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By Nick Thompson | Oct 14, 2025

Genuine Parts vs. Aftermarket Parts: How After-Sales Leaders in Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Can Win Back Customers and Drive Revenue

How Aftermarket Competitors are Seizing the Spare Parts Opportunity For after-sales leaders at industrial equipment manufacturers, genuine part sales and services have never been more important. Your customers are keeping equipment in service longer than ever before, driven by the need to maximize capital investments and navigate ongoing economic uncertainty. McKinsey research indicates that the average lifespan of industrial machinery in North America has increased by nearly 20% over the past decade, with more than 60% of manufacturers reporting that parts and service revenue constitutes a growing share of their business. The same trends have been shared by our customers, with

By Aaron Smith | Sep 30, 2025

How Industrial Equipment Manufacturer After-Sales Leaders are Overcoming Common IT Concerns in Spare Parts Digitization Projects

Why After-Sales Leaders Need to Consider Critical IT Requirements for After-Sales Digitization Projects It's budget planning season for many of us, which always involves prioritizing initiatives for the upcoming year to secure funding for key projects. Digital transformation in manufacturing hinges on more than just the addition of new technology; it requires building a business case that aligns stakeholders around ROI while aligning the initiative with larger business goals. To address the demanding digital needs and expectations of customers, dealers, and internal stakeholders, after-sales leaders need to focus on driving alignment around the long-term benefits of digitizing their spare part

By Nick Thompson | Sep 16, 2025

Keeping Food Processing Moving: How Equipment Manufacturers Can Minimize Their Customer’s Unplanned Downtime by Digitizing Genuine Parts Procurement

The High Stakes of Uptime for Food Processing and Packaging Equipment Manufacturers Every minute matters in food processing. Production lines run around the clock, and any interruption, no matter how minor, can have significant consequences for your customers. Unplanned downtime doesn't just mean lost production; it means wasted ingredients, missed delivery windows, and, most importantly, risk to a brand's hard-won reputation for quality and reliability. For food processing and packaging equipment manufacturers, these moments of crisis are defining for your business and brand reputation. When a customer's line stops, they don't just need a part; they need a reliable partner to

By Nick Thompson | Sep 2, 2025

Top 10 Considerations for After-Sales Leaders in Your 2026 Budget Planning to Drive Revenue and Profits – Part 2

Recapping Why Industrial Manufacturing Leaders are Investing in After-Sales Operations In part one of our series, we examined the foundational steps to transform your after-sales operations from a cost center into a formidable profit center that scales to drive sustainable revenue. We established that a digital-first, frictionless customer experience, supported by a single source of truth for your spare parts data, is the key to meeting modern customer expectations. We also explored how AI-powered visual identification and automating CAD asset conversion can eliminate the costly "parts detective" problem and speed up your part sales operations. We also examined

By Nick Thompson | Aug 26, 2025

Top 10 Considerations for After-Sales Leaders in Your 2026 Budget Planning to Drive Revenue and Profits – Part 1

Why Industrial Leaders are Investing in Digitizing Their After-Sales Operations In the first part of this two-part series, we will examine the first five of ten considerations that after-sales leaders should consider when budgeting for 2026. Please join us next week for the second part to learn the last five considerations. After-sales operations for leading industrial equipment manufacturers are a critical engine for growth, customer loyalty, and long-term profitability. With customers holding onto capital equipment for longer and economic pressures mounting, your after-sales business is poised to become your most valuable asset to drive sustainable revenue. For leaders planning their 2026 budgets, the

By Nick Thompson | Aug 19, 2025

Why After-Sales Support is Essential for Industrial Manufacturers to Combat Unplanned Downtime

The True Cost of Unplanned Downtime for Industrial Machines is Staggering The industrial equipment manufacturing industry operates within a complex ecosystem characterized by tough operating conditions, safety regulations, operational inefficiency, and labor shortages. When industrial equipment shuts down abruptly, the cost of that unplanned downtime can be staggering. Research from Deloitte suggests the industrial equipment industry loses $50 billion per year due to unplanned downtime. Unplanned downtime isn't just an inconvenience; it's a costly disruption that can significantly impact production schedules, inflate operational expenses, and even damage customer relationships. Many industrial manufacturers have focused on simplifying and automating the initial

By Anna Harkins | Aug 5, 2025

Unlocking Efficiency: Key Takeaways from Our Webinar on Digitalizing Genuine Spare Part Sales Processes

Industrial Manufacturers are Focused on After-Sales Parts and Services Efficiency and digitalization are no longer optional for industrial manufacturers, especially within the capital equipment product lifecycle. In my 20+ years of experience working with industrial manufacturers on their digital transformation and now as General Manager of CDS Visual, I have seen many of the problems up close and personal while also going through the process of developing advanced technologies to solve them. In the last several years, there has been a noticeable focus on after-sales parts and services from our customer base. Our recent webinar, led by Aaron Smith (VP of

By Nick Thompson | Jul 22, 2025

How OEMs are Unlocking Hidden Revenue by Simplifying Part Identification and Search for Frictionless Genuine Part Sales

Why After-Sales Services and Genuine Part Sales Should Be a Strategic Priority in the Current Economy The initial equipment sale between original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their customers is merely the beginning of the relationship. With your business model, you are likely selling a mix of configurable, standard, and genuine spare parts through direct, distributor, or online channels. Whether your approach or desired approach includes one or all of the channels, there is likely hidden revenue to be uncovered in the friction of the parts procurement process. The current economy demands strong after-sales services from OEMs as customers are keeping capital equipment

By Nick Thompson | Jul 15, 2025

How Visual 3D Hotspots Drive Growth and Efficiency for OEM Genuine Parts Sales

Can Visual 3D Hotspots Revolutionize OEM Genuine Parts Businesses? Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with after-sales genuine parts and services businesses are observing firsthand how much the landscape has shifted. Leaders in their respective industries have recognized the potential of their parts businesses to contribute sustainable and profitable revenue to the organization. However, cumbersome and non-standard parts procurement processes leave spare parts management and maintenance disconnected from the core business. At the same time, they lacked the appropriate tools to view parts data in real-time, which prevents users from accurately identifying and securing the parts they needed. Customers, whether they're seasoned technicians

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