Unlocking the Potential of B2B Manufacturing

Changing Buying Behaviour

Manufacturers must adapt to the digital requirements and demands of their clients.

As younger generations of B2B buyers move into mature purchasing roles, manufacturers must adapt to their client’s digital requirements and demands.

To keep up with the changing expectations of B2B buyers, manufacturers must adapt and embrace digital transformation. This shift requires a fundamental change in sales strategies, processes, and resource allocation — moving from a seller-centric approach to a buyer-centric one. It necessitates transitioning from traditional sales methods to automated, digital-first customer engagement, encompassing the following key capabilities: process automation, scalability and alignment.

"80% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers will occur in digital channels by 2025." 
- Gartner, The Future of Sales: Digital-First Sales Transformation Strategies

Impact of not adapting: Lower perceived value of your brand.

B2B customers radically discount the perceived value of sellers. Gartner research shows that customers perceive little distinct value (beyond their own learning) from sales reps. 

Generational preferences are compounding the trend. Millennials, the first digital natives, are now decision-makers and far more skeptical of sales reps. Not serving them through a digital presence will weaken a brand’s market share.

Disconnected Systems

Traditional sales practices and siloed systems increase disconnected data.

Disconnected data not only causes financial losses but also slows innovation, product development, and customer engagement.

Outdated legacy systems trap important data, making it hard to integrate with modern cloud services like ERP, CMS, and e-commerce platforms. Poor collaboration between departments and hidden data sources add to the problem, creating inefficiencies.

"Organizations in the US and UK are losing $140 billion each year to disconnected data, limiting innovation, growth and time to market for new products or services."
- Vanson Bourne

Impact of not connecting systems: Missed opportunities.

B2B manufacturers using manual fixes and ad hoc coding to connect systems miss out on opportunities. Manual data entry leads to errors, wasted time, higher labour costs, and data loss, hurting privacy and efficiency. This disconnected approach slows innovation, duplicates work, and frustrates customers, making the business less agile, profitable, and competitive.

Disjointed data also blocks intelligent decision-making, stopping teams from using valuable insights during key growth moments. Without clear data, businesses struggle to spot sales trends, market opportunities, and ideal customer profiles, which hurts cash flow and margins. 

Ultimately, this fragmented tech setup reduces growth and weakens the company’s competitive edge.

Loss of Competitive Edge

Traditional direct sales tactics no longer fuel growth or competitiveness.

B2B manufacturers are at a turning point in their business strategies. As the digital world changes, relying only on direct sales is no longer enough to drive growth and stay competitive.

Recent data shows that 75% of manufacturers see ecommerce as the main channel for future growth, while 58% still rely on direct sales. This shift highlights the need for manufacturers to expand their business through digital channels.

"75% of manufacturers cited ecommerce as the expected channel for revenue growth. The direct sales channel remains a strong contender, with 58% of respondents anticipating growth from it." 
- Digital Commerce 360, B2B manufacturers double down on digital.

Impact of non-digital strategies: Limited growth and reduced market share.

B2B manufacturers who fail to embrace ecommerce and other digital channels will likely face declining market share and eroded profitability. 

As the industry shifts, traditional direct sales methods are losing effectiveness in driving growth and maintaining competitiveness. 

Those who fail to adapt risk missing out on significant market opportunities and may fall behind competitors who capitalize on digital platforms' expansive reach, operational efficiency, and customer insights.

Digital transformation is not just an opportunity — it's a critical factor in future-proofing the business and ensuring long-term success.