Trends and Insights
5 reasons why manufacturers need to leverage online learning
By Emily Gimpel — On May 9, 2025
The manufacturing industry is undergoing rapid transformation. Disrupted supply chains, labor shortages, and increasingly complex product portfolios are putting pressure on go-to-market (GTM) teams to move faster and perform better. Meanwhile, both buyers and distributors expect personalized, high-value experiences that traditional training methods can’t keep up with.
To continue driving growth and efficiency, manufacturers must embrace innovation not just on the factory floor, but also in how they enable and train their sales and marketing teams — especially as many increasingly view smart factory solutions as a key driver of competitiveness in the years ahead, according to Deloitte’s Manufacturing Industry Outlook. Online learning is one of the most effective ways to do that. Here’s how it helps future-ready manufacturers scale faster and perform better.
Delivers an engaging and digital learning experience
The emerging workforce is digitally native. They expect intuitive, accessible tools in every part of their job — training included. A digital learning platform provides flexible, engaging content that aligns with how modern sellers prefer to learn. And for manufacturers, that means being able to deliver product, safety, and compliance training that’s easier to understand, retain, and apply in the field.
Michelin is a great example — they embraced Seismic to align internal teams on a growing product portfolio and accelerate their GTM strategy.
Streamlines the training process
Manufacturers know how to engineer for efficiency — but when it comes to training, many still rely on outdated, time-consuming processes. Online learning simplifies training creation, organization, and delivery. It allows sales and marketing leaders to scale programs faster, update content in real-time, and monitor team progress without pulling reps out of the field for hours at a time.
As product lines evolve and specs change, digital training ensures that teams stay aligned without missing a beat.
Saves time and increases productivity
Training delays can directly impact time-to-revenue, especially when onboarding new reps or launching new products. Traditional training pulls teams away from selling — and when content is scattered across SharePoint folders or email chains, sellers waste hours searching for the right materials.
With Seismic, manufacturers like Tails.com have reduced ramp time by 34%, while maintaining 100% learner satisfaction. And Jostens reclaimed more than 33,000 seller hours per year by unifying training and content in a single platform.
Never stop growing.
Creates consistency and alignment
For manufacturers with multiple product lines, markets, and distributor networks, consistent training is essential. Online learning ensures that everyone — from in-house reps to channel partners — receives the same accurate, up-to-date training, no matter their location or language.
The Seismic Enablement CloudTM makes it easy to maintain brand consistency, compliance, and product accuracy at scale, while enabling localized delivery across global teams. That consistency drives confidence in the field and credibility with buyers.
Keeps pace with change at scale
Manufacturing is evolving rapidly,and your GTM teams need to keep up. With online learning, leaders can quickly roll out updates on new offerings, changing safety standards, or market shifts, ensuring teams stay ahead of the competition.
And because Seismic connects training with content and analytics, you’ll not only move fast — you’ll know what’s working, what’s not, and where to optimize.
Create a well-oiled training program with Seismic
Training is critical to the success of your manufacturing GTM team — especially when your workforce is distributed, your products are complex, and your buyers are increasingly digital-first. The Seismic Enablement Cloud™ brings together learning, coaching, content, and analytics to help manufacturers onboard faster, stay aligned, and make every buyer interaction count.
Ready to streamline your training process and boost productivity? See how Seismic can help.