ACHILLES
“ The cornerstone of what Achilles offers is that robust, reliable data that ' s validated correctly”
KATIE FERRIER, REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR UKI AND MEA, ACHILLES INFORMATION LIMITED
Katie continues:“ We’ ve shifted from general compliance and a static checkbox, to having dynamic capability and really empowering organisations we work with to see their risk and act upon it.”
The transition highlights growing recognition that merely having visibility isn’ t enough. Katie emphasises that organisations need to move beyond simply collecting information to actually acting on it.
“ Think about critical national infrastructure; think about defence,” she adds.“ Just knowing about compliance isn’ t enough. You really need to understand the risk profile and you can’ t just say you’ ve got the information; you have to actually act on it and, if you don’ t, you’ re complicit in that risk.”
The challenge lies in achieving complete supply chain visibility. Traditional procurement approaches focused on managing the top tier of suppliers – typically the top 10-20 % representing 80 % of spend – while neglecting the long tail of smaller suppliers. However, recent high-profile incidents have highlighted the importance of understanding risks across the entire supply chain.
Overcoming SME resource constraints One of the biggest barriers to comprehensive supply chain insight is the resource constraints facing small and medium enterprises( SMEs). In the UK alone, there are roughly 5.5 million businesses, with 99 % classified as SMEs. These organisations often lack the resources to navigate complex compliance programmes.
86 September 2025