Unilever Leverages Digital Technologies to Drive Manufacturing Efficiency
Global FMCG giant Unilever is ramping up its adoption of digital tools to enhance productivity and precision across its manufacturing operations. Through a comprehensive digitalisation strategy, the company is streamlining production, reducing waste, and accelerating innovation across its global supply chain.
At the heart of this transformation is Unilever’s digital manufacturing initiative, which integrates advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics. These tools allow real-time monitoring of production lines, predictive maintenance, and seamless coordination between supply chain stages. The result: reduced downtime, higher output consistency, and lower operational costs.
Unilever reports significant gains through its digital factory programme, with data-driven systems already rolled out in over 30% of its manufacturing sites. The company plans to expand these capabilities rapidly, capitalising on predictive analytics and automation to support its ambition of becoming a more agile and sustainable operation.
One cornerstone of this approach is the Connected 4 Growth (C4G) strategy, which aligns digital transformation with Unilever’s broader sustainability and efficiency goals. Using AI-powered systems, Unilever can now identify and address bottlenecks, optimise energy consumption, and reduce material waste—key concerns for both manufacturers and environmentally conscious consumers.
The implementation of co-bots—collaborative robots—has also played a critical role in reducing manual tasks and improving safety. These systems work alongside human operators, handling repetitive or physically demanding functions while maintaining high performance standards and adherence to quality protocols.
“Digital tools are giving us an unprecedented level of insight into our operations,” said Unilever’s Chief Supply Chain Officer. “We’re not only improving productivity, but also creating more resilient, efficient and sustainable manufacturing processes.”
As FMCG manufacturers worldwide look to future-proof operations and meet rising consumer and regulatory demands, Unilever’s strategy offers a compelling model. By embedding digital capabilities at the core of its factory floor operations, the company is not only boosting cost efficiency, but also accelerating its path toward net zero and circular production goals.
For FMCG players navigating today’s pressures—ranging from inflation to shifting consumer expectations—Unilever’s approach underscores the growing importance of digital integration as a lever for competitive advantage, operational excellence and sustainable growth.