Automotive Supplier Sales

21: An end to Excel chaos: Why modern sales reports determine the success of automotive suppliers

Written by Erik Reiter | Jul 4, 2025 4:00:00 AM

 

Management decisions are based on data. But what if this data is outdated, inconsistent or simply put together manually? This is a huge problem - and a huge opportunity.

 

Back to the future? Manual report creation in the year 2025

It's hard to believe: despite all the digitalization initiatives, many automotive suppliers still create management reports the same way they did 30 years ago - manually, decentralized, unstandardized. Excel is still the tool of choice, supplemented by PowerPoint slides and individual evaluations that are created on demand.

What sounds like flexibility at first glance turns out to be a massive time waster and risk factor on closer inspection: different data sources, a lack of consistency and high manual effort not only lead to an enormous overhead, but also to a poor basis for decision-making.

 

The consequences: Loss of time, frustration and wrong decisions

A real-life example: A sales manager wants a location analysis on performance in the Asian market. This requires data from CRM, ERP and Excel files from three national companies to be merged - a process that can take several days. And what if the data is outdated or aggregated differently? Then the beautiful report is finished, but its content is not reliable.

The consequences are fatal:

  • Important decisions are made on the basis of incomplete or incorrect data

  • Sales and management lose time on coordination instead of strategic control

  • Trust in reporting systems dwindles - and with it the management's ability to act

 

The solution: standardized, automated reports with Digital Automotive

The way out of this dilemma is clear: away from manual report creation and towards an automated, centralized solution that is specifically tailored to the requirements of automotive suppliers.

Digital Automotive, the leading platform for Strategic Sales Planning & Sales Management, delivers exactly that: fully automated benchmark management reports that are not only created efficiently, but are also strategically relevant.

 

What modern sales management reports need to do:

A modern solution such as Digital Automotive includes all relevant report types required for sound management:

  • Strategy reports: Where do we want to go - and how do we get there?

  • Steering reports: Which measures are working, where do we need to make adjustments?

  • Performance reports: How are our regions, customers and products performing? 

  • Planning reports: How are markets, sales and contribution margins developing?

  • Market analysis reports: How do we compare with the competition?

And all of this is available simply, at any time and from anywhere - also mobile and directly usable by management. No back and forth between departments, no guesswork about KPIs, no manual data maintenance.

 

Digital Automotive: The new standard for the sales success of suppliers

The integrated reporting solution is part of several Digital Automotive modules. It uses global system data, provides real-time evaluations in all dimensions (customers, regions, products, plants, etc.) and thus enables data-based, future-oriented sales management - at the touch of a button.

The advantage is obvious:

  • Massive time savings in report creation

  • Higher data quality and comparability

  • Faster, well-founded decisions

  • Transparency across all sales levels

 

Conclusion: Those who still report manually today risk the sales success of tomorrow

The demands on automotive suppliers are growing - new competitors, volatile markets, increasing pressure on margins. In order to operate successfully in this environment, one thing is needed: clear, reliable decision-making bases that are available at all times.

Anyone still relying on manual processes today is working against their own future. Those who rely on digital sales management with automated reports, on the other hand, will secure a decisive advantage.

Curious?

Experience the benefits of modern sales management live - with an individual demo from Digital Automotive. Enquire now at:
👉 www.digital-automotive-supplier.com