Powering Performance with Wesupply – UK Power Networks

Modern Utility Management magazine have recently featured our client, UK Power Networks. The case study discusses how by moving to an outsourced B2B web-based platform for the management of its procurement cycle, UK Power Networks has improved on-time, in-full performance from its suppliers:

UK Power Networks decided to go the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) route and selected Wesupply, with its managed intelligent B2B platform, to automate the ordering process and to provide visibility into its key supplier community. The new system has resulted in lower costs and improved confidence in the ordering process, which in time will reduce the need to hold safety stock.

With an annual spend within Logistics of approximately £100 million, UK Power Networks initially wanted to simply streamline the communication of purchase orders to suppliers by moving away from laborious manual processes to an electronic means of communication, creating a more robust mechanism. This could have been achieved through a traditional on-premise software approach. But this was not to be the case.

Nigel Rouse, head of logistics at UK Power Networks, recognised the opportunities that could be gained by using an intelligent ondemand business process platform provided as an outsourced service. Having worked previously in the automotive manufacturing sector, he was aware of Wesupply’s offering in this space and understood the benefits and the speed of delivery of results Wesupply’s OneTime solution provided: “What we were looking for was a web-based supply chain approach, an invoice matching and communications solution that could manage the life-cycle of an order right through to payment,” Nigel says.

“Subscribing to the Wesupply service has enabled us to collaborate closely with our suppliers. Not only does this help our suppliers to manage cost based on accurate and timely orders, but it also helps us to provide an even better service to our customers,” says Nigel. “By improving order quality and visibility we benefit and so do our suppliers.”

The article can be viewed in full here (opens in a new window)