Sean O’Neill, Chief Product and Technology Officer, Syncron.
Most manufacturers don’t control the customer experience. They build great products, then work with third parties to sell and service them.
While there are countless benefits to this approach, there are significant downsides as well. Manufacturers lose their direct connection to customers. They miss out on commercial opportunities to better serve them. And they can’t ensure a consistent experience. What manufacturers know about their customers, and even their own business, lives in silos and is filtered through someone else.
That’s why I believe data isn’t just an operational asset; it’s a strategic one. Data about parts, inventory, quality, satisfaction and more, gives manufacturers a more direct connection to their customers. They gain more visibility into customer pain points and opportunities, can better incentivize third parties to address customer needs and ultimately deliver a superior customer experience.
With the right data in place, manufacturers can adapt faster, respond to disruptions more effectively and anticipate future challenges. For example, AI-powered predictive analytics can use company and market data to flag potential stockouts or price volatility, giving businesses a head start on solutions that better protect and service customers. It also enables the creation of new business models like servitization, which lets manufacturers extend the utility and value of products over their lifetime.
But none of this is possible without a strong and stable data foundation. You can’t build cutting-edge AI or machine learning solutions on poor data. The path to innovation starts with clean, integrated and accessible data.
The Case For Becoming Decision-Aligned
Every conversation I have with manufacturing leaders focuses on one topic: data. It is at the heart of how businesses of all sizes run today. Yet while everyone says they want to be data-driven, the reality is often more chaotic. Most manufacturers use dozens of point solutions for their business—both inside their company and with third parties. Different teams use different tools, trapping data in disparate systems. As a result, each source of data tells a different story about the state of the business and the best way forward.
Here’s a real-world example: A warranty team at an automotive manufacturer marks a part as defective. They identify a replacement and update the information in their system. The parts planning team, which uses a separate system with different data, mistakenly orders a big batch of the now defective parts before getting the update. They eventually notice the mistake and order the correct replacements. As repairs happen, the pricing team, working in isolation, sees sudden demand for this new part and significantly increases its price. The result? Customers waiting for repairs and paying higher costs, all the while losing trust in the brand. All because the manufacturer’s data is trapped in silos.
This is why it is critical for organizations to break down these silos: to ensure that even if people aren’t talking every minute of every day, their systems are. It’s not just about being data-driven; it’s about being decision-aligned. And in industries where supply chain complexity rivals rocket science, that alignment is a competitive advantage.
From Data To Action
The first step to becoming a decision-aligned organization is to recognize that data alone isn’t enough. Without proper integration and context, data is just noise. It’s like trying to solve a puzzle without seeing the picture on the box.
To accelerate their business, manufacturers need to make their company’s most important information—their data—available to all teams as quickly as possible with the proper context. They must connect their CRM, fulfillment, warehouse, warranty, dealer and other systems into a single source of truth that the entire business runs on.
This approach mirrors lessons I learned during my time at Amazon and Tesco. In retail, success depends on timely visibility into customer behavior, inventory levels and sales performance. Manufacturers like Ford and Caterpillar are now asking similar questions: How can we combine current and historical data to predict future demand? How do we retain customers and ensure they remain loyal and happy, out of warranty? And how should we price our products? The answers are all in the data—if you know how to unlock them.
The Road Ahead
Manufacturers today are standing at a crossroads. The world is more unpredictable than ever, digital transformation continues to remake industries and business models are shifting to being more service-based. Data is at the heart of it all. It is each company’s most valuable resource—if it can be connected and harnessed.
So, don’t just manage your data; unlock its potential. The next time you’re grappling with supply chain complexity, ask yourself: Do my teams have the data they need to make the right decisions? Are we all aligned in the decisions we are making? If the answer isn’t a confident “yes,” it’s time to rethink your approach.
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