Integration between front office systems like customer relationship management (CRM) and back office systems like enterprise resource planning (ERP) provides tremendous value to manufacturers—uniting customer data with operational data can connect the dots between the customer who makes an order and the processes of delivering on that order, from initial contact to production, movement through the supply chain, invoicing, payment, and delivery. In the digital era, that type of insight is critical. Still, historically, manufacturers have seen their CRM and ERP systems have only minimal integration at best, with partially shared data often delivered through manual requests or cumbersome interfaces.
When data from an organization’s CRM and ERP isn’t unified on a common platform, response times are slower, duplicate data is more likely, and it’s more difficult to track and meet customer needs. For example, sales teams wouldn’t be able to accurately inform customers about what they can offer, and it’s harder for production to deliver on promises made. The lack of visibility makes it difficult to plan and adjust on the fly. All these challenges come as customer experience expectations are as high as ever.
Real-World Examples of Unifying CRM and ERP on a Single Platform
Unifying CRM and ERP allows manufacturers to match digital-era expectations. For example, one industrial equipment manufacturer implemented a unified CRM and ERP on Salesforce, leveraging Rootstock Cloud ERP, to gain greater visibility into its processes from sales orders to production. Now, when an equipment dealer places an order, operations can quickly see the demand and adjust their production schedules, then track the delivery. This is done without duplicate data, and the information is automatically reconciled across systems.
Integrated sales and ERP data also benefits field service teams. A machine manufacturer adopted Rootstock Manufacturing Cloud ERP after facing challenges around inventory accuracy. With a unified CRM and ERP approach, they are finding better inventory accuracy to match customer orders and better supply chain management. Overall, inventory shortages have decreased by 70% for the manufacturer, and it is now achieving nearly 100% on-time delivery.
These examples illustrate the value of unified CRM and ERP data, but how do manufacturers still living with siloes get to that point? It begins with adopting a platform approach that aims to eliminate gaps and cumbersome integration points between critical systems. A platform approach is typically cloud-based, enabling seamless data sharing and team collaboration across the enterprise.
What This Means for ERP Insiders
Adopt a customer-centric approach. With customer expectations increasingly heightened in the digital business era, it’s important to consider how your systems and processes align with those expectations.
Take stock of your CRM and ERP data. If your data flows aren’t optimizing your workflows, then you are likely facing information delays that lead to inventory issues, slowed production, and ultimately customer dissatisfaction. Determine if a platform approach might meet the data and workflow needs of your organization.
Explore the benefits of a unified platform. Manufacturers with siloed systems are likely incurring significant expenses on custom connectors, middleware, and manual reconciliation. When assessing the potential value of a platform that offers both CRM and ERP solutions, consider how removing those expenses while potentially improving data visibility could provide return on investment.
