Why Unilever & Amazon Leverage Kaizen Method for E-Commerce

Efforts to strengthen the collaboration between Unilever and Amazon focus on refining supply chain processes and simplifying operations.
E-commerce remains a cornerstone of Unilever’s growth strategy and Amazon is one of its most significant partners in online retail.
Unilever has prioritised ensuring its products are readily available on Amazon, making it easier for customers to find and buy them. This involves improving the way the two companies work together, particularly in delivering Unilever’s goods to Amazon fulfilment centres efficiently.
Mark Sumner, Global Digital Commerce Customer Supply Chain Director at Unilever, states: "Maintaining strong relationships with retailers like Amazon, who built new technology-enabled business models to serve changing customer habits, is vital to ensure our brands are well presented to our consumers and available for purchase at all times."
Using Kaizen to redefine supply chains
Both Unilever and Amazon are celebrated for their impressive supply chains, earning recognition as Supply Chain Masters by Gartner for exceptional performance.
However, thriving in the e-commerce arena requires a shift from traditional retail approaches.
Unlike physical stores, online retail demands more extensive and varied inventory, rapid delivery and completely digital operations.
To address these challenges, Unilever adopted Kaizen, a Japanese methodology centred on continuous improvement.
Traditionally used in manufacturing, Kaizen encourages businesses to reassess and refine their processes to drive efficiency.
Adapting for the future of e-commerce
Kaizen-based collaboration has delivered significant results for Unilever and Amazon.
Improved supply chain processes not only reduce costs for Unilever but also ensure customers enjoy reliable access to their favourite brands. Faster delivery, better stock availability and innovative packaging solutions enhance the overall experience.
“Every Kaizen workshop and follow-up has had beneficial impacts – big and small," Mark adds.
"One major change was Unilever creating a new internal dashboard that allows us to share supply chain performance data across global Unilever teams. This has improved our demand planning and in-stock availability for Amazon customers and achieved greater alignment on our supply chain strategy."
Even minor adjustments have made a difference. For instance, Unilever changed shipping packaging for specific items, enabling Amazon to ship products without additional repacking. This simple tweak reduces handling times and boosts efficiency, helping both companies prepare for future demands in e-commerce.
“These results help deliver lower supply chain costs for Unilever, faster delivery speeds, a more customer-centric portfolio of brands, more robust packaging and higher in-stock rates, which improves the experience for Amazon customers,” Mark concludes.
Through innovation and collaboration, Unilever and Amazon demonstrate how partnerships and approaches like Kaizen can transform supply chains to meet the evolving needs of e-commerce.
Explore the latest edition of Procurement Magazine and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE.
Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today.
Procurement Magazine is a BizClik brand.