Severn Trent Water has launched an aggressive spend management programme to improve savings and process efficiencies.

The water company is to use online procurement systems from vendor Ariba to help power the programme.

'At Severn Trent, we have set our sights on becoming a leader in the UK,' said Larry Beard, director of purchasing, Severn Trent.

'In order to do this, we must effectively manage our spend while maintaining our high quality standards and levels of service.'

Rachel West, e-sourcing manager, Severn Trent, says the company wants to use IT to drive improvement across the business.

'We now have access to a set of tools that we are using successfully to streamline our procurement process and generate savings and efficiencies that positively impact our bottom line and ultimately, our customers.'