BUSINESS

Enterprise Resource Planning of Unilever

Executive Summary

More and more businesses in today's competitive world are dealing with complex processes of running their business which includes difficult procedures and complex mechanisms. This has led many businesses to assess the significance of implementing an Enterprise Resource planning system in their organizations. The objective of research paper is to explore the ERP solutions need of largest consumer goods company in UK called Unilever. Unilever is currently facing problems of inefficient supply chain management, procurement and increasing wastage of products and costs. The wider scale of operation poses various difficulties for large companies to manage their operations more efficiently and effectively which involves maximum usage of available resources and minimum chances of wastage and burden of unnecessary costs. Further, company is operating in very competitive market where wastages and increasing cost threaten its position as market leader. There are many challenges which company is struggling to maintain such as increasing cost of their products due to inefficient supply chain and logistics management system and increasing wastage which causes their customers to get products in very low quantity than the price pay. This turns the consumers of Unilever to move to its competitors and also to substitute products which products contain less cost and high quantity. While quality is main factor which intensifies Unilever presence in global market, it might not prove successful for Unilever in long-run as their competitors with strong financial muscle and presence in global markets along with usage of ERP and SAP systems, would be able to provide quality products at least prices. The applications of SAP proposed is designed to boost companies potential of meeting large number of consumers which is was found in analysis as early challenges for company operating in global markets.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary2

Introduction4

Findings4

Type and Size of Organization4

Brief History of Company5

Market of Company5

Competitors6

Assessment of Current Major Problems6

Proposed Potential Improvements7

Critical Success Factors8

Conclusions9

Recommendations9

Appendix12

Enterprise Resource Planning of Unilever

Introduction

An ERP systems help organization to integrate, facilitate and manage their data, information and all process through the implementation of single system. The implementation of ERP systems also helps companies to control their operations more effectively and efficiently. The objective of this assignment is to assess the ERP of one largest consumer goods company around the globe named Unilever. This will be discussed by analyzing the challenges and problems that calls the implementation of ERP systems as well as potential of improvements through the same. The assignment will later discuss critical success factors in implementation of ERP systems that management need to consider for proposed processed improvements (King, 2010).

Findings

The need assessment of Unilever for ERP-solutions calls as they need to address their current problems in managing their supply chain management, logistics and minimize wastage. Since long, Unilever is facing these problems as they are increasing in many parts of world which intensifies the consumers demand up to 150 million per day (Somers & Nelson, 2001).

Type and Size of Organization

Unilever is largest consumer goods company in UK and one of the 3rd ...