Mid-market manufacturers often assume that running a world-class aftermarket is out of reach. That you need a global footprint, deep pockets, and a team of data scientists to get there.
But that assumption is costing you margin.
While the industry giants wrestle with multi-layered systems and internal red tape, you have something they don’t: the ability to pilot changes, see results fast, and scale what works, without waiting on a two-year IT roadmap.
The big players may have scale. But you’ve got speed. And in today’s market, that might matter more.
Our State of the Aftermarket 2025 research surveyed over 550 OEM leaders. The results confirmed a major shift already underway: the aftermarket is becoming a core growth driver for OEMs.
It’s not just that more revenue is expected to come from the aftermarket. OEMs are betting big on it to deliver more stable, high-margin returns.
And it’s hardly surprising. Whether you're keeping mining operations running in remote terrain or supporting farmers through peak planting or harvesting seasons, the ability to manage parts, pricing, and service well has a direct impact on customer loyalty, revenue, and margin.
So where are you on the curve?
Every manufacturer falls somewhere along the aftermarket maturity curve. But many aren’t being honest about where they sit, or what that means for their business.
A simple framework might look like this:
Reactive: You fix what breaks. Inventory planning is manual. Visibility is limited. You’re constantly chasing problems, not preventing them.
Connected: You’ve got line of sight across your network. Data is more accessible. You’re starting to anticipate demand, but still rely heavily on past patterns.
Predictive: You’re planning ahead with confidence. You understand what’s likely to happen and why. You make smarter decisions faster, with fewer surprises and higher returns.
From the outside, most businesses look “connected.” But dig a little deeper and the gaps start to show—excess inventory, high expedite costs, inconsistent service, and frustrated dealers and customers.
That’s because most mid-market OEMs are somewhere between reactive and connected. While most have matured past the chaos, they haven’t yet built the stability and insight that come with a more predictive model.
The good news is that you don’t need to leap straight from spreadsheets to AI. Progress is incremental and well within reach.
When people hear the word “transformation,” they picture massive programs, complex system rollouts, expensive consultants, and protracted change cycles.
That’s not an option for most mid-sized businesses, but that’s a good thing.
Some of the most impactful aftermarket improvements happen in focused, manageable steps. Like improving parts availability without overstocking, pricing service parts based on value, or surfacing warranty claims that should be recovered from your suppliers.
These kinds of changes work with what you already have, prove value quickly, and scale based on what your business needs today, not what the biggest players are doing.
Large OEMs may have more resources, but they’re often limited by size. Legacy platforms, fragmented data, and slow-moving decision structures make it harder for them to turn insight into action.
Mid-market manufacturers are often more operationally flexible. You can pilot new processes in a region or product line, test changes without waiting for enterprise sign-off, and move from plan to execution in a matter of months, not years.
That’s not a constraint—it’s a slingshot.
And in a market where customers expect better service, faster repairs, and more transparency, that speed matters.
The aftermarket is no longer just a support function. It’s a strategic growth engine. And for mid-market OEMs, there’s a real opportunity to outmanoeuvre slower, more complex competitors.
You don’t need a transformation roadmap to get started. Just a clear picture of what’s working, what’s holding you back, and where small shifts can deliver big returns.
Check out our State of the Aftermarket 2025 report for a broader view of what’s changing across the industry and how your peers are responding.
CTA: Download the report