Page 73 - Plastics News Issue June 2025
P. 73
IN THE NEWS
The Evolving Landscape of the
Modern Sales Process
anufacturers today are in a period of Chart 1
rapid innovation relative to how many
Mof their organizational groups operate. This overwhelming disparity has not only helped
They are leveraging advancements in technolo- to uncover operational detachment but, com-
gies to influence their manufacturing strategies bined with the advancements in sales technolo-
– driving more efficient methods and allowing gy, it has further highlighted that for many manu-
them to remain competitive in the current eco- facturers the sales process has not evolved into
nomic climate. At the same time, within many the modern discipline it needs to be.
of those same organizations, their sales teams Sales teams often remain tethered to outdated
are falling behind following legacy models that strategies, unable to match the pace of transfor-
are no longer as effective as they need to be to mation seen in production and operations. While
build sustainable revenue growth.
manufacturers are implementing technologies
Recent studies show that approximately 50% like AI, IoT and automation to streamline work-
to 75% of manufacturing companies use some flows and reduce inefficiencies, sales processes
form of automation within their production op- frequently rely on legacy systems, manual re-
erations. According to similar industry surveys, porting and disconnected tools. This disconnect
the adoption rate of production automation not only hinders sales productivity but also cre-
tools in injection molding typically is around 70% ates a misalignment between the operational
to 90%. However, the use of sales automation improvements within the organization and the
tools among many of those same manufactur- value communicated to potential customers.
ers tends to be around 30% to 50%, with the To bridge this gap, manufacturers must rethink
adoption rate of sales automation tools in the their approach to sales – integrating data-driven
injection molding sector following suit and often insights, modern CRM systems and digital tools
ranging from 20% to 40% (Chart 1). that align with the speed and intelligence of the
broader manufacturing process.
June 2025 PLASTICS NEWS 73
