Soluções digitais e as possibilidades de aplicação na relação comercial entre o fabricante de produtos para automação industrial e seus canais de distribuição

Abstract

Are digital solutions in the B2B – Business-to-Business market functional and viable for improving performance within the distribution channels of manufacturers of industrial automation products? The structuring of commercial processes within this market is something very particular to organizations. Companies that manufacture products for industrial automation, with their own salesforce and their distribution channels partners, despite working with high-tech products, have yet to exploit all the possibilities of digitizing their data, processes and activities. At the moment, the B2B market is undergoing transformations. On the other hand, the traditional sales format for industrial automation products has not yet kept pace with the changes that have taken place. The perception of the possibility of applying digital solutions to sales processes and activities in this scenario as a way of increasing the competitiveness of distribution channels for industrial automation products in Brazil was the motivating factor behind this research. In order to find ways to increase the performance of companies that manufacture and distribute products for industrial automation, this research was carried out, which can be classified as a qualitative-exploratory study. To this end, data was collected by conducting individual in-depth interviews, using a semi-structured approach, with five professionals with extensive experience in the market. These professionals pointed out the main difficulties they face and possible digital solutions that companies could implement. They also pointed out challenges that need to be overcome so that digital solutions can be operationalized in the context investigated. As such, this work could contribute to future research on the subject and provide a basis for adopting digital solutions that could improve the commercial relationship between manufacturers of industrial automation products and their distribution channels.