Introduction

In agricultural machinery manufacturing, dealers bridge the gap between OEMs and farmers. They generate local demand forecasts, manage orders, and provide service support — but production planning often lags behind these dynamic dealer inputs.

A 2024 PwC study found that 40% of farm equipment OEMs experience production inefficiencies due to poor dealer coordination.

Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud enables seamless alignment between dealer forecasts and factory schedules through unified agreements, real-time data, and AI-driven insights, ensuring efficiency across the value chain.

The Need for Dealer–Production Alignment

• Faster Order Fulfillment → Meeting planting season deadlines.
• Cost Efficiency → Reducing overproduction and idle inventory.
• Dealer Satisfaction → Building trust through transparency.
• Better Capacity Utilization → Optimizing factory output with accurate demand inputs.

Common Challenges in Dealer–OEM Coordination

1. Lack of Real-Time Forecast Sharing

• Dealers update forecasts manually or via email.
• OEMs operate on outdated data.

2. Production Overruns & Stock Imbalances

• Poor synchronization leads to either stockouts or idle inventory.

3. Regional Demand Variations

• Equipment demand varies drastically by geography and crop cycles.

4. Inefficient Communication Channels

• Dealers rely on calls and emails instead of collaborative platforms.

5. Manual Tracking of Commitments

• Spreadsheets create errors and delays in updates.

How Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud Aligns Dealers & Production

1. Unified Sales Agreement Visibility

• OEMs and dealers share digital contracts.
• Tracks volume commitments and timelines.

2. Real-Time Dealer Forecast Integration

• Dealers update projections in Salesforce.
• Factory schedules adjust automatically.

3. ERP & Factory Scheduling Sync

• Integrates Salesforce with ERP and manufacturing systems.
• Aligns production capacity with dealer commitments.

4. AI-Powered Dealer Performance Insights

• Einstein AI identifies:
  • Underperforming regions
  • Dealer risk levels
  • Upsell opportunities for service contracts

5. Collaboration Portals for Transparency

• Experience Cloud portals enable:
  • Forecast updates
  • Service request visibility
  • Dealer–OEM communication in one platform

Case Study: Streamlining Dealer–Production Alignment in Agri-Manufacturing

A farm equipment OEM in Europe faced:

• • Frequent order mismatches between dealer forecasts and production.
  • Delayed deliveries before harvest season.

After Salesforce:

• Forecast accuracy improved by 24%.
• Factory efficiency increased by 18%.
• Dealer satisfaction scores rose by 30%.

The Future of Dealer–Production Integration

• IoT-Enabled Machines → Real-time usage data feeding back into forecasts.
• Blockchain Dealer Networks → Transparent contract tracking.
• AI-Powered Scenario Planning → Modeling policy and weather-driven demand shifts.
• Sustainability Dashboards → Tracking ESG compliance across dealer networks.

Conclusion

For agricultural machinery OEMs, dealer–production alignment is vital to meet seasonal cycles and ensure profitability. Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud empowers OEMs with:

• Unified agreement visibility
• Dealer-driven real-time forecasting
• ERP-linked production planning
• AI-driven performance insights
• Transparent dealer collaboration portals

With Salesforce, agricultural manufacturers achieve seamless synchronization between market demand and factory output.

🚜 Ready to align your dealer and production strategy?

👉 [Book a Manufacturing Cloud Strategy Session with Perigeon]