21: An end to Excel chaos: Why modern sales reports determine the success of automotive suppliers
Management decisions are based on data. But what if this data is outdated, inconsistent or simply put together manually? This is a huge problem -...
3 min read
Erik Reiter
:
Aug 8, 2025 6:00:00 AM
Suppliers in the automotive industry know how to use time efficiently. In production, every second is clocked, every move optimized. But what about sales? While production shines with digital precision, in many places sales seems like a relic from the analog days: Excel spreadsheets, manual calculations, time-consuming reporting, laborious coordination. The result: a permanent lack of time.
There is a lack of time in sales. Everyday work is characterized by manual tasks that are not only error-prone, but also extremely time-consuming. Sales employees juggle figures, data and offers from different sources - often without central system support. There is simply no time for strategic tasks such as customer development, offer tracking or market analysis.
The result: sales potential remains untapped. Customer relationships cannot be adequately maintained. New orders fail to materialize and there is often a lack of sound preparation for price negotiations. The consequences: falling margins, missed opportunities and a noticeable burden on the company's profitability.
Digitalization is no longer a buzzword - it is a must. If you want to remain competitive as a supplier, you need to focus on efficiency not only in production, but also in sales. The key to this lies in the systematic automation of sales processes. And this is exactly where Digital Automotive comes in - the leading solution for Strategic Sales Planning & Sales Management, specially developed for automotive suppliers.
Instead of manually compiling data from various sources, Digital Automotive delivers all relevant information (e.g. quantities, exchange rates, calculation factors) exactly when it is needed. Without detours. Without searching. Without sources of error.
What used to take a lot of time is now done with a click: Quotation calculations and pricing are automated - with access to all relevant variables. The creation of customer business documents (CBDs) is also supported automatically. This leaves more time for the essentials: customers and their needs.
Volume and price planning are among the core processes in strategic sales. In many companies, however, these tasks are decentralized, difficult to control and often dependent on individual employees. With the right automation solution, these processes become centralized, transparent and significantly more efficient.
A centralized system that connects to existing upstream systems makes sales work leaner and more robust. Data is either transferred directly or - if necessary - only entered once and used several times. This means: no double entries, no contradictory versions, no loss of time.
How much time is lost each month for reporting? In many companies it is several days - every month! Yet these processes can also be fully automated. With Digital Automotive, reports are available in real time - consistent, reliable and always up-to-date. Sales can finally concentrate on the market again, not on Excel.
The demands on sales are increasing: Customers are becoming more demanding, markets more volatile, price negotiations tougher. At the same time, the pressure on margins is growing. If you want to remain competitive today, you don't have to work more - you have to work smarter.
Automation in sales is no longer a nice-to-have, but a clear competitive advantage. It frees up time for strategic tasks, reduces errors, speeds up processes and strengthens customer loyalty. And above all: it increases profitability.
Digital Automotive is not just any CRM or ERP system that fits all industries but doesn't really understand any of them. It is a solution developed by industry experts for industry experts - specifically for automotive suppliers. And that is precisely why it seamlessly integrates all of the above-mentioned automations into the way sales teams work.
Whether Tier 1, Tier 2 or specialty suppliers: With Digital Automotive, suppliers can rethink their entire sales management - with minimal implementation effort and maximum benefit.
In production, it has long been recognized that automation and digitalization are crucial for efficiency and quality. It's high time that sales followed suit. After all, those who continue to rely on manual processes lose valuable time - and ultimately sales and profits.
If you want to know what this looks like in practice, it's worth taking a look at Digital Automotive. Or even better: a live demo.
👉 Request a demo now at digital-automotive-supplier.com
Management decisions are based on data. But what if this data is outdated, inconsistent or simply put together manually? This is a huge problem -...