BM563 Operations and Service Management CW1 Assignment Sample

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Introduction to BM563 Operations and Service Management CW1 Assignment Sample

Operation and service management refers to a process of planning, coordinating and controlling the process and resources to effectively meet the demand of customers. The present study will be based on Unilever a manufacturing organization of consumer goods. The report will provide overview of Unilever and supply chain practice of company. In addition, it will evaluate supply chain management in terms of efficiency. Moreover, it will highlight the integration of digital technology within supply chain management of Unilever with associated and benefits. Also, it will cover recommendations for enhancing success of organization.

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Overview of the organization and operation management practice

Unilever PLC is a British multinational organization that engaged within manufacturing and producing of fast-moving consumer goods. The organization was founded in 1929 and had a headquartered in London. The organization focuses on offering consumer goods such as personal care, food items, home care and so more. Unilever sells its manufactured products to brick-and-motor store partners, online retailers, small family-owned shops and value retailers. The organization operates its business within Asia-Pacific, Europe, Americas, Africa as well as Middle East. The company operates its business within 190 countries and approximately 3.4 billion people utilize the products in every day (Unilever, 2025). During the year 2024, the company has £ 60.8 billion turnover. The organization produces world-leading brands such as Dove, Lipton, Axe, Omo, Knorr and so more. The organization has 125,000 employees all over the world.

BM563 Operations and Service Management CW1 Assignment Sample

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James Wright 6 Years | PhD in Operations Management

Operational management practice refers to a practice of planning, organizing, manufacturing, and supervising and delivery process of business. Supply chain operational management is one of the effective practices of operational management of Unilever. Supply chain management includes practice of inventory management, logistics, and delivery of goods and services on time. Unilever has effective supply chain management allows the organization to effectively source raw materials from different locations, manufacturing as well as distributing the finished products to ultimate customers. In context with resource-based view theory, it is important for the organization to design supply chain management procedure based on the available resources within the company (Nayak, Bhattacharyya and Krishnamoorthy, 2023). In support with this, Unilever plan`s their supply chain management according to the physical resources such as vehicles, materials, warehouses, machineries as well as human resources like talented and skilled people. This makes the supply chain of Unilever efficient as optimizing the available capabilities of company results in cost optimizations, decline in error, and leads to increasing productivity, profitability and competitive edge.

This strategy of Unilever enables it to manage to supply chain with 500 warehouses, 280 factories as well as sources of material from 52000 suppliers from 150 countries (Unilever Supply Chain, 2025). In addition, Unilever focuses on six sigma theory with an aim of improving supply chain while eliminating error to ensure quality within business. Referring to this, to enhance the quality of supply chain, Unilever establish its warehouses near to strategic locations with high customer base, it allows in reducing product delivery time, leads to cost reduction and greater customer satisfaction. According to the reality principle of operation management, organization should emphasizes on problem rather than tools and techniques (Rylander Eklund, Navarro Aguiar and Amacker, 2022). Accordingly, Unilever understand the problem of pollution in supply chain and successfully implements sustainable initiatives within supply chain to decline environmental impacts via sustainable sourcing, eco-friendly packaging as well as optimizing waste reduction via 3 R policy.

In addition, in context of supply chain management, Unilever focuses on collaboration principle. The organization collaborates with suppliers of raw materials, distributing organization for timely production and delivery of products and services. In addition, to gain competitive advantage within the supply chain, Unilever focuses on integration of technology, AI optimizes within the organization for the purpose of inventory management including monitoring real-time inventory based on requirements to decline the problem of under-stock as well as over-stock to ensure timely production of consumer goods and services.

Critical evaluation of operation practice in terms of efficiency

Unilever`s supply chain is quite efficient as it is focuses on collaborating with large number of suppliers at global level with a aim of getting resources for production on timely manner (Smith, 2024). However, the aspect of large number of suppliers’ network adversely impacts quality of supply chain as it requires greater coordination, communication, skilled human, physical resources as well as time. This leads to impacts the quality standards of Unilever results in supply chain disruptions such as delay leads to significantly impact overall manufacturing and delivery of products to customers.

Moreover, in regards to capacity operation management technique, Unilever focuses on forecasting customer demand according to purchasing pattern of customer, market trends and other relevant factors. In regards to this, Unilever also emphasizes on analysing its available physical, human and other resources, it helps in identify gaps in context of supply chain and implanting planning accordingly (Kshetri, 2023). This leads to enhance efficiency of supply chain management by decline the chance of reducing shortage of products in market as a result allows in gaining competitive advantage. However, this leads to increase multi-level dependency as it become difficult to coordinate with different departments results in creation of challenges, leads to significantly impacts the efficiency of Unilever`s supply chain management practice.

In addition, in reference with efficiency within the supply chain management, Unilever`s sustainable practices results in improving quality. The company optimizes sustainability within its operations by utilizing practices of organic sourcing, eco-friendly packaging. The company use sustainable materials such as paper and cardboards for packing the consumer good and transporting it to different locations. In addition, in context to effective supply chain management, Unilever implements use of electric vehicles for distribution of its finished product (Bhattacharjee, 2021). Effective optimization of sustainability within the supply chain, leads to increase efficiency of Unilever as sourcing of organic materials, using of electric vehicles leads to decline environmental impacts as well as leads to production of quality item and sustainable delivery services. Contrary to this, integration of sustainability within the supply chain increase cost of operation for the Unilever as sourcing organic materials, optimizing eco-friendly practices and use of electric vehicle is quite costly and expensive for the organization.

Moreover, supply chain of Unilever is extremely automated. In context to this, the manager of the organization builds decisions according to the supply and demand variations in target market. It results in consumption of less managerial time for addressing supply chain related problems sue to effective optimization of database. In addition, significant focus given on continuous monitoring as well as problem-solving to decline barriers, results in greater efficiency within the supply chain management practice of the Unilever.

Integration of digital technology into practice

In digitalization era, with the introduction of emerging technology like AI, automation, data analytics, big data the supply chain management practice can be implemented in effective and efficient manner. The effective optimization of big data within supply chain enables the organization to evaluate the information on each stage as a result allows in effective planning and management of supply chain (Gopal et al, 2024). In addition, within Unilever, the use of IoT allows in real-time monitoring and tracing, enables in controlling the supply chain in best manner, lads to timely delivery of Unilever`s consumer good.

Moreover, Unilever integrates AI within its operation with a aim of better inventory management, forecasting demand as well as delivery of goods on time. For example, AI technology integration optimizes Unilever`s ice-cream supply chain. AI-powered platform enables Unilever to optimize inventory, decline waste as well as recognize growth opportunities on seasonal basis. Weather is one of the important factor in Unilever`s Ice Cream Supply Chain as demand of customers influences by the weather condition (Unilever Ice Cream’s end-to-end supply chain, 2025). Hence, AI helps Unilever to effectively manage its supply chain and helps in producing ice-cream based on forecasted demand leads to decline wastage as well as allows in meeting the requirements of customers via appropriate supply.

Moreover, Unilever also optimizes automation within its supply chain. The company for delivery of its products and services for optimizing routes for deliveries, it allows in decline delays and enhancing delivery efficiency. In addition, automation allows real-time data as a result offers significant visibility within the supply chain leads to few errors ultimately increase higher customer satisfaction (Alonge et al, 2023). The integration of automation technology within Unilever helps in doing repetitive task such as entry of data, order processing, moving goods, leads to decline errors and enhance efficiency within supply chain off organization.

In context of integration of digital technologies, Unilever optimizes mobile devices and with a help of software, organization evaluates traffic patterns within farms and mills. It enables Unilever to understand who is sourcing from whom. This capability allows the organization to better recognize high-risk area and accordingly implements strategies and interventions. This leads to improve supply chain visibility and allows in capturing real-time data effective for better monitoring.

Benefits

• Enhanced visibility: The integration of technology within the supply chain advantageous in real-time tracing, allows business to monitor its supply chain and recognizing and overcoming barriers via effective strategies.
• Better decision-making: The integration of AI within supply chain helps the Unilever to make informed decision in context with inventory management, managing supply chain ultimately optimizes operations within Unilever (Jayawardana, 2025). The reliance on reliable and real-time data enables Unilever to manage stocks and supplies via enhancing the agility and responsiveness.
• Enhance collaboration with stakeholders: Integration of digital technologies allows Unilever to conducts a smooth communication with their suppliers and sales partner, leads to enhance reliability and quality of products and supplies. In a long run, this leads to benefits company`s productivity and end consumers via better services through lack stock outs as well as inconvenience within the supply chain management.

Drawbacks

• Increasing cost: Integration of digital technology within supply chain of Unilever results in increasing cost for business as it requires major investment within infrastructure and updating technology (Nwamekwe, Ezeanyim and Igbokwe, 2025). In addition, training also requires to making manpower competent to optimizing such technology within business. It makes the activity of supply chain and costly factor for business.
• Greater scope of error: One of the drawback of digital integration within supply chain is significant scope of error if technology is not implemented in well and appropriate manner.

Supporting function associated with the operational practice

Supporting function refers to the activities that helps and assist the core operational practice of the business. In context of supply chain management, the supporting functions are as under:

• Human Resource: It is a supporting function in supply chain management, concern with recruiting, managing and training the competent individual within the supply chain. The human resource function ensures that employees within the organization have required skill, ability and knowledge to perform the activities of supply chain in proficient manner, leads to operational success.
• Logistics: Another supporting function within the supply chain is logistics, it is associated with the storage and movements of finished products and services. It includes effective planning as well as management of warehouses, transportation and distribution network (Rushton, Croucher and Baker, 2022). The function contributes in cost reduction and timely delivery of products leads to effective supply chain management.
• Risk management: One of the important supporting function of supply chain is risk management. It is a function of recognizing, evaluating as well as mitigating delays, disruptions within the supply chain. Referring to this factor, the risk management function includes preparing a contingency plan, implementing intervention and strategies. This function results in enhancing overall efficiency in supply chain management.
• Procurement: The function is concern with collaborating and communicating with the different suppliers of raw material, technologies and distributors of products and services. Procurement function allows the business to get required material for production, technologies for real-time information and increasing efficiency as well as coordinating with different distributors (Vaka, 2024). The function enable the Unilever to makes its supply chain practices more effective and efficient as a result allows in gaining competitive advantage.
• Finance function; It is one of the most crucial as well as important supporting function of supply chain management. The function is related to offering required finance for the supply chain process. In simple word, the function is concern with allocating budget for the supply chain activities in regards to procurement, production, distribution, technology integration, sustainability and so more.

At last, the supporting function enhances the productivity and performance of the supply chain management of Unilever. It allows in cost optimization, effective strategy and gaining competitive edge.

Recommendation

The supply chain operational management practice of Unilever is quite efficient, company can enhance it more via implementing effective operational management techniques with an aim of attaining organizational success. Following are some of recommendations:

• It is recommended to Unilever to optimise effective communication channels such as email, video conferencing to ensure smooth flow of information. It allows the Unilever to effective communicate with large number of suppliers without any misunderstanding (Varadarajan et al, 2022). This recommendation significantly declines the issue of lack of coordination and communication within various suppliers results in effective maintenance of supply chain without any errors or delay.
• It is advised to Unilever to implements an Enterprise Resource planning system within the company. The integration of ERP system allows the Unilever to effectively manage the functions of supply chain such as sourcing materials, forecasting demand, order processing, inventory management, planning of resources, real-time tracing and so more. The recommendation of ERP allows the Unilever in enhancing its supply chain leads to overall organization success.
• It is suggested to Unilever to implements a six sigma quality management technique to effectively meet the standards of quality within supply chain. The six sigma allows the organization to decline errors within the supply chain via implementing timely interventions as well as strategies. Reduction in errors acts as one of the best way for supporting organizational success in effective as well as efficient manner.
• It is suggested to Unilever to emphasize on implementing more technologies within the operational management practices. Unilever should focuses in implement updated AI-powered software to optimize supply chain and significant cost saving. It allows the organization to make an engagement within consumer demand,, planning, product development, suppliers, manufacturing, logistics leads to smooth operation within the organization (Aljazzar, 2023).
• Unilever is recommended to offer opportunity of training and development to its employees. Company should focuses on providing on-the-job training, mentorship, coaching to employees so that they can learn the use of digital technologies within the supply chain. Effective training will enhance skill, ability and knowledge of employee, leads to effective operations and organizational success.

CONCLUSION

To sum up all, it has been articulated that efficient operational management plays an important role in the success of the organization. The current study based on supply chain operational management practice of the Unilever. The report covered that supply chain management of Unilever includes involvement of skilled people, technologies and sustainable practices. From the report it is evaluated that large number of suppliers aids in gaining timely materials however large number of supplier results in inconsistency and delay due to lack of coordination. Moreover, the technology integration within supply chain management increase real-time visibility, productivity, customer satisfaction and competitive edge. Financial, human resource, logistics, risk management, procurement are the main supporting function of supply chain management.

REFERENCES

Books and Journals

• Aljazzar, S.M., 2023, December. Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Supply Chain Optimization: Enhanced Demand Prediction and Cost Reduction. In 2023 2nd International Engineering Conference on Electrical, Energy, and Artificial Intelligence (EICEEAI) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.
• Alonge, E.O., Eyo-Udo, N.L., Ubanadu, B.C., Daraojimba, A.I., Balogun, E.D. and Ogunsola, K.O., 2023. Real-time data analytics for enhancing supply chain efficiency. Journal of Supply Chain Management and Analytics, 10(1), pp.49-60.
• Bhattacharjee, S., 2021. ROLE OF ELECTRONIC AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY GOALS FOR ORGANISATIONS. In A Compilation of ISTD 6th Eastern Regional Conference Papers-Leveraging Sustainability through Technology for Agile Organizations (p. 149).
• Gopal, P.R.C., Rana, N.P., Krishna, T.V. and Ramkumar, M., 2024. Impact of big data analytics on supply chain performance: an analysis of influencing factors. Annals of Operations Research, 333(2), pp.769-797.
• Jayawardana, P.W., 2025. The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Supply Chain Optimization in FMCG Industry.
• Kshetri, N., 2023. Blockchain’s role in enhancing quality and safety and promoting sustainability in the food and beverage industry. Sustainability, 15(23), p.16223.
• Nayak, B., Bhattacharyya, S.S. and Krishnamoorthy, B., 2023. Integrating the dialectic perspectives of resource-based view and industrial organization theory for competitive advantage–a review and research agenda. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 38(3), pp.656-679.
• Nwamekwe, C.O., Ezeanyim, O.C. and Igbokwe, N.C., 2025. RESILIENT SUPPLY CHAIN ENGINEERING IN THE ERA OF DISRUPTION: AN APPRAISAL. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, 9(01), pp.11-23.
• Rushton, A., Croucher, P. and Baker, P., 2022. The handbook of logistics and distribution management: Understanding the supply chain. Kogan Page Publishers.
• Rylander Eklund, A., Navarro Aguiar, U. and Amacker, A., 2022. Design thinking as sensemaking: Developing a pragmatist theory of practice to (re) introduce sensibility. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 39(1), pp.24-43.
• Smith, H.K., 2024. Collaboration and Partnerships in Supply Chain Networks.
• Vaka, D.K., 2024. Enhancing Supplier Relationships: Critical Factors in Procurement Supplier Selection. Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Data Science, 2(1), pp.229-233.
• Varadarajan, R., Welden, R.B., Arunachalam, S., Haenlein, M. and Gupta, S., 2022. Digital product innovations for the greater good and digital marketing innovations in communications and channels: Evolution, emerging issues, and future research directions. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 39(2), pp.482-501.