Modernizing Commercial Manufacturing Operations with Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud

The Need for Modernization

The manufacturing industry is at a crossroads. Traditional strategies are increasingly proving insufficient in a world driven by digital transformation and data-centric decision-making. Manufacturing executives and IT leaders are grappling with outdated systems, siloed data, and inefficient processes.

To stay competitive, there is a pressing need to modernize commercial operations, optimize supply chains, and enhance customer experiences. Enter Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud — a solution designed to address these industry-specific challenges and propel your business into the future.

Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud: An Overview

Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud is a tailored platform built specifically for the manufacturing industry, providing a comprehensive solution to manage your entire operation from a unified platform. Here are some of its key features:

• Sales Agreements: Manage and track sales agreements with real-time visibility, ensuring alignment between sales and operations.
• Account-Based Forecasting: Generate accurate forecasts based on historical data, current market trends, and customer-specific information.
• Unified Data Model: Integrate data from various sources into a single platform, breaking down silos and providing a 360-degree view of your operations.
• Collaboration Tools: Facilitate seamless communication between teams, suppliers, and customers to improve collaboration and decision-making.
• Advanced Analytics: Leverage AI-driven insights to make data-backed decisions and identify opportunities for growth and efficiency.

Modernizing Commercial Operations

Updating technologies and processes is crucial for making operations more efficient and effective in today’s competitive manufacturing landscape. By embracing modern technologies such as IoT, AI, and cloud computing, manufacturers can gain real-time insights into their production lines, predict maintenance needs, and reduce downtime.

Advanced analytics and machine learning can optimize supply chain management, ensuring that resources are used effectively and waste is minimized. Moreover, automated systems streamline workflows, reduce human errors, and improve overall productivity. Collectively, these technological advancements lead to a more agile, responsive, and cost-effective operation, ensuring that manufacturers can meet customer demands swiftly while maintaining high-quality standards.

Use Case: Centralizing and Modernizing Internal Systems with Salesforce

Global manufacturer modernizes on Salesforce

A recent Apps Associates customer – a global manufacturer of custom microelectronic solutions – was seeking modernization in their manufacturing operations. They were using several disparate systems to manage their marketing, sales, and reporting processes.

Among the top priorities, increasing their forecasting accuracy and leveraging a single source of truth in sales, prospecting, pipeline generation, and quoting was paramount.

The customer opted for Salesforce’s Manufacturing Cloud with CPQ solutions to achieve their goals. Apps Associates implemented a robust Territory Management solution to support their changing hierarchy and sales processes, an essential tool for scaling and modernizing their business.

Additionally, we planned out a technical architecture in Salesforce that would allow for the complexities in their quoting process, delivering a flexible quoting platform that can integrate with order tracking and fulfillment systems. Finally, we built a configurable forecasting tool using Manufacturing Cloud to enable relevant views of their accounts, regions, and products.

With all these enhancements, the company centralized on the Salesforce platform to rely on for accurate, up-to-date information and were set up for success as they scale with integration and customization options.

Benefits of Modernizing Commercial Operations

When you make the decision to modernize your business operations and embark on a digital transformation journey, you can expect several benefits. While this project is no small task, the payoff will speak for itself.

1) Improved Forecasting

Accurate forecasting is critical for manufacturing companies. Forecasting capabilities which combine historical data, market trends, and customer-specific information to deliver precise forecasts leads to better demand planning, optimized inventory levels, and reduced costs.l

2) Faster Decision-Making

In the fast-paced manufacturing industry, timely decision-making is crucial. Taking advantage of advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, like those available in Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud, enables executives to make data-backed decisions quickly. This agility helps businesses adapt to market changes and seize new opportunities.

3) Enhanced Customer Experiences

Customer satisfaction is a key driver of success in manufacturing. You need real-time visibility into sales agreements, order statuses, and customer interactions. This transparency improves communication with customers, fosters trust, and enhances overall satisfaction.

Future Trends in Manufacturing Technology

The manufacturing industry is poised for significant technological advancements in the coming years. Key trends include:

• AI and Machine Learning: Continued integration of AI and machine learning will drive predictive maintenance, quality control, and supply chain optimization.
• IoT and Edge Computing: Enhanced connectivity and real-time data processing will enable smarter manufacturing processes and improved operational efficiency.
• Blockchain: Secure and transparent supply chain management will become increasingly important, with blockchain technology playing a pivotal role.

Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud is at the forefront of these trends, continually evolving to meet the industry’s changing needs.

Conclusion: Embrace the Future of Manufacturing

In conclusion, modernizing commercial operations is not just a choice but a necessity for manufacturing companies aiming to stay competitive. Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud offers a comprehensive solution to address industry-specific challenges, improve efficiency, and enhance customer experiences. By understanding the benefits and following practical steps for integration, manufacturing executives and IT decision-makers can successfully navigate this digital transformation.

Ready to take the next step? Apps Associates, a certified Manufacturing Cloud partner, is here to guide you through the process. Contact us today to explore how Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud can revolutionize your operations and drive your business forward.