Manufacturing companies often need a complex network of supply chain, production, and shipping processes that can frustrate both internal teams and customers. If customers can track orders, get answers to questions, or easily engage with your business, they can quickly gain confidence.
Offering these capabilities, however, can be easy. Customer portals give manufacturers the tools they need to provide a seamless, convenient experience. Today, customers increasingly expect these self-service solutions.
Yet, many manufacturers need to adopt these digital platforms faster. So, why should they consider implementing a customer portal?
Top 8 Benefits of Customer Portals
Customer portals are powerful tools that enhance the interaction between businesses and their customers. By providing a centralized platform for access and communication, they offer numerous benefits that can significantly improve customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Here are the top 8 benefits of customer portals:
- Customers Demand Self-Service
Self-service features have quickly become essential in the digital age. 86% of B2B customers now favor these tools over interacting with sales representatives, and this trend extends to manufacturing customers as well.
Across industries, buyers increasingly expect B2C-like experiences. They want the ability to answer questions, find information, and manage their accounts without contacting an agent.
To meet this demand for self-reliance, manufacturers need to offer a self-service customer portal that provides easy access to key features:
- Knowledge bases packed with helpful and tailored content
- Chatbots and digital assistants providing instant customer support round the clock
- Account management tools reducing the need for representatives
- Forums enabling user feedback and discussions
With rising expectations in the manufacturing industry, self-service capabilities have shifted from being a bonus to a necessity for doing business.
- Customers Need Quick, Relevant Answers
Manufacturing customers, like anyone else, want to resolve their issues quickly without having to call your company. That’s why 91% of them prefer using a self-service knowledge base that provides personalized information.
However, even if a manufacturer has a portal with a comprehensive content database, it might need to be clearer and more challenging to navigate effectively. This can lead to a confusing and frustrating experience for customers who are simply looking for the right information.
Search capabilities are essential in any self-service portal as they allow customers to browse through archived content such as:
- User forums and FAQs
- Specifications of the product
- Technical documentation
- Educational resources
By utilizing a self-service customer portal with strong search capabilities, manufacturers enable customers to quickly find the information they need without contacting an agent. This not only saves customers time but also allows support staff to concentrate on high-priority tasks.
- Customers Expect Easy Buying Experiences
Manufacturing customers now expect buying experiences similar to B2C. Manufacturers need to have the right tools to simplify the purchasing process with personalized approaches tailored to each buyer’s specific role. This enables customers to quickly and easily find and order the products they need.
A self-service portal designed for manufacturing customers offers several key features:
- Users can browse, search, and filter products based on compatibility with their current equipment. This streamlined process simplifies after-sale purchasing, allowing them to find and buy the spare parts they need quickly.
- The platform caters to buyers who frequently place large orders and require more functionality than a traditional catalog offers. Customers can easily import stock-keeping units (SKUs) from past orders, enabling bulk purchases with just a few clicks.
A digital shelf or planogram view of products greatly assists store managers in replenishing stock levels. Clickable exploding diagrams allow field technicians or engineers to delve into complex product details, which helps them identify and order the correct replacement part.
DID YOU KNOW?
According to Gartner, 67 percent of CIOs consider enhancing operating models the top priority for their digital technology investments.
- Customers Love Personalized Experiences
A key theme in customer expectations is personalization. With platforms like Netflix and YouTube offering highly customized experiences, manufacturers need to match this level of personalization to attract and retain customers. In fact, according to Forbes, 66% of consumers indicate that irrelevant content would prevent them from making a purchase.
- Dashboards offer a comprehensive view of customer account information, such as role purchase history and upcoming events. This enables you to tailor content, product, and equipment recommendations for users.
- A dynamic page layout lets you constantly adjust content areas to emphasize the assets and products most relevant to each customer.
- Identify user segments and utilize them to craft tailored site experiences that enhance engagement and relevance throughout each customer’s journey.
- Customers Want to Minimize Downtime
Unplanned downtime can be frustrating in various industries, but in manufacturing, it can lead to severe consequences. To prevent interruptions in sensitive processes and avoid delays that disrupt supply chains, manufacturers seek every opportunity to enhance equipment uptime and value.
The bottom line is clear: If the equipment isn’t running, they aren’t generating revenue.
As a manufacturer, you have the duty to ensure that your customers remain operational.
Self-service portals can assist you in this goal by:
- Optimize equipment maintenance by providing recurring recommendations reminders, service visits, or parts orders.
- Unify equipment portfolios to display customer records in one location and make maintenance planning easier.
- Utilize knowledge bases to offer users insights into intricate processes and machinery.
- Streamline the purchasing experience and minimize errors in orders through customizable product bundles.
When manufacturers provide these capabilities to their customers via a user-friendly self-service portal, they surpass other vendors and become valued business partners.
- Customers Want to Automate Business Processes
Manufacturing customers prioritize uptime, productivity, and efficiency. The warranty claims process can be particularly time-consuming and often results in frustration.
Customer portals offer robust out-of-the-box tools that automate these processes. This automation transforms tedious tasks into quick, flexible, and efficient operations.
Manufacturers can leverage these self-service solutions to:
- Simplify claims processing and save your customers time by using auto-filled data fields based on their purchase history.
- Enhance data accuracy and integrity by only asking for relevant information needed for issue resolution and claims.
- Obtain actionable insights and analysis through dashboards that visualize warranty process data to identify issues more quickly.
These benefits significantly improve your customers’ service experience. They also enable quicker operational setup and position you as the preferred manufacturing vendor.
- Customers Have Changing Expectations
As technology advances rapidly, customer expectations are also changing. Whether it’s personalized experiences, self-service tools, or something in between, manufacturers must quickly adapt to shifting demands by updating their customer portals.
Modern customer portals come equipped with essential customization features right out of the box:
- A user-friendly interface and a quick onboarding experience enable even the most digitally inexperienced users to update their portal and meet rising expectations easily.
- Efficient low-code capabilities allow you to adapt your business processes to current and future needs promptly without requiring specialized IT resources.
This approach means manufacturers can leave a team of developers on standby to add new assets or make page edits. IT resources can be focused on more strategic initiatives.
- Customers Prefer a Unified Experience
Absolutely, a company can only fully meet customer expectations with the right systems in place. Too often, manufacturers rely on a mix of solutions that need proper integration. These disconnected systems can lead to a clearer experience for customers, potentially driving them to competitors.
So, how can you bring everything together? The answer lies in a digital experience platform (DXP).
A DXP consolidates all your systems into one comprehensive view and connects essential tools and features like:
- Personalization tools
- Search capabilities
- Order tracking
- Product information
- Customer data
- Self-service portal
- Content management software
A DXP facilitates smooth integrations and interactions between existing services, streamlining manufacturers’ business processes while creating a cohesive and personalized customer experience.
Powering Manufacturing Success with Nirvana Lab Liferay DXP Expertise
At Nirvana Lab, we bring manufacturing success to the forefront with our deep Liferay DXP expertise. As a leading Liferay development company in USA, we provide specialized Liferay services that help manufacturers optimize digital workflows, enhance collaboration, and achieve greater efficiency. We tailor our solutions to meet your specific business needs, ensuring success in every digital transformation journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are customer portals in manufacturing?
Customer portals in manufacturing are digital platforms that allow customers to access information, track orders, and manage their accounts independently.
Why do manufacturers need to implement customer portals?
Manufacturers need customer portals to meet rising customer expectations for self-service, quick access to information, and personalized experiences. These portals streamline workflows and improve customer satisfaction.
What benefits do self-service features provide to manufacturing customers?
Self-service features empower manufacturing customers to find answers quickly, manage their accounts, and resolve issues without needing direct contact with support.
How can customer portals help manufacturers minimize downtime?
Customer portals provide essential tools for optimizing equipment maintenance, offering reminders for service visits, and unifying equipment records. This proactive approach helps prevent unplanned downtime.
How can Nirvana Lab assist in implementing customer portals?
Nirvana Lab specializes in Liferay DXP, offering tailored solutions to help manufacturers optimize their customer portals. With deep expertise in Liferay development, we ensure seamless digital workflows and enhanced customer engagement in your digital transformation journey.
