SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT
Unilever is implementing a businesswide, AI-first digital backbone through a strategic five-year partnership with Google Cloud. Operating in 190 countries and serving 3.7 billion people daily, the company leverages Vertex AI to power agentic workflows that ensure procurement quality across thousands of categories. These systems verify that suppliers meet Unilever’ s strict quality and sustainability benchmarks, including in complex areas such as regenerative agriculture and sustainable packaging. The financial impact of this digital transformation is significant. Unilever’ s Customer Operations team has delivered over € 1.7 billion in value through enhanced service levels and inventory reduction. By migrating to a unified cloud platform, the company can respond to market shifts with greater agility and improved data integrity, while embedding quality and compliance throughout its supply chain.
“ Technology has moved to the core of value creation at Unilever,” said Willem Uijen, Chief Supply Chain and Operations Officer.“ As brands are increasingly discovered and chosen in environments shaped by AI, we must lead this shift, ensuring Unilever is agile, fit for the future, and equipped to unlock value at every level of the company.”