Affinity Water’s Strategic Partnership with UVDB Powered by Achilles
Affinity Water is the UK’s largest water-only supply company. They provide an average of 950 million litres of water each day to a population of over 3.89 million people.
They own and manage the water network to an area of approximately 4,500km2, and serve regions across the South East of England. Established in 2012 and backed by a consortium of investors, Affinity Water has cultivated a network of more than 1,100 active suppliers across 90 different spend categories.
Affinity Water has been on an incredible journey with Achilles over the last 11 years that has led to a transformation of its risk management process. This in turn has improved supply chain management and operations across their business. Read on to hear about their path to improvement.
Challenge:
Affinity Water originally planned to utilise UVDB Powered by Achilles to compile potential tender lists of pre-qualified suppliers, while continuing to take potential suppliers through its own qualification procedures for individual tender opportunities.
They quickly found that this was extremely labour intensive and time consuming because they only reviewed a supplier when they were actively tendering. It was perhaps no surprise that when the procurement team conducted a review in 2014, they found that for around 800 of Affinity Water’s active suppliers – many of them long-term, legacy suppliers – the company held minimal up-to-date information.
Affinity Water very quickly switched their strategy in way that enabled them to gain better visibility and up-to-date supplier information. This in turn supported how they assessed suppliers against their business priorities.
Process:
Recognising the need to enhance supplier relationships, particularly with those posing the highest risk, Affinity Water deepened its collaboration with Achilles. The adoption of the UVDB Verify standard allowed for annual, detailed risk-based audits of high-risk suppliers, spearheaded by Achilles. In terms of high-risk category of spend, having a valid UVDB Powered by Achilles subscription and Verify Audit is now a prerequisite to be considered for a tender process.
“Over the past decade, our partnership with Achilles and UVDB has been pivotal in transforming our supply chain management processes. By integrating Achilles’ rigorous verification standards and comprehensive audit scheme into our procurement strategy, we have enhanced our operational efficiency and risk management capabilities. This strategic collaboration not only ensures compliance and quality across our supplier network but also aligns with our vision to lead as a community-focused water company.
Ian Stuchfield, Senior Category Manager at Affinity Water
With Achilles and UVDB, we have a reliable partner that supports our commitment to continuous improvement and sustainable practices within the utility sector.”
In addition to the above approach, Affinity Water continues to periodically self-assess its low-risk profile suppliers. All suppliers with a medium-risk profile must have a UVDB qualification, and high-risk profile suppliers must complete an annual UVDB Verify Audit in addition to holding a valid UVDB qualification.
This rigorous programme of supply chain management fits perfectly into Affinity Water’s wider ambitions in the utilities sector. ‘We want to be the leading community-focused water company. Knowing about our supplier’s approach to the environment, health and safety and quality assurance is crucial,’ says Ian. ‘These are all components of the wider risk profile.’
Results:
This strategic shift has overhauled Affinity Water’s approach to risk management and overall supply chain operations. By leveraging UVDB, Affinity Water has gained:
Assurance and Credibility:
With rigorous audits and qualifications managed by Achilles, Affinity Water ensures all engagements with suppliers meet high standards of compliance and quality.
Operational Efficiency:
The centralised database provides accessible, reliable supplier information, significantly simplifying the procurement process.
Cost-Effective Management:
Adopting Achilles’ comprehensive services has proven more cost-effective than managing similar processes in-house.
Better for Everyone’s Business:
The procurement team’s active use of MyAchilles, with over 400 supplier searches per month, showcases their commitment to thorough and proactive supplier engagement. As well as this, the UVDB Powered by Achilles Community is a gateway for suppliers into the wider utilities sector where other buyers will find them.
Supporting Wider Business Commitments:
Affinity Water’s commitment to ‘Zero Harm’ is supported by Achilles’ rigorous collection and validation of supplier health and safety data.
Affinity Water is dedicated to providing high-quality water services while leading the way in technological innovation and sustainability. Their commitment to excellence and community focus ensures the delivery of reliable and efficient services to customers, supported by a procurement strategy that fosters continual improvement and sustainable, ethical supplier relationships.
