Partner Article

Improved customer focus is key to manufacturing recovery

Improved customer focus is key to maintaining the momentum of UK manufacturing recovery

CRM software is vital to increasing sales and sustaining profitable relationships

16 December 2014 - Manufacturing firms must take a more customer-centric view of their businesses as the UK manufacturing sector begins to recover from a period of slow growth, according to Advanced ConsultCRM (Advanced), a leading provider of business applications and services.

Activity in the sector reached a four-month high in November 2014 after solid domestic demand offset weaker orders from overseas markets, a survey has indicated. The Markit / CIPS UK Manufacturing PMI, an industry leading survey which analyses output, orders, employment and prices, grew from a rating of 53.3 in October 2014 to 53.5 in November 2014*.

Simon Fowler, Managing Director, Advanced Business Solutions (Commercial Division) comments: “Although the rate of expansion is a positive development, it remains below the levels seen at the start of 2014. These remain challenging times for UK manufacturing firms, with many still needing to prioritise resources into successfully growing their sales pipelines.

“Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology can assist manufacturers to more effectively manage their entire sales process from initial enquiry through to product delivery, and provides a consistent view of every customer. This is key to providing high quality aftersales support, improving customer retention levels and securing all-important repeat business.”

Leading solutions, such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM, include integrated reporting tools that provide powerful business intelligence analysis. This enables management teams to identify customer buying patterns and predict their future needs to generate more profitable opportunities. CRM helps manufacturers collate and analyse customer feedback about products and services and use this information to develop successful marketing strategies.

In addition, integration between CRM and a company’s website provides e-commerce functionality which automates many time-consuming manual activities including sales order processing and order fulfilment.

CRM solutions can also be integrated with accounts, enterprise resource planning (ERP) and document management systems in order to consolidate sales and product information. This enables operational, financial, service and sales teams to improve collaboration by using a single source of customer information, even when they are geographically dispersed.

“Although there is a growing awareness of CRM’s business benefits, there are still many companies that need to invest in this platform if they are to increases sales and maintain their competitive edge. CRM is a vital solution that brings together sales, marketing and customer services in order to help manufacturers identify and generate new revenue streams,” Fowler concludes.

Advanced provides customised CRM software, user training and technical support to manufacturing companies.

Advanced ConsultCRM recently joined the prestigious Microsoft Dynamics President’s Club and Inner Circle following outstanding growth and performance. The President’s Club places ConsultCRM in the top five per cent of Microsoft partners globally. The Inner Circle is an elite group of the top 60 Microsoft Dynamics partners in the world.

Advanced ConsultCRM is an Advanced Computer Software Group company. In 2014, the Group won Tech Company of the Year in PwC’s UK Tech Awards and was ranked in the Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50, which recognises the 50 fastest growing technology companies in the UK.

-ENDS-

Note to editors

*The Markit / CIPS UK Manufacturing PMI is available at: http://www.markit.com/product/pmi

About ConsultCRM www.consultcrm.co.uk

ConsultCRM, part of Advanced Business Solutions, is positioned in the top 5% of all Microsoft partners globally and specialises in helping organisations implement, integrate and optimise Microsoft Dynamics CRM. As a Tier One, Gold Certified, Strategic Microsoft Partner, ConsultCRM’s pedigree in CRM spans a decade working with Microsoft CRM since the first version came to market in 2004. The business is professionally managed, and has shown consistent growth every year since its inception, reinforcing the trust placed in ConsultCRM by both Microsoft and its clients.

Advanced Business Solutions (Advanced) provides leading integrated business applications and services that enable public, private and third sector organisations to retain control, improve visibility and gain efficiencies whilst continually improving corporate performance. Advanced prides itself on getting close to its customers by understanding their businesses and responding to their evolving needs.

Press contacts Angela Mycock & Nick Hardy, Advanced Computer Software Group pr@advancedcomputersoftware.com +44(0)1625 856 513

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Advanced .