Strategic Information Systems for Unilever: Tools and Techniques

This article discusses the tools and techniques used by Unilever for strategic information systems, including OLAP and business intelligence. It also highlights the advantages and disadvantages of these tools.

Strategic Information
Systems

Table of Contents
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
3 levels of management in organization and type of information use at each level....................4
Management system theory.........................................................................................................5
Strategic pursued at three level of management..........................................................................5
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
Strategic importance of information system with example.........................................................6
Evaluate strategic information system utilized by senior management for corporate effective
strategy.........................................................................................................................................6
Company's competitive environment uses with porters five forces analysis...............................7
Forces impacts on organization...................................................................................................8
Question 4........................................................................................................................................9
Tools and techniques....................................................................................................................9
Advantages and disadvantage of using Business intelligence...................................................10
QUESTION-5................................................................................................................................11
QUESTION-6................................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

TASK 1
Unilever PLC is a British multinational consumer goods company headquartered in
London, England. Unilever products include food and retail products, services where retail
services are highly innovative. The brand uses broad differentiation as generic strategy, for
extending into competitive advantage paradigms where focus is to emphasize on features among
new extended products. Uniliver has been significantly increasing new end further critical
investments where headquarter is in London and company has 65 offices across 63 countries.
The company has been succeeding to bring on varied range of new scale market share services,
productive advanced goods where this further has been found to be competent. Description of
retail services, business goals of Unilever are widely diverse where consumer goods are further
pacing to bring on high range scale expansion within fundamental key criteria. Uniliver is the
second largest consumer goods within world, where it produces numerous brand name foods,
cleaning products and wide range of personal care items for extended range of customers.
Uniliver works in retail market, where sector has been competitively growing in recent time with
online marketing aspects for extended productive vision goals.
The sector holds huge competent pace to harness innovation significantly, where practical
goods varieties are increasing rapidly in recent time period for strengthening market pace goals.
It can be also analysed that Uniliver has been taken as company, due to high scale long term
business positioning and goodwill factors diversely expanding within recent time period scale.
The business services are further found to be strategically diverse, based on operative keen
phenomenon aspects in longer extended time period base on technical long term results. Unilever
has high end global reach among retail business services and products, catering to extensive new
end productive technical goals for critical functional expansion profoundly (Huang and et.al,
2022).
Company web address: https://www.unilever.com/our-company/
Homepage screenshot:

TASK 2
3 levels of management in organization and type of information use at each level
Different level has their multiple task and its essential for long term business
sustainability and management of work with great manner. Information management system in
Unilever organization. Mainly information system consider at higher level within in large size of
organization like Unilever, Tesco and many more who has play major role in stock exchange
market.
Top level of management: This management has power to make overall business decisions
because of they do have authority and senior position. It includes company CEO, director,
president, managing director and many more who has power and authority to guide meddle level
of management (Pedersen and et.al., 2021). They do have power to makes final and best decision
of company. Unilever company provide their services at international market so mostly this
department make decisions like which is useful for overall business growth. Unilever
organization seniors authorities includes like Chief Executive Officer, Chief marketing officer,
chief financial officer and many more. They all continuously evaluate performance with
application of MIS and ERP system application.
Middle management: It includes individual like mangers of different department. Expansion of
manger in business is essential term because they play major role in business success with
identification of instruction from senior authority and expansion of structure and planning for

distribution of information to lower level manager. Unilever has great position in retail sectors
because it provides services at good prices and daily essential goods to audience. Examples
includes of middle management like marketing manager, operation manager, sales manager,
supply chain manager, finance manger and many more who provide information to employee
for performing task with proper plan. Manger performance mainly depends on information
distribution from senior management.
Operational and lower level management: Its one of the most essential department. Without
having lower level department business has not capability it influences and develop greats
position at market and generate revenue. Operation level major work is to mange task with
sustainable manner with application and under the guidance of senior authority. Examples of
lower level management is operation employees, marketing employee, accounts and finance
employee and many more who has responsibility to complete task for organization goals and
object achievement. Employee performance manages from guidance and instruction of middle
management.
Management system theory
System theory: This theory is all above refers to include activities which provide proper
structure of information distribution and effective outcome from performance effectiveness. It
mainly includes three major components like input, process and output. Unilever industry
similarly follows this approach for managing their goods and services distribution and growth
expansion from revenue generate activity (Gurca and et.al., 2021). Input means involvement of
information and engagement of raw material then process where manager develops proper plan
to distribution of information to employee who perform activities for completion of task.
Unilever organization consider this approach for manage their task.

Strategic pursued at three level of management
Business growth and farmworker strategy:
Seniors authority manager has power to analyse growth, and they mainly consider
providing higher level of facts for growth expansion from identification and collection of
information from manger. This department mainly communicate with different department
managers. Company directors when makes decisions it defiantly makes more efficiency and
positive results.
Strategic planning:
This term mainly consider and prepares by middle level of management were manager
mainly concern towards with the expansion of appropriate decision for lower level management.
Proper guidance and explanation for work is major essential approach when Unilever
organization top-level manager inform to manger that they do have to complete this task within
in 5 weeks (Khanzode and et.al., 2021). So manger has responsibility to prepares planing for
completion of work, and then they provide information to leaders they distribute work to
individual employee who participate in organization for distribution of services to employees.
Supervision of work:
At lower level of organization in large organization is leaders and employee who mainly
consider operation work in large size of industry. In retail sector salesmen, marketing employee
performing task for effective sales development in company because it makes more sustainability
in income generate. Knowledge about this term makes sure business develop concern towards
with the right decision-making process with proper develop of different levels in organization for
expansion of effective performance.
TASK 3
Strategic importance of information system with example
Strategic information system is process which makes more constancy in distribution of
information and fact one to other level of organization like. Effective and power information

system makes more efficiency in knowledge distribution because it includes new approaches like
written, verbal, non-verbal and many more effective communication for exchange of knowledge.
It includes various tools and approaches for information exchange like Enterprise resource
planning which is very beneficial term for exchange of information in day to day activity. ERP's
software is all above uses of the exchange of information in daily bas where seniors authority not
able to meet with mangers. Like utilize provide their services at worldwide level so its essential
to effective system for sharing information.
Evaluate strategic information system utilized by senior management for corporate effective
strategy
Unilever industry has divisional organizational structure. It provides services in various
range of products so they do have to concern towards with information structure development
throughout the application of ERP. This company provide their services at international level so
for the management and control on business activities and performance of product services it
decides to engage software for information as well as company’s performance identification.
ERP: Its one of the most impressive and power system for information exchange within
one to other department it makes more consistency and develop proper system for information.
Its beneficial for company software management like it collects data from financial, operation,
commerce, human resource and many more. Exchange of information is essential because
without having this system people consider different source of information which influence
overall business performance. Unilever mainly consider and prefer tools for communication in
context of procurement, project management, risk determination, performance evaluation, and
supply chain management process.
This company identify procurement process firstly with uses of ERP system of
information where it effectively evaluates overall business process, legal consideration,
engagement of products and reliable services and many more. And mainly includes in this step if
planning.
Completion of this process organization management concern towards with the project
management and distribution, so senior authority distribute and makes different department for
distribution of work. It means structure and design expansion of different project plan. Unilever
Company mainly concern towards with the design process.

Third one is data migration where different project department evaluate data and analyse
which process is best. Unilever company project seniors evaluate and identify skills and then
collection of data they makes and create idea for managing their goods and services from
application of employees who has great sense of services distribution.
Fourth one is customize services means identification of customer requirement and
provide information to different department so they supply goods from supply team.
Completion of this process next and last process of information stem with ERP is
identification of overall business activities with live performance evaluation via uses of sales,
project completion, profit identification, performance evaluation of different department and
many more (Hajli and et.al., 2021).

MIS: Management information system is all above refers to includes various factors like moving
of data and manage information. MIS is computer based system where manger evaluate and
identify which important factors is beneficial for more effectiveness expansion in planning and
then perfect consideration of essential aspects f object then it provides information to employee
which means operation workers, employee who provide their services with great manner.
Consideration about this term makes sure Unilever perfectly uses MIS for business effectiveness.
So its essential term that this business consider and prefer best and sustainable approaches and
system for effective decision-making with online communication.
Company's competitive environment uses with porters five forces analysis.
Competitive
rivalry
Threat of new
entrants
Power of supplier Power of
customer
Threat of
substitute
Unilever faces
issues from
multiple retail
industry but it has
great source of
distribution of
products an
information
New retail
industry influence
performance of
overall business
activities. And in
case of Unilever
it has great
position in retail
This term is all
above refers to
that Unilever
company highly
face issues from
the performance
and bargaining
power of supplier.
Customer
bargaining not
highly affects
because Unilever
supply different
rang of products
in individual
essential goods
Unilever
organization
provide food,
daily essential
goods and many
more and multiple
other organization
and brands also

which makes
sustainability in
and develop
differentiation
from other
company.
sectors. But its
essential aspect
that it properly
evaluate other
company
performance and
engage new
approaches in
organization
activities.
Because supplier
products rate
influence from
external forces
which affects on
Unilever industry
activity as well.
like in soap they
have different
price, flavours of
products.
affects this
products and
services. But this
company threat of
substitute is low
because it
delivers good
range of products
with different
brands.
Forces impacts on organization
Factors highly income performance of overall business and mainly influence retail
industry performance because customer and supplier demands, rules and behaviour continuously
change and influence from various factors (Kalaignanam and et.al., 2021). Unilever supply their
products and services in so many countries. Strategic management is essential for management
of forces identification and new decision-making for management of factors which affects on
business activities. Organization managerial decision-making mainly require proper
identification of scientific tools because evaluation of appropriate decision can be possible with
utilization of methods and mathematics data collection. Unilever industry when consider taking
analysis approaches and information system approaches then it analyses that it makes more
impressive work because of easier distribution and analyse of different department performance
and work. Expansion of effective and powerful work flow management require proper and
impressive tools of information exchange application of this term makes more efficiency in
performance.

Question 4
Tools and techniques
Application of strategic information systems align with long term corporate strategy
parameters, where business at Unilever are using the best tools and techniques for bringing
functional rise on strategic information systems. The role of strategic information systems can be

found to be fundamentally essential within competitive business benchmarks, where corporate
strategies further has been found to be fundamental for longer profitable revenue standards.
Uniliver as one of the best retail company having wide range of retail products, aims to further
adapt to business intelligence tools for strengthening new end customers market stability.
 Online analytical processing, is approach to answer multi-dimensional analytical aspects
within computing where OLAP is part of broader category. The tool is also competitively
encompassing to be specific based on relational data base, where it further establishes
significant primitive technical domains. Advantages of OLP systems is to respond much
faster to end user queries, where relational data base are worked on towards quick
response times which enables to synchronize higher advanced data. The disadvantage are
Online analytical processing is poor computation capability based, abstract model with
high potential risk factors associated based on short interactive analysis abilities (Ko and
Comuzzi, 2022).
 Another essential tool, analytically used In recent working within retail sector business is
also business intelligence where it forms up huge specific pace to be worked on for
extended developed growth rise. Business intelligence tool usage further develop, high
specific aim for untapped longer term untapped goals' completion based on specific
profound working benchmarks reach. Uniliver with its competitive retail market
positioning, has been competently heading to bring on new end business intelligence tool
for extending longer term profitable revenue standards.
 Cost benefit analysis : The cost benefit analysis is tool, which is used for providing
effective timely information about cost aspects based on specific parameters related wit
quality assurance between information systems and main corporate strategies. Uniliver by
implementing cost benefit analysis, will be able to develop new measurements for
keeping quality in check and capital investments to be aligned properly.
 Practical reflection can be understood to be highly essential, for strengthening
competitive business strengths, practical competitive engagement in decisions and
diverse range growth for extensive new fundamental diversification. For bringing new
touchless technology, and faster digitalisation within machinery automation Uniliver has
to further develop use effective techniques such as cost benefit analysis, for increasing
vitality of decisions.

The tools and techniques used, are also further found to be critically essential for pacing new end
working efficacy within longer scale goals for connected determined pace based on longer scale
determinants.
Advantages and disadvantage of using Business intelligence
The implementation of using Business intelligence holds huge specific advantages for
higher end new targets, where faster and more accurate reporting, analysis and planning can be
done informatively. There is more improved employee satisfaction achieved, with high end rise
on data quality aspects enhancing parameters correlated to reduced costs and reducing IT
headcount. It can be used for synchronizing wider end competent targets increase, specific goals'
completion for reaching innovation aspects creatively. Uniliver by implementing business
intelligence, will be able to synchronize new capital profits for engaging among competent
stakeholders Also there is further pace to be evolved within extended paradigms, for gaining
untapped competitive abilities worked on for larger pace capital profits. Uniliver business
intelligence, also paces functional enhancement towards new end productive strengthened rise,
where usage of the best machinery connected growth further enhances scope. The retail sector
has been competitively heading to develop faster working response, based on further new end
investments based on business intelligence criteria (KRocha, Narcizo and Gianotti, 2022).
Disadvantage of using business intelligence is based on aspects that there is high risk
investment, when it comes to implementing this tool within longer time goals for extended huge
long term company essential determinants. There is data breach, high price pressure and further
extended difficulty in varied data sources within usage of business intelligence aspects which
hampers company new investments It can be analysed that business intelligence has high cost
initiatives for extended business in longer run, which determines longer extended targets.
Strategic long term vision is required for strengthening vital business investments, where
competent further pace has been found to be shifted for determined expected return. Business
intelligence may hamper company if the capital has not been invested properly, and assets are
not expecting proper abilities.
Practical implementation of further new end expertise within retail business at Uniliver,
has been found to be strategically essential where business intelligence further has been found to
be dynamically crucial. This can be also analysed that as one of the biggest retail company,
business essentially are found to be fundamental critically essential for untapped engaged on

productivity specifics. It can be also found that adopting business intelligence advances further
rise to leverage new fundamental goals, where there has been high end investment found to be
critical for diverse business technology parameters (Rao, 2022).
QUESTION-5
Use of e-commerce channel by Unilever:
E-commerce channel refers to those channels which would enable the sale of the product of
the concerned company with the use of internet or through internet. Unilever with the use of its
online website make sale of the product. The internet or online platform of the company make
enable the company to sale its products through digital means. The ecommerce channel along
with assisting sales, would also enabled the Unilever to know the customer review and area of
improvement. This means e-commerce channel of Unilever enables the sales as well as assisting
it in product improvement. This shows through e-commerce channel the company can make
analysis of the market and its demand too. E-commerce channels are fundamentally being used
at Uniliver, for extending towards productive new decisions and strengthening market pace goals
profoundly (Parusheva and Pencheva, 022).. The e-commerce aspects have been found to be
crucial for extending higher end new business goals and extending practical vision for higher
competitive supply chain management. It can be also analysed that by developing new
investments, within e-commerce channels for Uniliver there has been further pace growth
evolved for extending towards new end profitable competitive goals critically.
There has been also further competitive aspect, working towards e-commerce channels
critically extending higher end productive new decisions to be evolved on for untapped abilities.
Practical engagement of e-commerce goals, are connected to practically advance up scope
towards functional engagement based on practical connected technical goals for competencies
management. Usage of high end new best investments, and larger productive investment further
enhances increased scope for keen best avenues' development in retail sector. Unilever has high
end retail sector positioning, where e-commerce standards are fund to be critically essential for
gaining functional growth competitively based on further pace goals for gaining untapped new
paradigms. It can be also analysed to be essentially important, based on practical new abilities
for diverse range goals for stakeholders engagement in best paradigms ways for gaining
functional synergies worked on towards longer time period ( Chen, 2022).
Management of supply chain:

Supply chain management includes the management of flow of goods and services along
with the involvement of all those steps that are associated with the transformation of raw
materials to the final products. Here with the use of e-commerce channel the Unilever can make
contact with its suppliers along with its customers. This means with the use of e-commerce
channel the supply chain of the company would become more efficient and productive.
Uniliver has been significantly adding new technologies, investments on e-commerce
channels by managing high end productive competent faster innovation where brand has led to
faster retail stores expansion. The business strategies, new established technologies are
correlated to further develop high end new investments within supply chain aspect where
Uniliver as one of the best retail MNC has high profitability. The brand investment on supply
chain has been also extended towards optimized specific rise, for wider untapped goals'
completion base on critical competitive abilities. The management of new end e-commerce
goals and management of supply chain further paces high rise to extended new profitability
aspects based on capital engagement scenarios. Uniliver with high range of vision, based on
further practical engaged investments have been found to be critically rationale for untapped
business goals within diverse business paradigms' enhancement. The supply chain management,
further enhances practical scope to be worked on for engaging towards fundamental keen ends
based on scaling rise. This has been also further leading to the best investments rise, for
strengthened new practical investment growth based on determined scope for keen criteria for
gaining untapped large pace growth. The supply chain management has dynamic role, to adhere
towards managing functional base and enhance long term new investment paradigms for
strengthened vision base on diverse goals. Unilever usage of best technologies and investments
leading to extended paradigms enhances scope for competitive return, higher customer goodwill
goals for strategic timely growth (Parusheva and Penchev., 2022).
QUESTION-6
Value chain and its components:
Value chain can be described as a process that includes all those steps which are required
and related with creation of product and services. With the concept of value chain analysis of
detailed procedure that is associated with each business procedure would be performed (Bush
and et.al., 2019). As per the aspect of business the component of the value chain varies, however

its major component that it may include are inbound operation, operations, outbound logistics,
sales and marketing, service, procurement, development of technology, Human resource
development and firm infrastructure (Faroukhi and et.al., 2020). The performance and working
of the function would vary with respect to the company and its concerned function
Employment of value chain in the information system of the organization would lead to
play an important role in respect to attainment of the goal of the company. As with the aspect of
adequate business strategies the companies can make accomplishment of the work and if the
concept of value chain would be integrated then it will lead to raise the efficiency of the
strategies along with chances of the goal attainment. As value chain enable the company the
competitive advantage which would if integrated in the business strategy then it raises the
efficiency of the current moves which will further lead to raise the competitive advantage.
Employment of value chain in Unilever:
As the business strategy of the Unilever is differentiation under which variety of products
would be enabled to the customers. Here it is very important that the information system through
which the information related with the functioning of the company would be performed need to
be very effective. Thus making an integration of value chain in an organization would lead to the
efficiency of the information system and thus the adequate and fast information related with the
market demand and the customer need would be made enabled to the production department so
that the further proceeding of the company would take place and thus ultimately the product
would be made enabled in the market. in the same way with the integration of value chain in the
information system the areas of the business would be analysed that will lead to enable the
Unilever in the attainment of the goal of the company or comply with the business strategy of the
company.

Figure 1Value chain
Source: Porter’s value chain, 2022.
Illustration:
The use of value chain plays an important role with respect to Unilever and its
functioning. This means with the use of value chain Unilever make the product available to its
customers. Right from supplier i.e. inbound supplier the company make purchase of raw material
which would further be carried out towards the operation and outbound logistics in terms of
centralised logistics that promote efficiency, global network. in order to promote customer
loyalty Unilever, make high expenditure towards sales and marketing that finally add value to
the service and product. An implication of value of chain towards the information system would
lead to make the performance of concerned operation with efficiency and thus add value and
efficiency towards its services and products.
Thus, in case of Unilever also the value chain is adequately employed in the information
system that would make the company to perform its work adequately. This can be understood
with the raising of value with every function including the information system so that the
appropriate information would be availed to the company and thus it information system can
comply with the business strategy (Rejeb, Keogh and Treiblmaier, 2019). Here value would be
created in right from first step i.e. inbound till the product would be available to the customers. It
also includes the function of sales and marketing so that the company can make raise the

awareness of its differentiated product among the consumers. This process along with meeting
the business strategy would also lead to assist the attainment of the goal of the Unilever.
Gaining competitive advantage:
As with the use of value chain in an organization the areas of the business would be
analysed that will assist in identifying the areas of improvement and effective area. With the
identification of lack area, the company can frame adequate strategies and take appropriate
actions which will lead to make improvisation and raising of efficiency of the specified area and
thus it will raise the overall efficiency and performance of the company (Ricciotti, 2020). This
way with the used of value chain the company can enable the competitive advantage. It further
enhances scope for company to develop the best expertise, and generate determined further
extended business abilities dynamically.
Implication of value chain in Unilever:
With the use of value chain in the organizational structure and operation by the Unilever
the company can grab high competitive advantage in terms of enhancing the value of operation
along with minimization of ineffective steps. As with the use of value chain in the Unilever, the
decision maker can make the understanding regarding the activities which are most valuable and
which need to be optimised. This will lead to raise the existing efficiency of the business
operation and thus deliver competitive advantage to the company in terms of reducing
unnecessary moves and focus towards the effective moves and actions. in the same way with the
use of value chain the Unilever can make identify the area which need improvement like the
marketing, finance and any other areas and thus accordingly the most suitable action will be
taken so that the performance of the concerned area will be improved. In this way with the
raising of overall efficiency of the business functions of the Unilever the competitive advantage
would be grabbed by the company that will further support the sales and the profitability of the
company

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Porter’s value chain., 2022. [Online]. Available from
<https://kfknowledgebank.kaplan.co.uk/business-strategy/strategic-analysis/porter%27s-value-
chain>
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