In the late 18th century, the first chemical revolution occurred: it was the enlightenment period, a time of great strides in science, philosophy, and logical reasoning. And, for chemicals in particular, it led to the reformulation of chemistry. Between Joseph Priestley, Jacques Charles, Joseph Proust, and the Lavoisiers, several critical chemical theories were proved and shared with the world making chemistry what we know today.

Now, much like that first revolution, we are witnessing another dramatic change for chemical and process manufacturers. And the leaders will go down in history by name. Many have dubbed it Industry 4.0, the next phase of the industrial revolution, or the rise of AI and IoT. However and whatever you call it, it’s transformative for all manufacturing businesses and imperative that organizations respond well to it. 

Organizations that produce compounds for customers are now increasingly applying modern-day CRM solutions to how they do business—a new strategy for what has long been a digitally laggard sector. It’s no longer an option to avoid business process automation. Market leaders in the chemicals space distinguish themselves by not only implementing a CRM software but investing in the software and a defined strategy to support the commercial side of the business. 

Let’s review three of the most common usages of CRM in chemical manufacturers, from unorganized hodgepodges and mere Rolodexes to no CRM at all. 

Multiple, unorganized CRM orgs

A common situation chemical manufacturers find themselves in is a scattered, vast IT landscape due to ceaseless M&A. While the inorganic growth is good for business, it typically creates a dizzying maze of disparate CRM orgs from different subsidiaries, entities, and child companies. When each new acquisition brings its own CRM solution (whether it be Dynamics, Salesforce, or others) and introduces it to the bigger, homegrown management solution used by the organization at large, data messes are inevitable, especially when M&A integration is not the industry’s strong suit. 

Learn how we helped Akron Brass migrate its CRM orgs from Dynamics to Salesforce for greater harmonization after an acquisition.

It’s fine to have multiple CRM organizations, especially as a large, multi-regional enterprise with various subsidiaries involved. But when those organizations are not in sync and poorly connected, it leaves data…

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