This is the second blog in our series on trends in the manufacturing industry and how the Salesforce platform can address business challenges. Read the first installment here. This post covers content from the 9:03 mark and ends at 18:47 in the below video.
With tools like Salesforce Data Cloud and Einstein GPT integrated with Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud, reporting is delivered in real time. These tools can identify trends and enable you to see if a customer is going to miss inventory forecast. This data allows you to have conversations with your customer and address the factors that are impacting inventory faster.
Even if you have existing forecasting tools like Power BI that reads big data, Manufacturing Cloud gives you the additional data point of sales agreements, helping transform the sales process with the ability to have these types of forecasting and inventory conversations up front.
Adding this data point and changing the overall forecasting process has a ripple effect throughout organizations, all the way up to the C-suite. The reason why things are slowing down can be addressed, and a solution can be identified.
Is Artificial Intelligence Here to Stay?
The answer is yes. If clients aren’t leaning into artificial intelligence (AI), they’ll quickly get left behind. Manufacturers have traditionally been hesitant on leaning into AI and how data can help make better decisions, but they need to adapt and be proactive. Looking at forecasts is usually a historical process, comparing this year to last year – but that’s the way the economy is moving.
The bigger trend is that manufacturers are starting to be data-driven and are making data-driven decisions. We can help clients start capturing this data today in Manufacturing Cloud, Data Cloud, and Einstein GPT, and introduce the tools needed to ingest and analyze this data.
Evolving Data Platform Trends
Speaking of trends, data platforms have been evolving too. Data Cloud and CRM Analytics help clients capture and aggregate data, including historical data from Salesforce and other enterprise systems. AI is layered on top of these platforms, taking the place of a data scientist or an algorithm. AI automates this previously manual process, combing through data and delivering insights faster. It enables clients to capture actionable data in a reasonable amount of time.
We consistently talk about the 360-degree view of the customer, but there’s also the 360-degree view of a client’s technology and what it can do. When you look at back-office systems and other systems of record, take that data and ingest it, and start making logical decisions in real time, you’re putting the power into the hands of the business user instead of the data team. Ultimately, this enables clients to address market changes and operate ahead of the line rather than behind it.
Perficient + Salesforce
We are a Salesforce Summit Partner with more than two decades of experience delivering digital solutions in the manufacturing, automotive, healthcare, financial services, and high-tech industries. Our team has deep expertise in all Salesforce Clouds and products, AI, DevOps, and specialized domains to help you reap the benefits of implementing Salesforce solutions. Click here to learn more about our Salesforce manufacturing expertise.
