Best CRM for Manufacturing Businesses: The Top 10 List

Many manufacturing businesses today are switching from spreadsheets to exploring CRM solutions. Are you too?  

If yes, are you overwhelmed by the number of available CRM options? Finding the right CRM can be daunting, especially with so many options; it’s similar to finding a needle in a haystack. 

Therefore, we are ending your quest to find the perfect CRM tool. Below, we have compiled the top 10 best CRMs for manufacturing businesses.

The Role of CRM in the Manufacturing Industry

CRM software enables businesses and organizations to manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout their operations.  

A CRM has various features that can help your business stand out from the crowd. 

For example 

Let’s look at how manufacturing businesses usually generate leads.  

Step 1: Targeting the audience – The sales team identifies potential customers and does market research. 

Step 2: Manual Communications – The team calls or sends emails to reach those customers.  

Step 3: Sharing Data and Establishing Connections – The executives then provide the customers with information about the business or answer their queries.  

Step 4: Nurturing Relationships – The team focuses on nurturing and building relationships once the connections are made. 

Step 5: Transition Into Customers – If the business satisfies potential customers, they may purchase and become actual customers.  

First, the above process is 100% manual and tedious. Second, what if the client’s information or data gets lost or misplaced? With hundreds of prospective customers, losing even one customer is a big loss for the business. 

However, a CRM would never let that happen. A CRM is like a blessing for manufacturing software companies and businesses. 

So, let’s understand its benefits in a better way. 

What is the Benefit of CRM in the Manufacturing Industry? 

Supply chain management, customer satisfaction, inventory management—there are many other factors to consider when running a manufacturing business. 

Fiddling between these responsibilities of operating a manufacturing business can feel like a burden. However, a CRM helps manufacturers streamline and automate their sales process. 

How? Let’s look at the top 3 ways you can utilize the benefits of a CRM in the manufacturing industry. 

1. Automated Assignment and Follow-Ups  

Let’s say the leads have been generated and the quotations sent, but the customers have not responded. You are unsure about their decision. Plus, sending manual follow-ups might be a time-consuming process. 

A CRM helps you automate this process. One can automatically assign leads based on source manage Sales territories and move across stages automatically based on certain rules. CRM streamlines the entire process and improves overall productivity.  

2. Engage with Prospects 

Prospective customers are not always immediately ready to make a purchase. Moreover, sales cycles are long. From initial interaction to actually providing the service to the customers might take years.  

This could convert your potential customers into cold leads in no time. With the help of CRM, you can automate and engage your customers. A customized CRM tool can send the latest company updates, new product details, offers and more.  

Therefore, your customers are indirectly connected with your company. In the back of the head, they know the pain points where you can help. Thus, shortly, they might connect for inquiries.  

3. Geo Location Tracking 

Your sales team members are in the field to explore new leads and find potential customers.  

What if the executive uses his core memory to remember leads and forgets a few when updating the spreadsheet or the manager? 

CRM features, including device tracking, location history, route optimization, and more, make finding prospective customers easy. Moreover, reporting and tracking for your sales team become effortless. 

Manufacturing CRM solutions have numerous benefits, but finding the most promising one for your business can be challenging. So, to help you overcome this headache, we have combined a list of the best CRM software solutions.  

Dig in to find the one best suited for your manufacturing business.  

10 Best CRM Platforms for Manufacturing Companies 2024 

Choosing the right CRM can make all the difference in streamlining your business operations as a manufacturer. However, it is a struggle to find the right CRM that fits all your business needs.  

So, to end your endless search, we have combined a list of the top 10 best CRMs for manufacturing businesses.  

Sweep in to find the one that fulfills your criteria.  

1. hafooz 

What is hafooz? hafooz is an AI (artificial intelligence) enabled data-driven CRM platform.  

What does hafooz Do?

• It helps businesses and organizations leverage their customer data. 
• The platform also enables the automation of your sales and servicing processes.

 

How is hafooz a Fit for Your Manufacturing Business? 

hafooz is a custom-made CRM designed for manufacturing businesses. It offers manufacturers a comprehensive solution to simplify sales, enhance customer support, and offer personalized customer experiences.  

Why Choose hafooz? The Benefits:

• Powered by AI: You can use hafooz’s conversational AI to generate automated tasks and boost your revenue faster.  
• Easy to Adopt: The platform is easy to use, providing a seamless user experience. Moreover, it is simple and easy to learn for sales team members. hafooz offers a modern and intuitive interface.  
• For All Businesses and Enterprises: No matter the size of your business, hafooz is designed for all of you. It facilitates quick onboarding. It is easy to customize and has an all-in-one tool to manage customer relationships.  
• Fits in the Mobile Experience: You can use hafooz on the go. It provides on-the-go, real-time data access. The platform is also highly adopted by sales teams.  
• Secure and Reliable: You can rest assured of your data with hafooz. The platform enables data encryption, keeping it safe with role-based access. The platform also has secure cloud storage.   

Key Features:

• Conversational AI (Revenue Bot): Automate your lead generation, schedule meetings, issues, and inquiries response by leveraging Bot.
• Sales Pipeline Management: Manage your leads and opportunities seamlessly and streamline your sales lifecycle using automation. 
• Automation: Using automation, you can manage sales territory, generate emails, follow-up reminders, and notifications, and engage with your customers through various channels.
• 360-Degree Customer View: With this best CRM for manufacturing businesses, you can gain a 360-degree view of your customers. You can get comprehensive customer information, from key contacts to purchase histories. 
• Meeting Scheduler: This feature allows you to seamlessly coordinate your schedules, personalize invitations, automate reminders, and sync with your calendar.  
• Contact: With hafooz, you can say goodbye to scattered contact information. The platform offers a comprehensive contact management system. 
• Visit Tracking: Your sales team can track and manage your customer visits. They can use mobile capabilities and keep sales data at their fingertips. 

There are several other features offered by hafooz. 

Pricing:

• Offers free trial to unlimited users; no credit card required 
• Startup: Rs. 550/- per month per user paid annually
• Professional: Rs. 850/- per month per user paid annually
• Advanced: Rs 1200/– per month per user paid annually 

2. Zoho

 

Next on our list is Zoho. 

Zoho CRM is cost-effective and feature-rich software that suits manufacturing software companies. Its automation capabilities help you streamline various manufacturing processes. 

Features of Zoho CRM:

•  AI Assistance
• Advanced customization
• Inventory management 
• Mass email capabilities 
• Real-time sales insights and much more 

Pros:

• Has an affordable pricing structure 
• Provides sales, marketing and customer support modules 
• Offers workflow automation capabilities 
• Gives insights into sales performance and customer behavior 
• Facilitates multichannel communications 

Cons:

• It can be challenging for some users, particularly when exploring advanced features of Zoho CRM. 
• The availability of customization options is restricted in the free plan. The options cater to only basic requirements. 

Pricing:

• Standard: Rs. 800/- per user per month 
• Professional: Rs. 1,400/- per user per month 
• Enterprise: Rs. 2,400/- per user per month 
• Ultimate: Rs. 2,600 per user per month 

3. Salesforce

 

Salesforce is another top recommendation when selecting the best CRM for manufacturing business. The software provides solutions to small business owners, sales teams, marketing, and IT professionals.  

It helps manufacturers streamline operations and drive better decision-making using its comprehensive tools and features. 

Features of Salesforce CRM:

• Manufacturing cloud to manage the overall business. 
• Rebate management  
• Revenue cloud to automate product-to-cash journey. 
• B2B commerce 
• Slack 

Pros:

• Using the communities feature, the manufacturers and vendors can seamlessly collaborate. 
• Enhanced customer service for managing product inquiries and issues. 
• Salesforce CPQ for accurate quoting 
• Integration with IoT. 

Cons:

• Potential learning curve for employees not familiar with CRM systems 
• Lack of customization, thus higher cost and maintenance efforts.  
• No calling feature 
• Compatibility issues due to frequent updates 

 Pricing: 

• Sales: $250 per user per month 
• Service: $250 per user per month 
• Sales and Service: $275 per user per month 

4. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is next on the list – a CRM tool that can help you streamline your sales process and easily manage your pipeline. It is an ideal CRM for manufacturing businesses.  

Features of Pipedrive:

• Pipeline management and activity tracking 
• Customizable sales reporting and analytics 
• Automation 
• Email integration 

Pros:

• Provides a user-friendly interface. 
• Offers cost-effective plans for small to medium-sized manufacturing businesses. 
• Provides mobile access to all devices. 
• Allows integration options 

Cons:

• Limited customization options 
• Pipedrive’s limitation to scalability can hinder expanding manufacturing companies with intricate requirements.  
• It lacks the robust CRM features that large manufacturers or manufacturing software companies require. 

Pricing:

• Essential Plan: $12 per user per month 
• Advanced Plan: $24 per user per month 
• Professional Plan: $49 per user per month 
• Power Plan: $59 per user per month 
• Enterprise Plan: $79 per user per month

5. HubSpot 

Number five is HubSpot in the top 10 list of best CRM for manufacturing businesses. HubSpot CRM is an excellent choice for manufacturers and sales teams looking for cheap, user-friendly solutions.  

Features of HubSpot:

• Provides integration with other HubSpot tools. 
• Marketing and Sales automation 
• Tool for automated lead generation and capture 
• Dashboard customization

Pros:

• A unified platform with tools for marketing, sales, and customer service. 
• Has a user-friendly interface. 
• Offer free CRM with basic features. 
• Accessible to small and medium-sized manufacturing companies. 
• Robust customer support 

Cons:

• For additional features and functionality, you need a subscription to paid plans. It can be a costly affair for manufacturing companies.  
• Has a steep learning curve. 
• Offers limited customization options. 
• It is not suitable for large manufacturing businesses with complex needs or large-volume sales operations.  

Pricing:

> For individuals and small teams 

• Free for up to 5 users. 
• Starter Pack: $15 per user per month 
• Professional Pack: $800 per user per month 

> For businesses and enterprises 

• Professional Pack: $800 per month for 3 seats (Additional seats: $45 a month) 
• Enterprise: $3,600 per month for 5 seats (Additional seats: $75 a month) 

6. Freshsales

Freshsales, also formerly called Freshworks, is a CRM built for sales teams and lead management. It uses automation so that you can save time and create better customer relationships. 

Features of Freshsales:

• Built-in email and phone system 
• Lead and account management 
• Website visitor tracking 
• Mobile apps for iOS and Android devices 
• Task and appointment management 

Pros:

• Industry-specific solutions for different industries, including the manufacturing industry. 
• Easy-to-use tools and interface. 
• It can be customized for specific manufacturing needs. 
• Affordable pricing for all-size manufacturing software companies. 

Cons:

• The mobile app’s functionality is limited compared to the desktop version. 
• Advanced features are limited when compared to other CRM platforms. 

Pricing:

• Growth Plan: Rs. 2,299/- per user per month 
• Pro Plan: Rs. 5,499/- per user per month 
• Enterprise Plan: Rs. 8,899 per user per month 

7. Leadsquared

In the list of the top 10 CRMs in the manufacturing industry, Leadsqaured is number 7. It is the only CRM application that lets you conduct your business on the move.  

Features of Leadsquared:

• Automatically distributes leads 
• Manages sales territory 
• Tracks the agent’s GPS location 
• Nudges and Notifies  
• Tracks team performance 

Pros:

• Your field agents can use the app to check in/out automatically. 
• Allows to schedule several meetings, goals of the day, and travel routes. 
• Provides meeting recommendations. 
• Helps you collect documents and meeting notes. 
• The platform syncs all the data automatically. 

Cons:

• Difficult to manage all dashboards at the same time. 
• It is expensive. It’s not a cost-friendly option for small or mid-size organizations.  

Pricing:

> Sales Execution CRM Pricing: 

• Lite: Rs. 1,250/- per user per month 
• Pro: Rs. 2,500/- per user per month 
• Super: Rs. 5,000/- per user per month

> Marketing Automation Pricing: 

• Basic: Rs. 25,000/- per month for 10,000 contacts 

• Standard: Rs. 75,000/- per month for 50,000 contacts 
• Enterprise: Rs. 150,000/- per month for 200,000 contacts 

8. Microsoft Dynamics 365 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers CRM and ERP business solutions. It allows you to connect your teams, processes and data.  

Features of Dynamic 365:

• App modules 
• Predictive match and predictive scoring 
• Customer service sub 
• CRM and ERP capabilities 
• Advanced reporting and analytics

Pros:

• You can get faster customer insights using co-pilots. 
• Get tailored content and headlines. 
• Create real-time customer journeys. 
• You can measure pipeline success with prebuilt analytics dashboards. 

Cons:

• Has a learning curve. 
• Needs specialists for advanced customizations. 
• Expensive for small or mid-sized manufacturing companies. 

Pricing:

• GST Extra: Rs. 1,41,430/- per user per month 

9. SAP

SAP is an integrated part of the SAP ERP Suite. SAP helps manufacturing businesses reach their company goals and lets them fulfill all customer relationship tasks efficiently.

Features of SAP:

• Sales force automation 
• Marketing automation 

• Customer service and support 
• Analytics and Reporting

Pros:

• You can use this platform to improve and increase your customer relationship.  
• Provides a 360-degree perspective of customer interactions and experiences.  
• Integrates with both SAP and non-SAP systems with ease. 
• Simplifies data management and migration. 

Cons:

• The software is complex and challenging. It needs significant time, resources and expertise. 
• It can be expensive for small and medium-sized manufacturing companies. 
• You can find the user interface of SAP outdated and less intuitive compared to modern CRM platforms.  

Pricing:

• Reach out to live SAP chat for queries about pricing.  

10. ClickUp

Last, ClickUp also comes under the top 10 best CRM for manufacturing businesses list.  

It is a powerful project management tool for manufacturing companies. It offers a versatile solution for manufacturing organizations seeking project management and CRM functionality. 

Features of ClickUp:

• Automation and project management 
• Integration with other applications 
• Collaboration tools 
• Knowledge management 
• Product development 

Pros:

• Wide project management features suitable for manufacturing businesses with diverse teams. 
• Integrated with various third-party tools. 
• Has a user-friendly interface. 
• Users can create a customizable workspace.

Cons:

• Users may experience a learning curve at the initial stage. 
• Notifies users with several notifications, if not managed through the notification center. 
• Limited time tracking

Pricing:

• Free for personal user 
• Unlimited Plan: $7 per user per month for small teams 
• Business Plan: $12 per user per month for mid-sized businesses or teams. 
• Enterprise Plan: Contact the Sales team of ClickUp for more information. 

So, are you prepared to enhance client interactions and optimize your revenue with the top 10 CRMs in the manufacturing sector? 

However, continue reading if you are still not convinced which CRM is right for your manufacturing company. 

How Can You Discover the Best CRM for Your Manufacturing Company? 

Finding the right CRM for your manufacturing business depends on your specific needs. So, to choose the best CRM, follow the steps below: 

Step 1: Define Your Requirements and Objectives 

Discover why your business requires CRM software. What objectives do your manufacturing business need the CRM to fulfill? Does the software offer functionalities tailored to manufacturing needs? 

Step 2:  Do Thorough Research 

Research for CRM solutions that cater to your manufacturing business requirements. Do you run a small or medium-sized business? Does your business need a CRM with advanced features? Do you need features like inventory management and automated calendars?  

Step 3: Check for Features and Functionalities 

Check if the CRM offers industry-specific features and functionalities. Does it offer mobile accessibility? Are the features relevant to your manufacturing business? Find out if the features provide scalability options for your business. 

Step 4: Customization and User-Friendly Interface 

Is the CRM flexible when it comes to customization? Can it be tailored to fit your business requirements or manufacturing processes? Does it offer a user-friendly interface? Will your team require extensive training before using it? 

Step 5: Look for Customer Support Options 

Does the CRM offer customer support services? Will your questions about the software be answered on a timely basis? What is the level of customer support that the CRM offers? Are there training or resources available to get acquainted with the platform? 

Step 6: Take a Look at the Pricing 

What are the CRM’s pricing plans? Is it worth the price for your business? What is the total cost of implementing and maintaining the system? Pricing includes license fees, subscription fees, customization fees, and ongoing maintenance or support fees.  

Step 7: Reviews Matter 

Find out reviews and feedback from other manufacturers. What strengths and weaknesses did they encounter when using the CRM platform? Will they be able to afford the consequences once they subscribe to the platform? 

Step 8: Regulations and Compliance 

Does the platform comply with industry standards and regulations?  

Conclusion

It is as simple as ABC that to grow a business, you need to earn new customers and unlock more revenue.  

However, running a business is like a rollercoaster ride—filled with highs and lows, twists and turns, and surprises. Here is when CRM becomes the best ride for all waves of challenges. 

Choosing the right one can make or break your business. hafooz stands out from other CRM software in every way. So, don’t wait! Sign up for free and get access for unlimited users.