Best practices for maximizing production efficiency

Manufacturing leaders are transitioning from focusing on incremental gains to more of a systemic transformation. According to Salesforce, 85% of manufacturers say modernization is required to remain competitive, with many pursuing full operational overhauls.

At the same time, the challenge lies in both the technology adoption and its execution. Data fragmentation, legacy infrastructure, and workforce constraints continue to suppress productivity gains, even as digital investment accelerates.

Production efficiency must be redefined as a cross-functional, data-driven capability, rather than a plant-level KPI. Traditional efficiency models focused on isolated improvements like lean processes, cost reduction, or throughput optimization. That model is breaking down.

• Manufacturing productivity growth has slowed significantly in mature markets, signaling diminishing returns from legacy optimization approaches
• Meanwhile, 86–88% of manufacturers now prioritize digital transformation and process efficiency simultaneously

Efficiency gains now come from connecting systems, data, and decision-making layers—not necessarily optimizing them in isolation.

6 Best practices for maximizing production efficiency with Salesforce

Rather than treating Salesforce as a CRM overlay, leading manufacturers are deploying it as a unifying operational platform to bridge commercial, service, and production environments.

1. Eliminate data fragmentation to unlock operational intelligence

Most manufacturers are sitting on vast amounts of underutilized data. Salesforce, when integrated across ERP, MES, and IoT systems, becomes the control layer that transforms raw data into actionable intelligence.

• Advanced analytics can increase output by 18–30% in production environments when data is effectively leveraged
• Yet 46% of manufacturers report limitations in their data and IT systems, often due to fragmentation

Manufacturers need to establish a unified data model across operations, integrate real-time production and customer demand signals, and enable cross-functional visibility through centralized dashboards.

2. Shift from reactive to predictive operations

Downtime, delays, and inefficiencies are rarely random—they are predictable with the right data infrastructure. Predictive maintenance can reduce downtime by 30–50% and extend asset life by up to 40%

Salesforce enables predictive decisioning by aggregating asset, service, and operational data into a single platform. This means the main focus should be

• Connect asset data into Salesforce for real-time monitoring
• Use AI-driven insights to anticipate failures and disruptions
• Align service teams with production for faster response cycles

3. Align demand signals directly with production planning

One of the most persistent inefficiencies in manufacturing is the disconnect between what is sold and what is produced. Over 90% of manufacturers report disruptions across demand, production, and distribution layers. This is something that will always be a factor for manufacturers. Whether it's a global pandemic, wars affecting supply chains, or lack of resources, it's important to plan for the worst.

Salesforce bridges front-office demand signals with back-office production planning—reducing latency between market changes and operational response. Manufacturers can leverage Salesforce by integrating Sales Cloud data into production forecasting, enabling real-time demand sensing, and improving S&OP alignment across departments.

4. Automate the entire decision workflow

Automation is often misapplied in manufacturing environments. Many organizations focus on digitizing manual inputs or isolated tasks—approvals, data entry, or alerts—without addressing the broader decision-making architecture. The result is incremental efficiency gains that fail to scale. True operational leverage comes from automating decision workflows across interconnected systems, where actions are triggered dynamically based on real-time conditions, not static rules.

• Orchestrate cross-system workflows: Use Salesforce to connect signals across ERP, MES, and service systems, enabling automated responses to production delays, supply shortages, or demand spikes.

• Enable event-driven operations: Trigger workflows based on real-time thresholds (e.g., inventory dips, machine anomalies, order changes), ensuring immediate action without human latency.

• Embed AI-driven recommendations: Leverage Salesforce AI capabilities to guide next-best actions—such as rerouting production, reallocating inventory, or prioritizing high-value orders.

• Automate exception management: Instead of escalating issues manually, configure workflows to resolve common disruptions automatically or route them intelligently based on severity and impact.

• Close the loop between insight and action: Ensure that analytics outputs directly initiate workflows, eliminating the gap between visibility and execution.

The organizations that outperform are those that move beyond task automation and toward decision automation at scale. Salesforce becomes not just a system of record, but a system of action, where operational decisions are executed in real time with minimal human intervention.

5. Standardize processes to scale efficiency across facilities

In multi-site manufacturing environments, inconsistency is one of the most overlooked barriers to efficiency. Variability in processes, data definitions, and workflows across plants creates operational drag, limits visibility, and prevents organizations from scaling best practices. Standardization is not about rigid uniformity—it’s about establishing a repeatable, governed operating model that can adapt without fragmenting.

• Define global process frameworks: Use Salesforce to establish standardized workflows for production planning, quality management, and service coordination across all facilities.

• Create a unified data taxonomy: Align data definitions (e.g., KPIs, product classifications, operational metrics) to ensure consistency in reporting and decision-making.

• Deploy templated workflows and playbooks: Roll out pre-configured process templates that can be adapted locally while maintaining core structural integrity.

• Enable centralized performance monitoring: Track KPIs across facilities in a single environment, enabling leadership to identify underperforming sites and replicate high-performing models.

• Accelerate onboarding and expansion: Standardized systems reduce the time required to bring new plants, lines, or acquisitions into the operational ecosystem.

Standardization is ultimately a force multiplier. It allows manufacturers to transition from isolated pockets of excellence to enterprise-wide operational maturity, where improvements are not just achieved—but systematically replicated.

6. Address the human factor in digital efficiency

Digital transformation strategies often over-index on technology while underestimating the human element. In reality, workforce enablement is one of the most critical (and most constrained) drivers of production efficiency. Skill gaps, workforce turnover, and operational complexity all limit the impact of even the most advanced systems. Efficiency gains are only realized when technology is aligned with how people actually work.

• Embed knowledge directly into workflows: Use Salesforce to surface contextual guidance, SOPs, and best practices within operational processes, reducing reliance on tribal knowledge.

• Simplify user experiences across roles: Design role-specific interfaces that align with how operators, supervisors, and service teams interact with systems on the floor.

• Reduce cognitive load through automation: Eliminate unnecessary decision points and manual inputs, allowing workers to focus on higher-value activities.

• Accelerate workforce onboarding and upskilling: Provide guided workflows and digital training tools that reduce time-to-productivity for new employees.

• Enable real-time collaboration: Connect frontline workers with back-office teams (sales, service, supply chain) to resolve issues faster and improve coordination.

The competitive advantage is shifting toward organizations that treat their workforce as an integrated component of the digital ecosystem. Salesforce enables this by bridging the gap between systems and people—turning fragmented processes into intuitive, guided, and scalable experiences that drive sustained efficiency gains.

Why most digital efficiency initiatives stall

Despite significant investment in digital transformation, most manufacturing organizations struggle to translate strategy into sustained operational gains. The gap isn’t ambition—it’s execution at scale.

Legacy infrastructure and integration complexity

Most manufacturers operate within deeply entrenched technology environments where ERP, MES, and other critical systems were never designed to work together. As a result, integration becomes a bottleneck rather than an enabler, slowing down data flow and limiting real-time visibility. Even when Salesforce is introduced as a unifying layer, without a clear integration strategy, organizations end up reinforcing silos instead of eliminating them. This complexity not only delays implementation timelines but also increases costs and reduces the overall impact of efficiency initiatives.

Poor data quality and governance

Data is the foundation of any efficiency strategy, but in many cases, it is unreliable, inconsistent, or incomplete. Disparate data sources, lack of standardization, and weak governance frameworks create conflicting insights that erode trust in the system. When frontline teams and leadership cannot rely on the accuracy of data, adoption suffers and decision-making reverts to manual or experience-based judgment. Without a disciplined approach to data management, even the most advanced Salesforce capabilities fail to deliver meaningful outcomes.

Lack of scalable operating models for AI and analytics

While many organizations successfully pilot AI and analytics initiatives, few are able to scale them across the enterprise. The challenge lies in moving from isolated use cases to integrated, repeatable operating models that embed intelligence into everyday workflows. Without clear ownership, governance, and alignment across business units, these initiatives remain fragmented and fail to deliver enterprise-wide impact. Salesforce provides the technological foundation, but without an operational framework to support it, the value of AI and analytics remains underutilized.

Ultimately, efficiency transformation succeeds only when technology, data, and operating models are aligned to drive consistent execution across the organization.

Start streamlining Salesforce for manufacturing

TELUS Digital operates at the intersection of strategy, technology, and execution—helping manufacturers move beyond fragmented initiatives to enterprise-wide efficiency transformation. We make sure you are maximizing Salesforce with our:

• Deep expertise in Salesforce consulting and implementation
• Proven ability to integrate Salesforce within complex manufacturing ecosystems (ERP, MES, IoT)
• A broader digital transformation capability that extends beyond the platform
• Faster time-to-value from Salesforce investments
• Measurable improvements in production efficiency and operational agility
• Scalable frameworks for continuous optimization

If production efficiency is still being treated as a plant-level initiative, you’re already behind. Engage TELUS Digital to design and implement a Salesforce-driven operating model that turns disconnected systems into a unified, data-driven production engine.

‍