CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 3, 2003 -- Frictionless™ Commerce, an enterprise sourcing provider, has announced that United Utilities Plc, a UK provider of electricity distribution, water and wastewater networks, has selected the Frictionless™ Sourcing platform.
With five lines of business, United Utilities services a population of some 10 million in the United Kingdom. The utility selected Frictionless Sourcing due to its automated, streamlined sourcing processes that increase competition for awards and drive cost savings.
"Frictionless Sourcing will enable United Utilities to serve our customers cost-effectively and efficiently. The platform enhances communication between our Buying teams and internal stakeholders, to create a collaborative sourcing environment," said George Owens, Head of Procurement, United Utilities.
United Utilities will be utilizing Frictionless Sourcing's robust auction and RFx functionality to realize savings across a range of sourcing categories. Additionally, the platform's reporting capabilities will be employed to better identify and track sourcing opportunities.
"United Utilities is joining the growing movement of utility providers that are examining cost structures to improve competitive advantage. Frictionless will work closely with United Utilities to ensure that their deployment is successful and sourcing goals are rapidly achieved," said Stephen Sharp, president and CEO, Frictionless Commerce.
About United Utilities The largest multi-utility provider in the UK, United Utilities was founded in 1996 with the merger of North West Water PLC and NORWEB plc. With an annual turnover of £1.7 billion and approximately 14,000 employees worldwide, United Utilities is one of the UK's top 100 companies.
About Frictionless Commerce
Frictionless™ Commerce is a privately held, enterprise software company based in Cambridge, Mass. Frictionless delivers enterprise software applications that enable large purchasing organizations to achieve world-class performance. Frictionless™ Sourcing software is a complete enterprise sourcing platform that minimizes the total cost of acquisition for all direct and indirect materials, services and capital equipment. More information: www.frictionless.com.
