A study into marketing automation and its role in unifying the sales and marketing cycle within product-service systems B2B manufacturers

Elsaid, Mahmoud (2023) A study into marketing automation and its role in unifying the sales and marketing cycle within product-service systems B2B manufacturers. Doctoral thesis, Northumbria University.

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Abstract

The economic and social landscape facing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) today means that many are facing significant business challenges. B2B technology manufacturers are one group of small businesses that are now being forced to look for alternative management approaches to compete in their existing marketplaces due to increased competition and rising costs. Indeed, Servitization is considered by many B2B technology manufacturers and business practitioners as a possible solution. However, this shift towards Servitization has created new challenges for B2B manufacturers' sales cycles, which are now more prolonged and complex than traditional sales methods.

This has led this research to examine the impact of Servitization on B2B SME technology manufacturers and how it affects their sales funnel. Additionally, the study examines the role of marketing within such organisations and the potential for Marketing Automation to optimise the alignment of Sales and Marketing activities in Servitized product-service systems (PSS). The specific aim of this DBA research is to “How can Marketing Automation optimise, integrate and evolve the sales cycle within B2B Servitized technology manufacturing businesses?”. The study uses a qualitative approach to gather data from 10 participants through semi-structured interviews. It follows a multi-case study approach, examining the sales funnel of five businesses and conducting further interviews with five Marketing Automation experts to discuss the challenges faced by these businesses and how Marketing Automation can help improve their processes. The data is analysed using template analysis to produce a detailed Sales and Marketing funnel framework that unifies Sales and Marketing functions and improves the existing funnel adopted by PSS B2B manufacturers.

The findings acknowledge that there is a clear disconnection between Sales and Marketing alignment in PSS businesses and that Marketing Automation can play an important role in improving the challenges such businesses face in their sales cycle. The proposed master Sales and Marketing funnel framework represents an optimised way to align Sales and Marketing activities in Servitized PSS businesses. This study makes a significant contribution to professional practice by providing a framework that can be used to align Sales and Marketing activities in PSS businesses. The research also contributes to theory by providing new insights into the impact of Servitization on PSS manufacturers, the challenges that salespeople face in their daily work, and how marketing can help alleviate those challenges. Furthermore, this research has also identified a potential new area for future research to explore the integration of Marketing Automation with technical teams and post-sales activities.

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