Unilever calls on Accenture to drive AI business efficiency

Unilever has extended its IT contract with Accenture to help it use generative artifical intelligence (GenAI) to drive efficiencies and improve business agility.

The consumer packaged goods company plans to work with Accenture to establish the foundation on which to set a new industry standard in GenAI-powered productivity. This includes scaling use cases that have shown to be effective in delivering cost reductions and operational efficiencies across the business globally.

Hein Schumacher, CEO of Unilever, said: “We have already introduced 500 AI applications across Unilever, helping us to reach new levels of efficiency. But as AI matures and becomes increasingly intelligent and intuitive, we see so much more potential.”

Out of the 500 AI applications Unilver has developed, more than 330 are live today. These include applications that span various areas of the business, from supply chain optimisation and product development to marketing and customer service. For instance, in product development, Unilever said its scientists have been using AI to discover new ingredients and advance their scientific research for over a decade.

“Our virtual experiments and data analysis capabilities are leading to breakthroughs in biotechnology, microbiome research, and the development of new materials, resulting in patented technologies across major brands,” the company said.

In a blog post looking at this research effort, Unilever said that it is using AI-powered data analysis to understand the 100 trillion+ microbes in, on and around the human body – and its role in the immune system and keeping the skin healthy.

“To understand the interactions between the microbiome and external forces, we had to dive into 12 terabytes of data and extract unique insights, much of which has gone already into everyday products such as Dove, Pond’s and Vaseline to create revolutionary, patented technology, delivering healthy-looking skin for consumers,” the company said.

Another example is the use of AI to create a customer connectivity model for collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment, which Unilever said delivers an optimised supply chain covering the whole business and supporting its customers.

“As part of our action plan to deliver faster growth, drive productivity and dial up performance, we’re going deeper [with AI]. With the help of Accenture’s world-class tools and capabilities, we will be able to analyse where and how AI can have the highest transformational impact and deliver the greatest returns,” Schumacher added.

Through the new agreement, Unilever will be working with Accenture's GenWizard platform, which provides generative AI for business. According to Accenture, GenWizard has more than 350 patents and ready-to-apply tools and frameworks that work together to deliver AI applications that enable business objective.

Unilever plans to explore how the GenWizard platform could be used with its own technology and digital product development, analysing where and how AI can have the highest transformational impact and deliver the greatest returns. The company said its expanded use of Gen AI will enable greater investment in product research, development and brand enhancement.

The company has made AI part of its strategy to help it unlock significant value and provide a competitive edge, as well as establish a new industry benchmark for AI-driven efficiency.