How important is it for Unilevers IT systems to be centred on its customers?

It is immensely important that the IT systems used by Unilever are centred around their customers the reason primarily because the customers are ultimately the main people who will use their systems. The massive scale of Unilever from operating in nearly 100 countries to employing around 223,000 people worldwide means that millions of people, industries and organisations rely on Unilevers systems for information exchange globally. This can be internally from inside the organisation with Unilevers employees adding or modifying data to external candidates for example Sainsburys who place local demands on the system being an independent supplier. Unilever recently announced that they would also be merging many of their systems together known as convergence for simplicity, efficiency and a reduction in costs. Although Unilever previously operated 2 different systems, streamlining these into one will be a costly but effective process. However the idea is that for Unilever this simplicity will bring benefits for customers as they get access to the relevant information for their needs and data that is tailored for them. This would make the system highly valued; otherwise Unilever could be providing the wrong information to the wrong people. A key example in this context would be how Unilevers systems are affected by use of certain organisations and their information needs. Take Wal-Mart as an example mentioned in the case study, their requirements for information from the system would be different in that because their operations are done regionally, they require strategic information that would be used by directors and chief executives in order to work with Unilever. Lower down the hierarchy, this is different to Sainsburys for example, and who require operational information that is useful for the market they are in, as they operate in local environments. This information would perhaps be used by managers or staff. This differentiation in the information needs is important because every organisation will use Unilever for different purposes. Therefore combined with this focus, and the size and types of organisations, it is such a factor to consider that allows it to achieve what it is designed for. An example of a system that is centred around the customer is the recently launched USQS (Unilever Supplier Qualification System) which is used to improve the connection between Unilever and suppliers and make it easier to do business. It allows the management of complex supplier information and to streamline the way in Unilever engages with suppliers and customers, no matter where they are located. The use of a single system in this way to remove the boundaries and complications that customers and suppliers would otherwise face is effective. Communication between companies is greatly improved and recognition is emphasised. Having been improved, the system also allows Unilever to provide accurate information of benefit to both Unilever and the company. Companies only now need to use the system once to add information and quarterly update this information removing the need to update all the time. In the process of unifying different aspects of the business together, it is also important that Unilever keeps the experience of conducting business with people and organisations alike consistent, and for this to occur it means a process of standardisation. Unilever understand this importance and therefore interactions and processes that involve Unilever and suppliers to communicate have been made simpler. This aim allows Unilever to bring its customers even closer and to establish better connections between them. The running of such systems that customers and suppliers use is not down to just Unilever. According to the case study, Dell and Unisys both manage the IT systems and provide support for users. Unilever mentions that a few services are also outsourced, and because of this it can arguably be hard to see if the system is built around the user. Although Unilever know that it is important in the process of bringing customers and suppliers together that their systems would have to be intuitive to use, well organised and easily accessible, it would also be down to the companys managing the system to ensure that this happens. Certainly, there are many disadvantages to Unilever if they fail to recognise the important of their systems interaction with the user especially with the provision of information. Not only is the way in which the IT systems run at Unilever important, but also the needs of people involved with Unilever in order for it to be effective, allowing customers to do what they require the system to do for them. As discussed within this essay, it is important that this is Unilevers main consideration and priority as they move forward to merge the geographical element of the business together. Even by Unilever having such systems, it is important that they maintain the level of interaction that they provide for the user, in order for it to be effective. Advantages to Unilever from

the system will come naturally as suppliers and customers like Sainsburys will want to use the system and the introduction of different departments into one will provide convenience to those suppliers and customers. The IT systems which are active around the needs of organisations, no matter how small or large or what region of the world they may be in, key emphasis is placed by Global Chief Information Officer (CIO) Neil Cameron in which he states that the improvements and benefits of such a system revolutionised by the customer has provided benefits to Unilever in the supply chain and customer response unit. References: Chapter 1 - business information systems: an overview, Management Information Systems; Oz E, Jones A. [accessed 10/02/2013] http://www.unilever.com/aboutus/supplier/usqs/index.aspx [accessed 12/02/2013] Essential ICT for AQA (Folens Publishing), Doyle S, 2008