Case Study: Unilever Europe achieves finance transformation and EUR700 million annual savings with IBM

Radical transformation lets Unilever Europe focus on growth and winning in the marketplace

Unilever Europe, a major consumer goods company, faced inefficiencies from its fragmented operations across 24 countries, which used multiple ERP systems and separate finance processes. This complex structure impeded growth and created a high-cost environment. To address this, Unilever Europe partnered with IBM on an ambitious "One Unilever" initiative aimed at radical transformation.

IBM implemented a comprehensive business process outsourcing (BPO) solution, standardizing finance and accounting processes on a single SAP ERP system. IBM deployed its global delivery capabilities and proprietary technologies like DCIW workflow and ARCollect to automate and streamline operations. This partnership resulted in significant annual savings of EUR 700 million, improved transparency, and created a flexible, scalable operating model that allowed Unilever to refocus on core business growth.

Unilever Europe

Pascal Visée

Chief Enterprise Support Officer