The manufacturing industry faces major challenges: digitization, efficiency improvements and the need to become more customer-centric. During the roundtable session, we discussed how companies can get a grip on their growth by connecting data and breaking silos. The session took place at an inspiring location - namely the Louwman museum in The Hague - where industry experts shared insights on data integration, CRM optimization and marketing strategies.
Data & integrations
A common challenge within the manufacturing industry is the alignment between ERP and CRM systems. Participants discussed what information should be managed where and how to get the right insights. Data silos remain an obstacle, and the question was raised of who within an organization is responsible for breaking them. Several companies indicated that they keep this within the business department, while others invest in multidisciplinary teams to solve the problem structurally.
In addition, the role of middleware was discussed as a solution to make systems work together more efficiently. There are organizations that are already deploying middleware solutions to make data accessible to sales and marketing, while others are still working on direct links between CRM and ERP without intermediate layers.
The link between service & maintenance and CRM was also discussed, examining how this integration can contribute to a more efficient customer approach and better utilization of maintenance contracts.
Marketing
International marketing challenges play a major role in the manufacturing industry. Making the right choices between countries and audiences is crucial to making an impact. Another important topic was the use of smart content within marketing campaigns and the question of to what extent this actually increases conversion. Although there are no hard numbers yet, it was recognized that smart content works well depending on the business and strategy.
A recurring pain point was keeping CRM data up-to-date. It was discussed which teams should be responsible for this and how dashboards and automated processes can help ensure data quality. The importance of periodic monitoring, for example through hygiene dashboards or by having sales and marketing work together on clean data, was also highlighted.
Data enrichment & lead scoring
Various data enrichment tools were discussed, with varying experiences with platforms such as Dealfront, HubSpot Breeze and D&B. Some tools add a lot of value, while others are still under development or appear less suitable for specific needs.
Lead scoring was seen as very valuable by some organizations, while others indicated that they are already satisfied when leads come in at all. This highlights that lead scoring is especially useful in markets where many leads are generated and selection is needed.
Conclusion
The roundtable session made it clear that data integration, marketing automation and CRM optimization remain essential topics within the manufacturing industry. Companies are looking for ways to leverage their customer data more efficiently and better align marketing strategies with international markets. With the right technology and a clear strategy, companies can not only improve their internal processes, but also grow commercially through smarter use of data.
Atmosphere impression
View an impression of the roundtable here:
