The 6 Best CRMs for Manufacturing Companies

Salesforce is one of the most popular and comprehensive CRMs in the world. While it’s most suited to larger enterprises, it can be used by manufacturing operations of any size. Its customizability means it can be adjusted to suit any business requirement or process. In fact, it may at times be too customizable for those who’d prefer a CRM with prebuilt tools and solutions.

Salesforce’s sales forecasting tool gives you a complete view of your entire pipeline. You can track which products your team needs to manufacture most often, and see forecasts for even complex sales teams. Salesforce’s mobile app shows a clear view of your feed so you’re always up to date. The sales console is a dashboard-like interface that allows sales agents to follow up on a lead, identify key contacts, and assess companies.

HubSpot provides an easy-to-use and customizable platform. With no steep learning curve, this is a great choice for those who don’t want to spend a long time training or getting to grips with a new system. You can track emails with HubSpot, so you can follow up at the right time to close deals quickly and efficiently. This tracking data feeds into your pipeline, providing actionable insights. These insights can be used to accurately determine quantities and pricing.

Automation means you can spend less time on admin tasks, and HubSpot offers a mobile app that keeps you updated in real time even when not at your desk. However, some users have reported that the app lacks functionality.

HubSpot has recently expanded its footprint to include Ontario, Canada, where it seeks to establish itself among the country’s fast-growing tech industry. The software is scalable, so you can develop it alongside your growing business.

Zoho is a user-friendly CRM that offers customization, so you can amend the system to cater to custom requirements, order quantities and accurate forecasting. The Zoho mobile app means you can use the CRM on the go, increasing efficiency and productivity. You don’t need to be tied to your desk to get important tasks done.

The ability to automate tasks means your teams don’t need to spend lots of time on mundane or repetitive work, so sales and processes can move along much quicker. As well as automation, you can also set up SLAs and checklists to set a standard for your business and customers. Customer profiles can be customized to fit your exact requirements, making it easier for you to organize and locate customer information.

Zendesk Sell is a simple platform focused on offering great sales tools. The integrated tools on the platform mean sales agents are able to capitalize on relevant opportunities. With Zendesk, data is captured automatically so sales and customer service teams can stay up to date.

Its sales pipeline is clear and priorities are easy to identify. You’ll be able to organize your teams, and each agent can clearly see their most important tasks. This makes it easier for you to accurately plan for orders, quantities and deadlines. It can also help you build accurate forecasts to plan for the future and keep an eye on upcoming trends.

The Zendesk mobile app lets you close deals, follow up on tasks, and carry out actions on the go. This gives your teams the flexibility to get urgent work done.

You can also integrate third-party apps such as Mailchimp or PandaDoc, or build your own apps through Zendesk. Meanwhile, Zendesk’s insightful analytics help you view your data at a greater depth. You’ll have the option of choosing a prebuilt dashboard or creating your own reports easily with click and point tools.

Keap caters to small manufacturing businesses and provides all the necessary features of a CRM. Keap can forecast revenue, giving you better financial insight and allowing you to plan more accurately for the future. Forecasting is key for manufacturing businesses, and having a CRM that does this for you makes it easier to increase productivity and revenue. Its sales pipeline contains several features for viewing, accessing, and carrying out actions based on the pipeline.

You can automate sales by triggering actions based on pipeline activity, assign specific tasks to team members, and see various reports related to sales activities. Keap provides one comprehensive platform for lead capturing, customer data management, email campaigns, calendar bookings, invoicing and payments.

Keap doesn’t have social media interactions, which can be an issue if you have a heavy social media presence. Despite offering various reports, none of them are very detailed – so if you’re in need of more in-depth insights, you might run into some obstacles with this CRM.