The 6 Best CRMs For Manufacturers In 2023

CRM refers to “customer relationship management” and this concept has an entire market of technologies centered around enhancing management capabilities. CRM tools are a crucial part of business processes for many companies, and as such, platforms that develop and market these tools aim to provide products and services that target specific industries. 

While general CRM platforms exist in impressive numbers, industry-specific CRMS are a bit more few and far between. Despite the fact that there aren’t as many options to choose from when it comes to CRM tools for your unique business, there are still quite a few products worth considering. 

If you work in manufacturing, read on to learn more about the best CRM options that cater to business processes in your industry. We’ll cover a few features your CRM platform should definitely include, the benefits of using a CRM system, and we’ll go over six CRM platforms you might want to look into further if you want to streamline your manufacturing processes.

Must-Have CRM Features

Every CRM platform should be user-friendly and come with tools and features that are easy to master, because if the learning curve is too steep, employees won’t use the platform (or they’ll make costly mistakes when trying to figure it out). A CRM service should be customizable, scalable, and multi-functional as well. This way, once everyone on your team knows how to use the tools on the platform, the service can grow with your company, handle functions from various departments, and streamline various tasks for your marketing and sales teams.

In addition to those basic features that every CRM platform should have, here are a few more must-haves when it comes to implementing CRM technology in the manufacturing industry.

• Task Management: Manufacturing companies handle a wide array of tasks throughout any point of the business day, and the ability to view company-wide tasks in one convenient location is a must. CRM systems should include this feature so that sales teams and business managers have an easy way to monitor workplace processes.
  

• Automated Data Capturing: Data entry is time-consuming, so a CRM with automated data collecting features is definitely a plus. Automation capabilities vary between CRM platforms, so finding one that handles these tasks without hassling team members can be immensely valuable.
  

• Marketing Automation Integration: The ability to integrate CRM tools with marketing platforms should be a feature your future CRM application includes. Going back and forth between platforms wastes a great deal of time and increases the risk of making errors in data entry, so having a tool that automatically integrates important applications should be a big selling point.
  

• Contact Management: Manufacturing companies have hundreds, if not thousands of contacts to keep track of, and if a CRM platform handles this element for you, it can save a lot of time and effort. Not only do some CRMs record contact information automatically, but they also organize these contacts into categories that make them easier to manage.
  

• Sales Funnel Stages: Knowing where your customers and potential customers lie in your sales funnel can better shape the way you interact with them. A CRM platform that doesn’t let your leads and customers fall through the cracks is a platform that will likely help your company strengthen its customer relationships.
  

• Reporting: Collecting and analyzing the right datasets enables CRM platforms to provide business leaders with remarkable insights they can use to enhance their business processes. Make sure that reporting tools come with your future CRM platform.

Benefits of CRMs

Technology is always developing, and in today’s world, failing to keep up with technological innovations is a mistake. Business leaders should make an effort to learn about new tools that aim to enhance work performance in their given industry. Plenty of smart business owners are investing valuable time in learning about the capabilities of CRM, and in doing so, they’re building a strong edge over their competitors.

Understanding CRM and taking advantage of the opportunities this technology brings not only improves business performance, but it provinces the following benefits as well.

• Customer Service & Retention: Very few customers and vendors will want to stick around when a company they work with exhibits poor customer service. Supporting your customers and maintaining excellent relationships with them is one of many benefits that come from using a CRM platform.
  

• Information Databases: A company is only as good as the information it keeps. A CRM system can not only collect important information, but will also organize it so that it’s easy to access any time it’s needed in the future.
  

• Informative Sales Reports: Sales reports that include the right data can highlight customer behaviors and buying habits that business leaders can use to add value to the marketing and advertising decisions they make for the company.
  

• Increased Sales: Excellent organization capabilities and effective customer service enhancements are both features that can come with using the right CRM. When combined correctly, enhancing these elements can lead to higher revenue, more sales, and greater customer satisfaction.
  

• Productivity & Efficiency: The ability to automate various tasks that need to be completed in manufacturing processes can help to free employees so that they’re able to work on more engaging, important tasks. Not only will the reduction of tedious work help keep them engaged, but it will also improve productivity and workplace efficiency.

6 Best CRMs for Manufacturers

Manufacturing is a unique industry with an array of moving parts. At any given time, manufacturers are performing a series of complicated tasks in which each element needs to be handled correctly in order to generate success. The right CRM platform stands to simplify business processes, shed light on ways that teams can enhance customer relations, and provide cost-saving techniques that not only reduce financial strain but improve production quality as well.

Let’s explore six of the best CRMs for manufacturers. By going over the offerings that come with each product, manufacturing professionals will have the information they need to research their options more thoroughly. Our aim is to provide a reasonable place to start exploring your options so that you’re not wasting time looking at products that don’t meet the needs of manufacturing companies. 

1- Hubspot

Hubspot has been a big name in the business market for years, as it is constantly developing new ways to streamline work for busy companies. The contributions Hubspot has made in the manufacturing market are no exception, as Hubspot CRM is often viewed as one of the best platforms for manufacturers. In fact, we offer Hubspot Partner Onboarding to our manufacturing clients as it is our preferred CRM of choice.

Hubspot offers easy data integration, permission management across various departments, robust data analysis, and reporting capabilities that work to support various business decisions.

This CRM platform is fully customizable and allows manufacturing companies to create objects, tasks, and processes that fit the business and the processes that take place therein. On top of ensuring that each business process has the tools needed to yield optimal results, Hubspot’s CRM platform also simplifies partner, vendor, and customer management regardless of where these unique relationships are in the company pipeline.

Though Hubspot’s service comes with a library of useful resources that business leaders can use to enhance the experience of learning the new system, the service also offers stellar customer support.

2- Salesforce

Salesforce is a popular CRM because it consistently offers exceptional features that manufacturers can use even at a distance. Salesforce has a cloud-based system of features that can be accessed from anywhere, so even when users are working remotely, they’re never without support. 

This platform is ideal for midsized companies, and it’s often viewed as one of the easiest CRMs to use. Like Hubspot, Salesforce is incredibly customizable, so no matter which unique manufacturing processes need to be monitored and enhanced, Salesforce can take things to the next level. 

Furthermore, Salesforce has a free version that businesses can use to enable basic tools and features. While the free product likely won’t be enough for manufacturing businesses, it allows users to get a preview of the services and features they’ll take advantage of with a premium subscription.

3- Zoho

Zoho is a good option for manufacturing CRM software for leaders that want to utilize a set of simple tools for managing inventory and customer accounts. This single platform can provide those services and enhance business processes with easy-to-use tool offerings as well. Such features include price quotes, delivery tools, and basic account management items. The platform also includes selling tools that simplify marketing and selling goods and services. 

This platform, though useful for simple CRM tasks, is not as customizable as its bigger-name competitors like Hubspot and Salesforce. 

4- Netsuite

Netsuite’s platform includes a variety of applications and features that simplify business management. It works to automate many business practices and the applications included handle account management, order processing, product production, inventory management, and warehouse operations. 

With options that meet the needs of any business size, manufacturing companies can hardly go wrong with Netsuite given the cloud-based. Easy-to-implement features the platform offers. Furthermore, this platform aims to support and enhance business processes during any part of the company’s journey. Whether you’ve developed a manufacturing start-up or your company is growing exponentially, the CRM tools available through Netsuite are sure to be beneficial.

5- Zendesk

Zendesk’s CRM application allows manufacturers to manage sales, monitor and nurture leads, and engage with customers to improve B2C relationships. It comes with self-service options and includes a sales automation tool that effortlessly integrates business channel management processes. 

The lead management feature enables the sales team to collect, organize, and track potential customers no matter where they are in the conversion funnel. Lead collection can be done via other marketing platforms, websites, spreadsheets, and other datasets as well, which makes importing information easier to handle. Additionally, Zendesk comes with robust sales reporting features that help teams to monitor goals, determine sales quotas, and set specific tasks for each team member involved.

Zendesk works on iOS, Android, and Windows, and integrates with MailChimp for manufacturers who already utilize this service.

6- SugarCRM

SugarCRM’s features are cloud-based (but the platform offers on-premises options as well) and the tools within the application help manufacturers automate sales, marketing tasks, account management, and CRM processes. It’s relatively customizable, is easy to implement for new users, and offers downloadable plug-ins that aim to further customize user experiences. 

This platform also integrates with several other systems and has built-in tools that enable users to create new modules that fit their company’s unique business needs.

Sugar CRM works on both Windows and Mac computers and supports Windows, Linux, SQL Server, MySQL, and Oracle systems. 

Wrapping It Up

If you’re a manufacturing professional and you’re looking for effective ways to grow your business so that you can foster greater success for your team, a CRM is worth considering. These platforms offer an array of tools and programs that simplify the various tasks that need to be completed in the workplace. They make organization, data analysis, and customer satisfaction easier to monitor. As such, a CRM takes so much of the challenging aspects of manufacturing off employees’ plates. 

Plenty of manufacturing companies are using technology to climb to the next level of their company’s growth and if you want to keep up with competitors in your industry, looking into a CRM is of utmost importance. If you have any further questions on choosing a CRM that’s best for your company, you can reach out to us here and we’ll be happy to help!