2025 Built to Sell Report Series:

How Predictive Selling Is Shaping Manufacturing Go-to-Market (GTM) in 2026-2027

In the third and final volume in our annual 2025 Built to Sell report series, we cover how mid-sized B2B manufacturers are prioritizing front-office modernizations with AI systems and fully connected front- and back-end systems across quoting, pricing, and forecasting to predict and drive demand and margins. This includes insights from 200 U.S. manufacturers as well as interviews with leading digital and ERP consultancies.

DOWNLOAD & GET STARTED

 Manufacturers Prioritizing AI in Quoting & Selling;
From pilots to implementations, GTM has evolved

Aleran Connected Commerce Built to Sell Volume 3 AI Adoption in Manufacturing Quoting and Selling

Nearly 60% of manufacturers we surveyed are planning to implement AI initiatives as part of their quoting and selling while 34% already have  – evidence that the manufacturing go-to-market (GTM) playbook will look significantly different in 2026-2027 than previous years.. 

These findings come from Volume 3 of the 2025 Built to Sell Report Series, developed with independent research firm TrendCandy and based on a survey of 200 U.S. mid-sized and enterprise manufacturers across sectors like robotics, HVAC, industrial equipment, and machinery.

But the story doesn’t stop there. Manufacturers are recognizing that the lagging front-office investments coupled with a lack of front- and back-office system integrations, are making it difficult to deliver the personalization and predictive selling critical to how they GTM. 

A key piece of the integration story is the ability to extend their ERP.

As one industry leader shared, As pricing, configuration, and go-to-market complexity increased, manufacturers filled the front-office gaps with spreadsheets and manual workarounds. Today, those gaps aren’t just inefficient – they’re costing deals and margin. The path forward isn’t ripping out ERP, but layering digital commerce, CPQ, and AI on top so selling can scale without losing control.” 

The manufacturers prioritizing how and where they extend their ERP in the front-office will have a solid foundation to standardize and scale cost-effective growth.

What’s Inside the newest volume of the 2025 Built to Sell Report series

The third and final volume of the three-part  Built to Sell report series delivers a 2026-2027 outlook on how manufacturers will go to market in the predictive era. Inside you will learn:

N

How automation alone is no longer enough - manufacturers are shifting to predictive selling where connected systems anticipate buyer intent, demand patterns and pricing

N

Why CPQ is evolving from a rules-based configurator into a predictive revenue engine using AI and connected data to recommend configurations

N

What all of this means for predictive commerce to align Sales, Production and Supply Chain signals to improve forecasting and customer experience

N

How manufacturers are using AI to augment vs replace human teams - powering mid-sized teams with the ability to sell faster, make better decisions and focus on relationships over manual tasks

DOWNLOAD & GET STARTED

How Manufacturers GTM Will Evolve in 2026-2027 – What’s Changing?

Challenge Today How AI, Automation & Digital Commerce Helps Manufacturing Business Impact
Manual quoting stalls deals and frustrates buyers AI-powered CPQ automates complex pricing, approvals, and configuration Quotes delivered in hours, not days → higher win rates and stronger buyer trust
5% of revenue lost annually to inefficiencies ERP/CRM-integrated quoting eliminates errors, rework, and leakage Protects margins and captures millions in revenue otherwise left on the table
Buyers demand speed, personalization, and transparency AI-driven pricing, guided selling, and self-service portals meet buyers where they are Faster cycles, personalized experiences, and improved satisfaction
Legacy systems keep AI tools siloed Connected commerce unifies ERP, CRM, CPQ, and AI in one ecosystem Scalable sales growth and competitive advantage for early adopters

Who Should Read This

Volume 3 of Built to Sell is designed for:

N

Manufacturing Executives & GTM Leaders

seeking to sell faster and more accurately

N

IT and ERP teams planning future architecture

aiming to connect and unify front- and back-office systems and investments affordably and efficiently to support business objectives

N

Sales, Operations & Revenue Leaders

responsible for scaling sales with minimal, if any, headcount and IT reliance

N

Technology & Integration Partners

focused on supporting manufacturers to develop and deliver GTM and system success

Bottom line: Predictive selling is becoming the new standard. Built to Sell Volume 3 shows how manufacturers can lead the shift.

DOWNLOAD & GET STARTED

The State of Manufacturing Sales – Manual Quoting = Lost Deals

In the first installment of our inaugural report, we shared insights from 200 U.S. manufacturers on how quoting inefficiencies is costing 86% of surveyed manufacturers deals – and millions in revenue leakage.

Download Now