sales, marketing, customer service, and all other interactions with customers.

Manufacturing today is all about customers. It’s about producing goods based on customer demands. “Make it and they will come” is no longer an option. Understanding your customers, using CRM in manufacturing, is a critical part of the sales and marketing process that is often overlooked.

CRM in Manufacturing Different from Other Industries

One thing that often stops manufacturers from adopting CRM systems is the perception—and rightly so—that manufacturing CRM differs significantly from other industries. But, just because something is different doesn’t mean it isn’t as well thought out as others.

Manufacturers who wish to begin using CRM in their business operations should start with the basics:

Who are our customers? Identify and define the customers for your business. More importantly, think through and identify the motivating factors that lead them to make a purchasing decision. In other words, what makes them buy?

How do they buy? What is their preferred method to purchase your goods? They may like to order from a personal representative, purchase a repeat item over the phone, or use an e-commerce system to reorder from you. With CRM in manufacturing, it’s also important to note procurement processes which may differ among your customers.

How do they learn about new products? How customers learn about new products gives you insights into where to market to them. It can be challenging for manufacturing marketing and sales departments to target their market efforts to productive channels. Understanding where and how people obtain their information can make a big impact on their efforts.

The last question isn’t something you can easily quantify, but it's probably the most important question of all. Try to determine how you can build customer loyalty or become an indispensable partner to your customer’s business. What do they need from your business the most? Accurate orders, just in time delivery, custom manufacturing, overnight delivery? The more you can make yourself indispensable to your customers, the more business you will get.

ERP and CRM, a Happy Combination

Adding a CRM system to your current ERP makes great sense. The combination of customer data and operational data can make a big impact on your business.

SYSPRO offers a customer relationship management add-on that builds a powerful system of integrated software to reach your customers. The combination of CRM and ERP data can boost customer satisfaction and service, leading to the all-important customer retention and repeat sales.

CRM for SYSPRO helps all departments work from the same set of information. Manage billing, create forecasts, and enable your production team to build more accurate schedules, thanks to the data found within your SYSPRO system.

With CRM for SYSPRO you can always have access to your system, no matter where you are. You can use a smartphone, tablet, or computer. It’s a cloud-based system that enables great scalability and flexibility.

Other benefits of CRM for SYSPRO include:

• Your choice of on-premises or cloud hosted deployment or a hybrid.
• Group security and security by user role.
• Responsive HTML to adjust to your device.
• Microsoft SQL and standard APIs.
• Flexibility to scale to new business or business opportunities.

CRM for SYSPRO also includes great capacity for customer service, automated workflow processes, sales and marketing opportunities and more.

CRM in manufacturing is indeed different from other industries. But with the right CRM, you can make a difference in your sales efforts. If you give sales and marketing the same attention that you probably give to your manufacturing processes, you can be more profitable. A CRM system like CRM for SYSPRO can be that difference that improves profits.

PositiveVision

For more information on SYSPRO ERP, visit PositiveVision. PositiveVision provides consulting and services to manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution companies. SYSPRO automates many business processes and can help you improve communications with customers, among other benefits. With the right data, you can better manage your business. Learn more on our website or contact us today.