Unilever Case Study: Digitalizing Maintenance Reports With a Custom Mobile App

Espresso Labs partnered with Unilever to transform a manual maintenance reporting process into a faster, safer, and more sustainable digital workflow.

The project resulted in Digilaud, a lightweight and secure mobile application designed to help field maintenance teams create digital reports directly from their smartphones.

The solution was developed for Unilever’s Cabinets area, responsible for maintaining the refrigerators used at points of sale for brands such as Kibon and Ben & Jerry’s, two of the most recognized ice cream brands in Brazil.

The Challenge: Replacing Paper-Based Maintenance Reports

Ice cream operations depend on strict refrigeration control. When a refrigerator fails, products may be lost, replacements may be required, and the final consumer experience can be affected.

Before Digilaud, part of the maintenance reporting process was still done manually, using paper forms and handwritten notes. This created several operational challenges:

• longer reporting and consolidation time;
• higher risk of missing or inconsistent information;
• difficulty organizing and accessing historical records;
• unnecessary paper usage;
• limited data traceability;
• reduced visibility for operational teams.

Unilever needed a digital solution that was simple enough for field teams, reliable for daily operations, and light enough to run on any smartphone used by refrigerator maintenance professionals.

The Solution: Digilaud, a Custom App for Digital Maintenance Reports

To solve this challenge, Espresso Labs designed and developed Digilaud, a custom mobile app focused on digitalizing maintenance reports for Unilever’s refrigerator operations.

The product was built around three main priorities.

1. Field-Friendly Usability

The application needed to be fast, clear, and easy to use by maintenance teams in real operational environments.

Instead of creating a complex corporate system, Espresso Labs focused on a practical interface that helped users complete reports efficiently from their phones.

2. Lightweight Mobile Performance

Because the app would be used in the field, it had to work well on regular smartphones.

The solution was designed to be lightweight and accessible, avoiding unnecessary complexity and making adoption easier for operational teams.

3. Data Security and Traceability

By replacing physical forms with digital records, Unilever gained more control over operational information.

Digital reports made the process more traceable, easier to organize, and safer when compared to paper-based documentation.

Results

The digitalization of the maintenance reporting process generated clear operational gains for Unilever.

Digilaud helped reduce paper usage, improve information security, and accelerate a process that was previously handled manually.

Why This Case Matters

The Unilever case shows how custom software can improve internal operations without adding unnecessary complexity.

Many companies still rely on manual processes for inspections, reports, audits, maintenance routines, and field operations. These workflows may appear simple, but they often generate hidden costs through delays, rework, lack of traceability, and poor data visibility.

With a custom mobile app, companies can turn operational routines into structured digital workflows that are easier to manage, scale, and improve over time.

For Unilever, Digilaud helped transform an analog maintenance reporting process into a scalable digital solution used to create more than 30,000 reports.

About Espresso Labs

Espresso Labs is a custom software development and design company specialized in building digital products, mobile applications, web platforms, and enterprise software.

Since 2017, Espresso Labs has helped companies transform ideas and operational challenges into complete digital platforms, combining technology, design, and business understanding.

FAQ

What is Digilaud?
Digilaud is a custom mobile application developed by Espresso Labs to digitalize Unilever’s refrigerator maintenance reports.

What problem did Digilaud solve for Unilever?
Digilaud replaced a manual, paper-based reporting process with a digital workflow that could be completed directly from a smartphone.

What were the main results of the project?
The process that previously took around one week was reduced to approximately one day, and more than 30,000 reports were created through the app.

Why are digital maintenance reports important?
Digital maintenance reports improve traceability, reduce paper usage, increase data security, and make operational information easier to access and manage.

Does Espresso Labs build custom mobile apps for enterprise operations?
Yes. Espresso Labs develops custom mobile apps, web platforms, and enterprise software for companies that want to digitalize processes, improve operations, or launch new digital products.