Logistics & Warehousing Freethinking Podcast

Series 1 | Episode 8

Welcome to Episode 8 of our Freethinking logistics & warehousing podcast

In this episode Alex Hislop, Chief Customer Officer, DHL Supply Chain UK & Ireland, and Nick Sutton, Dispute Resolution Partner at Freeths, talk about driving efficiency and visibility within UK supply chains and much more…

🎧 Logistics and Warehousing Freethinking Podcast – Episode 8 >

In this series of podcasts delivered by Freeths and hosted by logistics consultant, Paul Brooks will be talking to business leaders across the UK, looking at the impact of global supply chains on the UK economy and how they are responding through warehousing solutions, innovative technologies and managing risk through commercial contracts.

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Missed our previous episodes? Listen to them below.

Series 1 | Episode 1
We speak to Tony Mannix, CEO of Clipper Logistics, about his journey into the sector, supply chain challenges, collaborative working and managing the modern workforce.

Series 1 | Episode 2
Clare Bottle, Chief Executive of the UK Warehousing Association joins us to look at current trends, the growth of e-commerce, the modern warehouse.

Series 1 | Episode 3
Nick Sutton, Dispute Resolution Partner at Freeths and Neil Ashworth, NED, look at current challenges, the rise of data and technology within the supply chain, and what emerging technologies are helping shape the sector.

Series 1 | Episode 4
Anthony Tattersall, Managing Director of Darcica Logistics, Phil Reed, Managing Director of Varamis Rail and Iain Bowler, Partner and National Head of Commercial at Freeths talk all things Net Zero in UK Logistics.

Series 1 | Episode 5
Melanie Tattersall, Director of Sustainability and Communications at Darcica Logistics, Kate Lester, Founder of Diamond Logistics and Philippa Dempster, Senior Partner and London Managing Partner at Freeths explore the topic of women in logistics.

Series 1 | Episode 6
Jamie Hartles, CEO of Howard Tenens Logistics joins Shashi Chambers, Real Estate Partner and Nigel Gardner, Commercial Partner at Freeths to talk about Warehousing, the current property market, NetZero, the role technology plays.

Series 1 | Episode 7
In this episode, Paul Brooks talks to Richard Wilson, Inbound Logistics Director at Arla foods, James Hartley, Partner and National Head of Dispute Resolution at Freeths and Iain Bowler, Partner and National Head of Commercial at Freeths about consumer logistics, the grocery market, and trends across the wider logistics sector.

Topics / timestamp

Time: 00:00
Topic: Introduction
Speaker: Paul Brooks, Logistics Consultant
Description: Introduction from Paul about the Freethinking logistics podcast series
Ideal for: Owners and senior leaders of logistics and warehousing businesses, retailers and those involved up and down the supply chain.

Time: 00:50
Topic: Welcome
Speaker: Paul Brooks, Logistics Consultant
Description: Welcome from Paul
Ideal for: Owners and senior leaders of logistics and warehousing businesses, retailers and those involved up and down the supply chain.

Time: 01:29
Topic: Introduction
Speaker: Alex Hislop, Chief Customer Officer, DHL Supply Chain UK & Ireland
Description: Alex talks about his journey at DHL over the last 20 years, including time in the Nordics and his recent appointment in Jan 23 as Chief Customer Officer

Time: 02:30
Topic: Introduction
Speaker: Nick Sutton, Dispute Resolution Partner at Freeths LLP
Description: Nick talks about his role at Freeths and particularly the work he undertakes for logistics, warehousing, and retail clients across their supply chain, procurement, and manufacturing processes

Time: 05.00
Topic: Challenges of UK supply chain
Speaker: Alex Hislop, Chief Customer Officer, DHL Supply Chain UK & Ireland
Description: Alex talks about the importance of consistency of service, the ability of being able to deal with highs and lows, and creating flexible solutions to meet customer needs

Time: 06:40
Topic: Freeths – being a valued based business
Speaker: Nick Sutton, Dispute Resolution Partner at Freeths LLP
Description: Nick talks about the importance of fully understanding your client and what they are looking to achieve, reducing risk within the supply chain, the gradual introduction of smart contacts to support automation of transactions, and utilising AI and block chains to make contracts secure

Time: 10.08
Topic: Commercial relationships within the supply chain
Speaker: Alex Hislop, Chief Customer Officer, DHL Supply Chain UK & Ireland and Nick Sutton, Dispute Resolution
Description: Alex and Nick talk about strength of partnerships, how stronger relationships can help simplify legal discussions/close deals and the need to work collaboratively during a dispute to help preserve the long-term commercial relationship

Time: 13:36
Topic: Big Data
Speaker: Alex Hislop, Chief Customer Officer, DHL Supply Chain UK & Ireland
Description: Alex talks about data, the importance of working closely with clients to gather it accurately, the global connectivity index, and the investments DHL have made in recruiting data analysts and scientists globally and regionally to support the business and its clients

Time: 16:21
Topic: Supporting clients in the world of data
Speaker: Nick Sutton, Dispute Resolution Partner at Freeths LLP
Description: Nick talks about the value of data, the need to have data structured, and the utilisation of legal tech to support clients

Time: 20:30
Topic: How is data delivering insight to support both capacity and capability in supply chains
Speaker: Alex Hislop, Chief Customer Officer, DHL Supply Chain UK & Ireland
Description: Alex talks about the advancements in technology to help forecast customer’s peak trading, collaborating with data, the flattening of economic and ecommerce growth, and how a number of brands are moving away from traditional peak trading patterns to take control of their own promotion and peak trading

Time: 24:20
Topic: Net zero and ESG
Speaker: Alex Hislop, Chief Customer Officer, DHL Supply Chain UK & Ireland
Description: Alex talks about DHL’s focus on becoming thought leaders for ESG in Logistics, carbon neutral warehousing, battery storage, generation of electricity and the transportation of that energy around the UK to where its needed

Time: 28:00
Topic: ESG in contracts and the supply chain
Speaker: Nick Sutton, Dispute Resolution
Description: Nick talks about how ESG has become a fundamental component of service agreements, greenwashing, the development of 3D printing and the impact this is having on sustainability and the supply chain

Time: 32:56
Topic: The competition for talent
Speaker: Alex Hislop, Chief Customer Officer, DHL Supply Chain UK & Ireland and Nick Sutton, Dispute Resolution Partner at Freeths LLP
Description: Alex talks about DHL’s graduate and apprenticeship programme and attracting talent into the organisation and Nick talks about the importance of culture, adaptability and flexibility within work force and the evolving skill sets needed to work in a modern commercial law firm

Time: 40:00
Topic: Looking into the future of the sector
Speaker: Alex Hislop, Chief Customer Officer, DHL Supply Chain UK & Ireland
Description: Alex talks about consistency within logistics, omni sourcing, foreign investment areas, ESG and the need for collaboration across different industry sectors

Time: 42:45
Topic: Key takeaways
Speaker: Nick Sutton, Dispute Resolution Partner at Freeths LLP
Description: Nick talks about the pace of change in the sector, delivering excellent customer service to clients and the importance of undertaking due diligence in any technology your business is looking to adopt

Time: 45:05
Topic: Summary
Speaker: Paul Brooks, Logistics Consultant

Meet the team

Meet the team