According to Deloitte, 65% of industrial manufacturing and construction executives rank customer expectations as a top driver of their digital transformation efforts.

The change in customer expectations 

Customers now anticipate real-time support, swift responses, and intuitive interactions. This shift means that end consumers and business clients expect the same efficiency and user-friendliness in their professional engagements as they do in their personal lives. 

At JOURNEY, we’ve seen that successful digital transformations hinge on two factors: user-first design and seamless integration. Whether reimagining how internal teams work or improving how customers engage with a business, digital platforms are the key to simplifying complexity and unlocking growth. 

This article explores three ways manufacturing brands meet customer expectations through transformation and why customer (CX) and user experience (UX) are at the heart of it all.

1. Design for the B2B user journey 

Manufacturing's complex B2B relationships require a different approach to platform design than B2C. While consumer platforms focus on individual users, industrial platforms must support multiple stakeholders with various needs.

Deloitte's research shows that 68% of manufacturing executives want better user experiences, but 'better' in B2B means addressing precise technical requirements, complex approval workflows, and multi-user collaboration.

Schneider Electric's FlexSelect platform tackles the complexity of designing and quoting custom circuit boards by mapping the complete B2B ecosystem - from wholesalers to contractors to engineers. The resulting drag-and-drop interface transformed an arduous technical process into an intuitive experience, winning five international design awards. More importantly, it reduced project delays and increased customer satisfaction across all user groups.

2. Enhancing agility through seamless integration  

According to Deloitte, 86% of manufacturing executives want improved digital interfaces from their suppliers, with speed, clarity, and ease of use topping the priority list. Furthermore, 80% of companies invest in technologies like IoT and AI to enhance customer-facing operations.

Integrating Industry 4.0 technologies such as IoT, predictive analytics, and digital models transforms manufacturers' engagement with customers. These tools help personalise product development, streamline processes, and enhance pre-sales and after-sales services.

Rockwell Automation offers a compelling example of what’s possible when integration is prioritised. By consolidating their global operations into a unified ERP system, they gained a single source of truth for data and streamlined decision-making across teams.  

According to Rockwell Automation, gains included:

• Annual improvement in productivity by 4 – 5% 

• Reduced inventory days from 120 to 82 

• Captured annual capital avoidance of 30% 

• Cut lead times by 50% 

• Reduced recalls by 80%

Integration isn’t just about efficiency; it’s also about creating a seamless customer experience. A great digital platform connects the dots behind the scenes so that internal and external users enjoy a cohesive, uninterrupted experience.  

3. Driving loyalty through exceptional customer experience 

At its core, every manufacturing platform exists to serve one ultimate purpose: delivering value to customers. Whether you’re a B2B or B2C operation, today’s users expect personalised, frictionless experiences that make their lives easier.  

Deloitte’s findings reveal that companies investing in digital customer experience (DCX) see tangible benefits, including a 70% increase in customer loyalty and significant boosts to margins and revenue.

Dow’s Paint Vision platform transformed coatings formulation by replacing slow, manual testing with AI-driven digital tools. By reducing formulation time by up to 48%, Dow enabled customers to get high-performance, cost-effective solutions faster. 

Self-service tools like Formulation Xpert empower users to optimise coatings based on sustainability goals, compliance needs, and performance targets. This reduces customer friction points, as these elements can be generated without relying solely on Dow’s technical teams.

JOURNEY’s Solve & Evolve™ methodology reflects this commitment to CX and customer obsession. Schneider Electric’s FlexSelect is an example of how well-designed platforms create network effects: as more users adopt the platform, its value increases for everyone in the ecosystem, from contractors to wholesalers to manufacturers. 

Looking ahead: what’s next for manufacturing platforms? 

As manufacturing embraces AI, predictive analytics, and smart factories, the importance of digital platforms will only grow. Deloitte’s research highlights that 93% of industrial companies are experimenting with or implementing digital customer experience initiatives. 

Transforming into a digital platform is not simple. You need an innovation partner who gets the best out of your people and intellectual property to get it right. JOURNEY has the track record and the expertise to be that partner. Let’s change the future of manufacturing together – get in touch today.