CHALLENGE

With full accountability for its product recall process, Unilever continuously looks for new tools to add value and address issues.

Unilever Taking Advantage of a Powerful Opportunity

With 400 brands spanning 14 categories of home, personal care and food products, Unilever touches many peoples lives around the globe. Company values that include integrity and a commitment to continuous improvement are evident when discussing U.S. product recalls with Unilevers director, coordinator and a member of the recall team. While some companies outsource the entire product recall process, here at Unilever, we take full accountability and ownership. We are condent its been executed in a way that meets our standards and fully addresses the needs of our customers and consumers, explains Ray Bruen, director of Safety, Health, Environment & Quality for Unilever U.S. communications to make sure the right people in our customers organizations receive comprehensive recall instructions. At the same time, we keep others in the industry informed as well, adds Pasupuleti Krishnayya, coordinator of U.S. recalls. Laura Trappe, manager of Unsaleables and Liquidations and a vital member of the product recall team, briefs sales directors prior to a product recall via a conference call. We let them know a recall is pending; in this way, they can reach out to the customers impacted even before an electronic letter goes out, says Trappe. Targeted letters electronically distributed by the Unilever sales force are used to ensure customers at multiple levels within the companies are informed. A press release, fully coordinated with the appropriate agency such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is issued broadly to the consuming public after Unilever customers are advised.

SOLUTION
The Rapid Recall Exchange gives Unilever a powerful tool to communicate complete and timely recall notications to customers.

BENEFITS
Communicates a comprehensive message to pinpoint exactly what item is being recalled and how it should be handled. Provides a single, consistent recall notication to all. Tracks who received and opened the notication - and when. Ensures the notication is sent to the right person since contact information is maintained by the retailers themselves. Eciently addresses federal regulatory compliance standards since all pertinent information is included and in one central location.

Timely and Complete

Fundamental to the Unilever product recall process, Unilever starts with factbased and timely communications going directly to impacted retailers and wholesalers. While speed is a critical component, the Unilever process also depends on the completeness of its recall notications. We take great care to prepare what is communicated and how. We choreograph the sequence of

The Rapid Recall Exchange provides the lift we need for facilitating a best-practices recall.
Ray Bruen, Director of Safety, Health, Environment & Quality

Reproduced with permission of Unilever PLC and group companies

CASE STUDY: Unilever

Details Make a Dierence

The tools supporting this cadence of communications must be ecient, comprehensive and exible. One such tool is the Rapid Recall Exchange, an online service that allows Unilever to send an electronic notication directly to specic retailers 24/7, alerting them about a product recall or withdrawal. The service was commissioned by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Associate Member Advisory Board and developed by GS1 US in collaboration with FMI and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA). The service is also endorsed by the National Grocers Association. Unilever acknowledges that each recall is slightly dierent. While there are similarities, I believe our success comes with the recognition and associated planning for each recalls dierences, oers Krishnayya. Each recall communiqu is carefully written for clarity no boilerplate messages. Unilever is very vigilant so that customers understand exactly what item should be pulled from the shelves. This attention to detail also helps prevent nonrecalled items from being pulled. Since many of the Unilever large retailers cascade the recall notication to their stores, concise information with no room for interpretation is critical.

With the Rapid Recall Exchange, we can provide the needed details to help prevent non-recalled items from being pulled.
Pasupuleti Krishnayya, U.S. Recall Coordinator

With a single key stroke, we can consistently convey recall information to many. There are no interpretation challenges along the way, says Bruen. While the Rapid Recall Exchange does not eliminate the need for other communication methods, there may come a time when these methods are no longer needed. Bruen, Trappe and Krishnayya all agree, As membership in the Rapid Recall Exchange increases, we will all be better o in the industry. Our hope is that many more companies will join, especially some of the mid-sized and smaller retailers. For more information, contact us at +1 937.610.4233 or visit www.rapidrecallexchange.org.

include all details. Going back to the sales force and customers with updates will only cause confusion. The Rapid Recall Exchange allows Unilever to communicate a comprehensive message to pinpoint exactly what item is being recalled and how it should be handled, yet the tool does not compromise Unilevers desire for speed. Another benet: Many recipients of the Rapid Recall Exchange notications tend to be recall coordinators or managers within Quality organizations. Krishnayya advises, This helps us a great deal since we are communicating directly to the people within our customers organizations who are accountable for making sure the recall is done correctly. As the companys recall process has evolved, so has its measurements of success. Based on the nature of the recall, specic standards are set. One measurement is the exacting execution of the notication to multiple audiences. Another measurement requires balancing the need for accurate, complete information with timeliness. Our process is consistent; we believe we either successfully execute or we dont. We work hard to get our facts straight and this may take some time. Its about the integrity and quality of recall notication, explains Krishnayya. With all facts in place, the Rapid Recall Exchange oers an almost instantaneous way to execute the recall notication. With the Rapid Recall Exchange, retailers and suppliers keep their respective contact information up-to-date and in one place for two-way, quick communication.

The Rapid Recall Exchange oers a very positive and powerful opportunity.
Ray Bruen, Director of Safety, Health, Environment & Quality

Practices Make Perfect

Trappe conrms the challenges associated with making the recall notication process work perfectly. What weve learned is that the recall notication must be clear and

Making your value chain more visible, secure and sustainable. CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS Princeton Pike Corporate Center 1009 Lenox Drive, Suite 202 Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648 USA T +1 937.435.3870 E info@GS1US.org www.GS1US.org

2010 GS1 US

July 2010