Why Would a Manufacturer Need a CRM System?

The manufacturing industry has undergone significant transformation in recent years. To stay competitive, manufacturers now require more than just production efficiency—they must anticipate customer needs and deliver consistently high-quality service. A modern, easy-to-use CRM system that’s simple to implement and cost-effective has become essential to achieve this.

Contact Management
For manufacturers, managing a wide array of contacts—customers, suppliers, partners—is a daily reality. A suitable CRM should offer comprehensive contact management, allowing users to store detailed contact information, add notes, and maintain a complete communication history. This not only improves relationship management but also ensures everyone in the team is aligned.

Sales and Order Management
Manufacturers benefit greatly from a CRM that can handle complex sales processes. Look for features like lead tracking, opportunity management, and full sales pipeline visibility. The ability to oversee orders from initial quote through to delivery helps streamline operations and reduce manual follow-ups.

Inventory Management
Accurate inventory tracking is vital in manufacturing. A CRM with built-in inventory tools can help monitor stock levels, trigger alerts when reorder points are reached, and generate insightful inventory reports. This ensures raw materials are always available, and finished goods are delivered on time.

Production Management

Manufacturing success hinges on smooth production workflows. A CRM that supports production scheduling, tracks work-in-progress, and generates real-time production data can provide transparency and help avoid costly delays or bottlenecks.

Quality Control

Maintaining high standards is non-negotiable. A CRM tailored for manufacturers should include tools to manage quality checklists, monitor quality metrics, and produce detailed quality reports. This allows for early detection of issues and ongoing improvement in product quality.

Supplier Management

Strong supplier relationships are key to avoiding production disruptions. A manufacturing-focused CRM should allow users to track supplier data, monitor performance, and manage communications. It should also generate supplier reports to support strategic sourcing decisions.

Reporting and Analytics

Informed decisions stem from quality data. Your CRM should provide customizable dashboards, real-time analytics, and data visualizations. These tools allow you to track performance across departments, identify inefficiencies, and optimize operations.


When choosing a CRM for your manufacturing business, prioritize platforms that deliver on:

  • Contact, sales, and order management

  • Inventory and production tracking

  • Quality and supplier management

  • Robust reporting and analytics

The right CRM will help you streamline operations, improve relationships, and deliver consistently excellent products and services.


Top CRM Recommendations for Manufacturing

Here is our expert-rated comparison of CRM systems suited to manufacturing companies:

CRM Product Suitability Score (Out of 10) Key Strengths Considerations
monday.com 9/10 Fully customizable workflows, great for team collaboration, strong automation Requires initial setup and training
Eway CRM 8.5/10 Integrated with Outlook, good for full-cycle management, includes project and supplier tracking Best for teams already using Microsoft tools
Capsule CRM 8/10 Simple and clean interface, strong contact and pipeline features Less tailored for operations-heavy needs
NetHunt CRM 7.5/10 Gmail integration, affordable, flexible workflows Limited direct manufacturing integrations
Less Annoying CRM 7.5/10 Very user-friendly, ideal for small teams Limited in-depth manufacturing tools
Keap 6.5/10 Strong automation and marketing focus More suited to service-based businesses than manufacturers

monday.com

4.9

Customize every workflow from inventory to sales pipelines with monday.com – perfect for manufacturers who need full control.

monday.com – A Flexible Powerhouse for Manufacturing Teams

monday.com stands out as an exceptional choice for manufacturers looking to unify their sales, production, inventory, and supplier management in one platform. As a hybrid CRM and Work OS, monday.com offers unmatched flexibility to build custom workflows tailored to your specific manufacturing processes—from lead tracking to production schedules and shipping. It shines in environments where multiple departments need to collaborate seamlessly. With visual dashboards, robust automations, and integrations with tools like Slack, Outlook, and Excel, monday.com empowers teams to act quickly on production data, avoid bottlenecks, and improve customer satisfaction. While it does require some time to set up workflows according to your manufacturing needs, the payoff is significant—total visibility, better accountability, and optimized operations. For companies seeking a scalable, all-in-one CRM that adapts to their unique workflows, monday.com scores a near-perfect 4.9 out of 5

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Eway - CRM

4.3

If your team works inside Microsoft Outlook, Eway CRM transforms it into a full-featured CRM built for manufacturing efficiency.

Eway CRM – Perfect for Manufacturers Who Live in Outlook

Eway CRM is a natural fit for manufacturers already using Microsoft Outlook. Seamlessly embedded into your inbox, it turns Outlook into a CRM and project management powerhouse. With Eway, manufacturers can manage the entire customer lifecycle—from lead generation and quoting to production tracking and supplier management—all within a familiar interface. Its standout features include inventory tracking, project planning, and customizable forms that cater well to operational workflows. Eway also includes built-in quality control tracking and advanced reporting to help ensure product standards are met. The ability to track supplier performance and generate supplier reports is a huge asset for production teams that rely on timely deliveries of raw materials. While it’s best suited to Outlook-native environments, its depth of functionality and integration strength earn it an impressive rating for manufacturing businesses.

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Capsule CRM

4.0

Capsule CRM offers manufacturers simplicity, structure, and control—ideal for those prioritizing sales, pipelines, and customer service excellence.

Capsule CRM – Clean, Simple, and Effective for Sales-Focused Manufacturers

Capsule CRM is a streamlined, easy-to-use CRM designed for small to mid-sized manufacturing companies that want to improve their customer relationships and sales pipelines. While it doesn’t offer complex production or inventory features out-of-the-box, it more than makes up for it with its strong contact management, sales pipeline tools, and integrations with accounting platforms like Xero and QuickBooks. Capsule is especially well suited for manufacturers with sales teams that manage long sales cycles or custom-built orders. Custom fields can be created to reflect specific stages in the manufacturing or quoting process. It also integrates with Zapier, which opens doors to automation across systems like ERP or inventory tools. For teams looking for simplicity and low overhead without sacrificing professionalism, Capsule CRM delivers a smart and clean interface that keeps everyone aligned. Overall, Capsule earns a solid score for manufacturers needing a sales-centric CRM solution.

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Keap

4.0

Keap is ideal for manufacturers selling direct-to-consumer—powerful automation paired with CRM tools to drive conversions and efficiency.

Keap – Marketing Automation Meets Sales CRM

Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) blends CRM with advanced marketing automation, making it a decent option for manufacturers with a strong B2C focus. If your manufacturing business involves direct sales—especially online—Keap helps nurture leads with email sequences, SMS marketing, and e-commerce integration. The CRM also includes quoting, invoicing, and scheduling tools, allowing small manufacturers to automate administrative tasks. However, Keap is less suitable for traditional manufacturers needing features like production or inventory tracking. The learning curve is steeper compared to more basic systems, and teams without a strong digital marketing focus might find it overwhelming. For manufacturers looking to blend e-commerce with customer management and marketing automation, Keap can be an effective solution. It scores well in terms of manufacturing suitability – high on automation, but light on operational depth.

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NetHunt CRM

3.7

NetHunt CRM transforms your Gmail inbox into a powerful, workflow-driven CRM that supports modern manufacturing sales processes.

NetHunt CRM – Gmail-Based CRM with Workflow Muscle

NetHunt CRM brings CRM functionality directly into Gmail, making it a strong contender for manufacturing businesses that operate heavily via email and need built-in workflow automation. With customizable pipelines, email tracking, and advanced segmentation, NetHunt allows manufacturers to stay on top of leads, sales orders, and customer service issues without toggling between multiple tools. You can automate responses, schedule follow-ups, and create rules for task assignments, making it easy to manage your manufacturing sales cycle. Although it lacks direct integrations with manufacturing ERPs, its connection with Zapier and Google Workspace expands its functionality across other platforms. It’s a particularly strong fit for lean teams looking to streamline communications and implement basic automation. For manufacturers who operate in a Google environment and are seeking a budget-friendly yet flexible CRM, NetHunt earns a strong rating for this industry

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Less Annoying CRM

3.7

Less Annoying CRM lives up to its name – no clutter, no jargon – ust clean contact and pipeline management for manufacturers.

Less Annoying CRM – A Simple Choice for Small Manufacturing Teams

Less Annoying CRM (LACRM) is tailor-made for small manufacturers who want a no-frills, affordable, and incredibly easy-to-use system. The platform offers clean and intuitive contact, task, and pipeline management, which makes it ideal for managing customer relationships, leads, and follow-ups. While it doesn’t offer inventory or production tracking, its strength lies in being a central hub for all sales activities and communications. LACRM works well for manufacturers with a straightforward sales process and no need for complex automation or integrations. It’s also perfect for teams that want to get up and running without training or technical support. With excellent customer service and a pricing model that’s as transparent as its name, Less Annoying CRM earns a well-deserved rating for small manufacturing firms focused on staying organized and responsive.

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Axelor CRM

Why choose between free software or full software? Axelor CRM is an open and complete solution for Manufacturers, integrating advanced features designed to simplify your customer relationship and allow you to focus on the essentials. Let Axelor take care of repetitive tasks. The entire CRM was designed with a light, powerful and robust code. That’s why it’s so responsive, versatile and resource-efficient. Axelor CRM is equipped with a responsive interface. Whether by computer, tablet, PC, or smartphone… you can access your data at any time, from anywhere. Axelor CRM is designed entirely to allow you to focus on customer relations. The CRM integrates your prospects, your customers, your leads, and allows you to filter, segment, and track your customer pipeline. The Kanban view gives you at a glance all the business processes in progress.

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Prospect CRM

Prospect is the #1 Stock-Aware CRM for growing Wholesale, Distributor & Manufacturing businesses.

Prospect CRM is a new type of Stock-Aware CRM that’s specifically designed for businesses that sell physical products from stock B2B. Prospect CRM integrates with leading Inventory Management and Accounting systems such as Cin7, DEAR Inventory, Xero, QuickBooks and Unleashed to streamline your B2B sales processes. This enables customer-facing teams to increase sales, improve customer retention and maximise profits.

For businesses selling products B2B, retaining customers is vital to profitable, long-term success. P.A.I.G.E. (the Prospect AI Growth Engine) can even predict when a regular customer has missed an order and alert your Sales team before they churn for good, and built-in RFM Analysis means customers are segmented by purchase behaviour, so your teams can tailor their approach.

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MRPeasy

A simple yet powerful self-service manufacturing ERP/MRP software, offering seamless management of production, stock, customers, purchases, finances, and your team. Suitable for 10 – 200 employees this is a feature rich easy to use system. MRPeasy’s passionate team is dedicated to changing the reputation that ‘MRP/ERP systems are complex, difficult to use and expensive. A robust MRP/ERP system is essential for efficient production, ybut it doesn’t have to be so complex that the costs of implementing and operating it outweigh the benefits. MRPeasy believe that an MRP system can be both powerful and affordable. There are four different pricing plan to choose from starting from 49$ and free trial for up to 30 days.

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Salesforce Essentials

This Cloud Based customer relationship management software is designed specifically for the Manufacturing industry. It provides fundamental modules like CRM, CRM & Sales Dashboards, Customer Management and more.  Salesforce Essentials makes it easy for small businesses and startups build stronger client relationships with an all-in-one sales and support solution that is easy to use, setup, and maintain. This is a Best client management software with standard cost of $25 per month. A free trial is available.

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