Top 10 CRM Software for Industrial and Manufacturing Sales Teams: The Ultimate Guide

Choosing the best CRM for manufacturing companies has now become essential due to the competitive nature of the manufacturing industry. In view of the changing nature of the business-to-business buyer’s journey, choosing the top CRM software for the B2B manufacturing industry is crucial. But before analysing the industrial sales CRM pricing and making a choice to buy the CRM for the manufacturing industry, it is important to understand the role of CRM in dealing with the challenges in the industrial supply chain.

A well-chosen Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system will be the means through which successful generation of high-end business-to-business leads can be transformed into long-lasting contracts.

Why Standard CRMs Fail Manufacturing Businesses

Most standard, off-the-shelf CRMs are designed for transactional B2C transactions or simple B2B SaaS sales. When dropped into an industrial setting, they frequently fail.

The B2B manufacturing sales process is highly complex, often involving multi-year sales cycles, multiple stakeholders (engineers, procurement officers, and C-suite executives), and complex bidding processes. Standard CRM systems do not work for manufacturers because they don’t have:

• CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) Integration: Sales processes in the industrial sector involve highly customized quotes that need to take into account the cost of raw materials, volume discounts, and hours of custom engineering work. Standard CRMs cannot handle these dynamic pricing matrices.
• Distributor and OEM Tracking: Manufacturers rarely sell directly to the end-user. Standard CRMs struggle to track the relationship between the manufacturer, distributors, dealers, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
• Long-Term Contract Management: Industrial sales are built on recurring, scheduled shipments over years. Generic CRMs are built for one-off deals and fail to track long-term run-rate business.

Based on industrial studies, more than 58% of firms have complained about generic CRM applications not fulfilling their sales management needs because of inadequate industry customization.

CRM vs ERP for Manufacturers: Understanding the Difference

Before making a decision about which software to use, it is essential to understand the differences between ERP and CRM.

MANUFACTURING TECH STACK
CRM (Front-Office)	ERP (Back-Office)
• Lead Generation & Nurturing	• Production Scheduling
• Pipeline & Opportunity Tracking	• Inventory & Supply Chain
• Distributor & OEM Management	• Billing, Invoicing & Logistics

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is front-office software that deals with the management of relationships, sales process management, marketing, and customer services.

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is back-office software that deals with production scheduling, inventory, bill of materials (BOM), shipping and accounting.

Though an ERP gives an indication of what you can manufacture and deliver, a CRM gives information about whom to sell to, what they need, and how to win their business. For optimal performance, both of these systems need to be integrated.

Key CRM Features for B2B Industrial Sales

When doing research on how to choose a CRM for industrial sales, one should focus on the features that fit the more complicated business-to-business environment. A good manufacturing CRM must have the following:

1. Run-Rate Agreement Management: The ability to create a precise multi-item quote with engineering specifications directly from the sales dashboard.
2. Advanced CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote): The capability to produce an exact multi-item quote with custom engineering requirements right from the dashboard of sales.
3. Dealer and Partner Portals: Web portals that provide distributors the ability to log lead information, quote requests, and marketing collateral.
4. Territory and Lead Management: Automatic routing of leads for industrial segments to the appropriate regional salesperson or distributor network.
5. Mobile Accessibility for Field Sales: Manufacturing salespeople spend a lot of their time at plants and construction sites. Thus, a good mobile CRM is required.

Top 10 CRM Software for Industrial and Manufacturing Sales Teams

Here is a curated list of the top 10 CRM platforms designed to handle the unique demands of the B2B manufacturing sales process.

1. Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud

• Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud is one of the best solutions with sales and operations, featuring elements like run rate agreement tracking, account forecasting, and an industrial machinery service console for industries like automotive and aerospace.
• Best For: Large enterprise manufacturing organizations with high customization needs.
• Key Feature: Account Forecasting.

2. Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Manufacturing

Dynamics 365 includes features compatible with Microsoft’s ERP solutions (Finance & Operations), including live analytics for manufacturing sales scheduling, asset management, and field services information through IoT.

• Best For: Organizations that use Microsoft’s software solutions.
• Key Feature: Azure IoT and ERP integration.

3. HubSpot CRM (Customized for B2B Manufacturing)

HubSpot is a general-purpose CRM, but both Sales Hub and Operations Hub can be highly customized for mid-market manufacturers. It is packed with tools for content marketing, lead nurturing and can even connect digital marketing and sales funnels together.

• Best For: Mid-market manufacturers interested in inbound leads.
• Key Feature: Excellent marketing automation and pipeline visibility.

4. Zoho CRM for Manufacturing

Zoho CRM is software that offers a special vertical solution for the manufacturing industry. This software possesses excellent inventory management, vendor management, and multi-channel communication systems that operate at a reasonable cost.

• Best For: Manufacturers who want high levels of customization without investing heavily.
• Key Feature: Custom blueprints for the sales automation process.

5. Creatio (Studio & CRM)

Creatio is a low-code development platform where one can create customized workflows of selling, marketing, and servicing without extensive coding knowledge. It is perfect for aligning complex internal operational processes.

• Best For: Manufacturers with highly unique, proprietary sales processes.
• Key Feature: No-code process designer.

6. Propel CRM

Propel is built using Salesforce native technology and is the only tool that combines PLM, QMS, and CRM functionalities. This makes it possible for sales personnel to know precisely which product modifications are ongoing.

• Best For: High-tech, medical devices, and complex electronics manufacturing companies.
• Key Feature: Data Flow from PLM to CRM.

7. Infor CRM

Infor is a legacy name in industrial manufacturing ERPs. Its standalone CRM is built specifically to integrate with Infor’s suite of manufacturing ERPs, offering deep visibility into back-office supply chains.

• Best For: Heavy industrial manufacturers using Infor ERP systems.
• Key Feature: Built-in integration with Infor CloudSuite ERP.

8. SugarCRM

 

SugarCRM is highly flexible in its deployment options, which include on-premises, private cloud, and public cloud deployments. SugarCRM’s “no-touch” information gathering makes it simple for field salespeople to modify information easily.

• Best For: Manufacturing organizations needing tight data security or an on-premises deployment.
• Key Feature: Flexible deployment architecture.

9. Pipeline CRM

Pipeline CRM is a highly visual and user-friendly CRM for industrial sales teams looking for a straightforward solution without too much complicated software. It puts a heavy emphasis on deal management, sales forecasts, and basic contact management.

• Best For: Small manufacturers moving from Excel to their first CRM system.
• Key Feature: High-adoption, intuitive interface.

10. Oracle NetSuite CRM

For manufacturers operating on NetSuite ERP, NetSuite CRM is a natural choice. It provides a continuous flow of information from lead generation through opportunity, quote, order, manufacture, and payment.

• Best For: Mid-size to enterprise-level manufacturing firms that use NetSuite as their ERP.
• Key Feature: Real-time visibility throughout the order-to-cash cycle.

Integrating CRM with Manufacturing ERP: The Ultimate Growth Engine

Unlocking the full potential of your CRM requires its ability to communicate with your ERP system, thus bridging the gap between sales and production capacities.

CRM SYSTEM (Sales & Leads)	⇄ Real-Time Data Sync	ERP SYSTEM (Production & Inventory)
↓ CRM Benefits Accurate Quotes Order History Customer Insights	Data Flow	↓ ERP Benefits Demand Forecasting Lead Time Accuracy Inventory Readiness

The moment the sales representative closes a sale in the CRM, the system should automatically schedule production through the ERP. However, in case of production delays, it is important for the ERP to send notifications to the CRM so that the sales representative can manage the expectations of the customers.

According to a report on manufacturing systems integration, firms that have an integrated CRM and ERP system see their order-to-delivery lead time reduced by 32%, and customer retention improved by 25%.

How CRM Improves Lead Conversion Rate

CRM integration not only helps in managing contacts but also helps you achieve your lead conversion rate optimization in the following ways:

• Automatic Lead Nurturing: Buyers do not buy from you right away. The CRM allows you to automatically send follow-up emails, technical sheets, case studies, and documentation to stay on top of their minds.
• Speed Up Response Times: In industrial sales, the company that provides its quote faster and correctly wins the deal 60% of the time. CRMs equipped with CPQ solutions make quote generation much faster and cut it down from days to minutes.
• Data-Driven Sales Strategy: With pipeline analytics available, sales managers will be able to spot where the sales funnel gets clogged and know what marketing channels provide the most valuable contracts.

Maximize Your Manufacturing Sales Pipeline with ShoutnHike

Choosing and setting up the perfect CRM is only half the battle. If you want to fill up your sales funnel, you require a consistent flow of quality and qualified B2B industrial leads.

ShoutnHike is a leading digital marketing company in Ahmedabad, India, that provides services for manufacturers to help them grow. Not only do we provide traffic, but we also help our clients to integrate their SEO, PPC, and content marketing strategies into their CRM.

We help in creating lead routing processes that are automated, website integration with CRM, and data-driven marketing approaches that help your business to grow.

Are you ready to boost your industrial sales?

Contact ShoutnHike Today for a free consultation and find out how we can integrate your digital marketing efforts with your industrial sales process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a manufacturing CRM?

A manufacturing CRM is specialised customer relationship management software designed for the industrial sector. Unlike generic CRMs, it includes features for long B2B sales cycles, distributor network tracking, Configure-Price-Quote (CPQ) systems, run-rate agreements, and native integrations with manufacturing ERP software to align sales pipelines with actual factory production capacity.

How do I select a CRM for industrial sales?

If you are looking to select the appropriate CRM for industrial sales, you must look for a platform that is capable of dealing with complicated pricing management (CPQ), multi-level distributor networks, and long-term contract forecasting. It should integrate seamlessly with your ERP system and have mobility support as well.

What is the difference between CRM and ERP in manufacturing?

CRM refers to software that controls the front-office activities like marketing leads, sales processes, and customer relationships. ERP refers to software that controls the back-office activities like inventory management, production, and accounting. Integration of the two will ensure that sales teams have up-to-date information on production and delivery time.

How does a CRM help increase the lead conversion rate in manufacturing?

The CRM helps to increase the lead conversion rate in manufacturing through automated follow-ups with technical information within long sales cycles, through accelerated quote generation using CPQ tools, and not forgetting that no lead is ever dropped.