Forecasts nobody trusts
Sales, operations and finance each hold a different view of demand. Planning meetings debate the numbers instead of the decisions.
MANUFACTURING
Manufacturing leaders want predictable demand, responsive channels and a service business that pays its way. We help you decide where Agentforce adds value, prove the case and govern the programme across sales, channel and service.
The pressure
The factory runs on data. The commercial side often runs on spreadsheets and memory.
Channels at arm’s length
Dealers and distributors wait for answers on pricing, stock and orders. Limited visibility of the end customer weakens every plan.
Service seen only as a cost
Aftermarket teams react to failures with partial asset history. Contracts, parts and renewals go under-served.
Slow, complex quoting
Quotes for engineered products pass through many hands. Customers wait, and experienced people become the bottleneck.
Our advisory approach
Four stages, each ending in a decision your executive team can take.
01
Discover
We review the path from enquiry to aftermarket, and the data that links commercial teams to operations.
Outputs
- AI and agent readiness assessment
- Commercial data map
- Opportunity longlist
02
Define
We prioritise use cases across sales, channel and service, and set out the value and effort of each.
Outputs
- Prioritised use case portfolio
- Business case
- Success measures
03
Design
We shape the operating model, guardrails and roadmap for Agentforce, including how dealers and distributors take part.
Outputs
- Target operating model
- Agent governance framework
- Phased roadmap
04
Direct
We guide, govern and assure the work your teams and chosen partners carry out, across regions and business units.
Outputs
- Independent programme assurance
- Value realisation tracking
- Executive reporting
Where agents fit
Each one pairs an agent with a clear point of human control.
Quote and order support
An agent gathers requirements and drafts a quote from approved pricing and product rules. Sales and engineering approve anything non-standard.
Dealer and distributor service
An agent answers channel partners on order status, stock and warranty terms. Commercial exceptions go to the channel manager.
Field service preparation
An agent prepares technicians with asset history, likely parts and known fixes before a visit. The technician makes the call on site.
Account and forecast review
An agent flags gaps between forecast, orders and agreed volumes for each account. Account managers decide how to respond.
Warranty claim triage
An agent checks claims for completeness and gathers missing evidence. Warranty staff approve or decline every claim.
Service contract renewals
An agent spots contracts and assets due for renewal and drafts the outreach. The service sales team owns the conversation and the terms.
Outcomes
Agreed with commercial and operations leaders before work starts.
Targets are set with each client against their own baseline.
Forecast accuracy
How closely the commercial forecast matches the orders that arrive.
Quote turnaround
The time between a customer request and a quote they can act on.
Channel responsiveness
How quickly dealers and distributors get a useful answer.
Fix on the first visit
How often a technician resolves the issue without a return visit.
Aftermarket revenue
Income from service contracts, parts and renewals.
Value against business case
Realised benefit compared with the approved case, reviewed at each stage.
Engagement pattern
IllustrativeAn industrial manufacturer rethinking dealer service
Situation
An equipment manufacturer sells mainly through dealers, who complain of slow answers on orders, parts and warranty. Its inside sales team spends most of the day on status queries. Leaders believe an agent could help and are unsure whether the underlying data is good enough. They also want to know how dealers would react.
How we would approach it
- 01We would assess dealer journeys, enquiry demand and data quality.
- 02We would prioritise use cases with sales, service and a sample of dealers.
- 03We would set out a business case, operating model and phased roadmap.
- 04We would then assure the work carried out by the manufacturer and its chosen partners.
What we would measure
- Dealer response time
- Inside sales capacity
- Quote turnaround
- Dealer satisfaction
An illustrative scenario describing a typical situation. It is not a client case study and reports no results.