Salesforce has waded into the world of manufacturing software systems as it targets new industry verticals and aims to better join customer demand and production with a new cloud-based service.
Manufacturing Cloud, its industry-specific product for manufacturers aims to bring those chalk-and-cheese types from sales and operations teams together around a ‘unified view of market and customer demands to more accurately forecast, plan and drive predictable business performance’.
Typically, customer insights are spread out across spreadsheets and multiple ERP systems, which can negatively affect account performance and ultimately the ability to accurately predict demand.
This results in inventory buildups and warehousing costs, reducing operating margins and negatively impacting revenue.
Salesforce Manufacturing aims to provide a solution that helps users better understand customer needs while improving visibility across the entire value chain.
Its trials are already running with Kawasaki Motors USA – Engines Division, Hitachi Chemical, CF Industries, Mipox, GELITA and more, with the goal to give them a better view of their customers through new sales agreements and account-based forecasting solutions.
“In the manufacturing industry, changing customer and market demands can have a devastating effect on the bottom line, so being able to understand what is happening on the ground is imperative for success,” said Cindy Bolt, SVP and GM, Salesforce Manufacturing.
“Manufacturing Cloud bridges the gap between sales and operations teams while ensuring more predictive and transparent business, so they can build deeper and more trusted relationships with their customers.”
There’s a demo here, with Einstein Analytics for Manufacturing and Community Cloud for Manufacturing set for general availability in October, 2019.
