HELLO AND WELCOME to the first Supply Chain Digital issue of 2018 ; we ’ re starting as we mean to go on here at Supply Chain Towers , with a packed edition full of must-read interviews , analysis and company reports .

Adorning the cover this month is Paul Dyer , who is celebrating a year in charge at DHL UK & Ireland . In a candid interview , the CEO looks back on the first 12 months of his tenure and explains why the company is making inroads into a number of industry sectors that represent new ground for DHL .

In this new age of disruption , even companies with the clout of DHL are looking to expand their businesses into new areas , conscious that technology is changing once conservative sectors at breakneck speed , allowing new smaller and agile competitors to take a slice of the pie .

Of course , DHL has the size and finances to make its mark in new areas ; the company has tasked some of its brightest minds to consider how it can leverage its capabilities , experience and technological know-how in sectors that may once have been a closed shop .

What is clear is that DHL will not simply sit back idly while its traditional business is disrupted ; it is on the front foot looking to be the disruptor in other areas . It is a decision that many other companies will have to make in 2018 – will they stick or twist ?

Elsewhere , you ’ ll find an eyeopening interview with Kristin Ruehle , Accenture ’ s Global Procurement Business Process Services Lead , who talks about the company ’ s roadmap for the ‘ Next-Generation Digital Procurement ’. It ’ s a piece not to be missed by anybody who ’ ll be working in that sphere in 2018 and beyond .

And while we enter a new year , we ’ ll still be delivering thought-provoking company reports throughout 2018 , getting below the corporate jargon to find out what makes the world ’ s leading businesses ’ supply chain and procurement operations tick . Avery Dennison , Tomorrow Street and Thames Water are among the big hitters featured this month .

Finally , if you want make your voice heard , join the conversation on Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn .

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