PLM and CRM together: How to boost service revenue and customer loyalty
PLM and CRM combined value
To lower service-related costs and drive-up service revenue, many discrete manufacturers are extending
their product lifecycle management (PLM) software to include service lifecycle management (SLM)
capabilities. Comprehensive service lifecycle management connects product and service engineering to service planning and operations, helping to maintain an accurate representation of both the product digital twin, and its physical counterpart – the physical structure of the asset in its current configuration.
Bringing together the software capabilities of SLM with those of customer relationship management (CRM) takes service lifecycle management to the next level. By combining knowledge about the product and how to service it – with the full customer story, you get a seamless and personalized customer-centric user experience for service that promises to help impress customers, grow revenue and improve operational efficiency.
PLM and CRM together for service excellence and increased revenue
CRM software helps manufacturers orchestrate and track their customer and prospect customer interactions, and applies data analytics to support continual improvement of customer relationships. For example, CRM manages the full customer story. This means it can track customer contracts, its past cases, and everything manufacturers plan to sell to their customers. It supplies a unified environment for customer-centric efforts in marketing, sales, service and commerce.
Advanced CRM software applies artificial intelligence (AI) to its data, using deep learning and predictive insights to help anticipate customer needs. Using AI for example, manufacturers can empower their service teams to reach faster resolutions and personalize every customer experience. When CRM software is combined with the power of PLM software, bringing together customer knowledge and product knowledge, you get even more benefits.
Teamcenter SLM app for Salesforce
PLM software manages information around the customer’s product, including design, engineering and manufacturing data, how the product should be serviced, service planning data with required resources and skillsets, service documentation with rich 3D visuals and animations, etc. When you combine this with CRM data – you get a powerful solution that can help take service and customer outcomes to the next level.
This product demonstration shows a service-related use case with the Siemens Teamcenter SLM app on Salesforce. This is a SaaS cloud app that bridges PLM (Teamcenter) and CRM (Salesforce) together, resulting in service efficiency and revenue opportunities. Agentic AI from Salesforce’s Agentforce uses product and service engineering data pulled from Teamcenter for service execution processes, and can assist when diagnosing and processing customer issues. Service work plans and work orders for example are automatically created leveraging Teamcenter product and service planning data, providing the required skill sets and tools when assigning resources to the job. Service technicians are equipped with service instructions that include 3D visuals and animations of step-by-step service procedures, authored in Teamcenter, ensuring they service right the first time. And with a window to product upgrades and available spare parts, the service agent is now empowered as a revenue generator.
Enhance Customer Outcomes
Connecting PLM and CRM together as part of your digital enterprise will give your business a competitive advantage at a time when you strive to meet escalating customer expectations. Using Teamcenter SLM and Salesforce CRM together, you will connect with your customers in an entirely new way. Service will be executed right first time, improving your operational efficiency and reducing cost of service. You will generate high-quality leads. And you’ll be able to align your service and sales efforts with product design for continual product improvement. This product- and customer-centric servitization approach will help drive-up profitability, field performance and customer loyalty.
Service Lifecycle Management Learning Opportunities from Siemens
Read the IDC analyst report on the future of aftermarket business
Read the white paper to learn more about enhancing your servitization strategy with SLM
Listen to the podcast on the delivering quality service with connected PLM + CRM
