Since 1968, Diversity Information Resources (DIR) has been at the forefront in providing information resources that support and enhance supplier diversity. Diverse-owned supplier? Registration on DIR's portal is free. Represent a major corporation? Learn how DIR's supplier data management solutions, educational seminars and publications can enhance your corporation's supplier diversity program. Learn more at www.diversityinforesources.com

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Share your latest Marketing and Information material . . .

This is a "how-to" post for diverse suppliers registered with DIR Corporate Clients

BACKGROUND
DIR answers suppliers’ LinkedIn connection requests with an invitation to join a LinkedIn group called “Suppliers Registered with DIR”. This group serves two functions. When we are looking for opinions or feedback, we go to this group first. In marketing jargon, we call it a “hotlist,” a vehicle for DIR to more easily reach a group of suppliers (most are certified as being diverse) knowledgeable about our products/services. It’s also a networking/sharing “bulletin” board used by diverse suppliers to exchange information with each other about successes, trials, and experiences reaching out to SD and Procurement professionals. DIR moderates all contributions to this group for privacy reasons. 

Suppliers occasionally email back with an informational PDF attached. I check the supplier’s profile in the DIR portal to see if the information is attached there, too. It rarely is, so I thought I’d blog about how to do just that: attach informational material (annual reports, fliers, flow charts, mission statements, etc.) to a supplier profile. Although DIR can upload certifications to a supplier’s profile, we cannot upload informational attachments (or change anything about your business listing) for privacy reasons

ACTION
If you are a registered supplier on DIR’s portal and have materials to share … please do! Perhaps you registered on DIR’s site, or via one of our corporate clients. Documents need to be under 1MB (there are a few exceptions, but try to keep it under 1 MB) and have the file suffix: .doc, .xls, .vsd (Visio), .ppt, .pdf, .gif, and .jpg. These file types are noted on the upload page, but if you’re like me, you tend to glaze over the small print!

My suggestion is to save documents as .jpgs or .pdfs because both formats are easy to condense to a smaller file size (72 dpi is fine for .jpgs online, and .pdfs can be saved as “smallest size possible” with the ‘save as’ command).

DIRECTIONS
READY? (Note! Save your file with a meaningful name like <MyCompany.2013Capabilities.jpg>, not <doc.feb.13.jpg>. This is important because, if someone saves/downloads your info to their hard drive, they can more easily find it using your company name in the search.)
SET. (Do you remember where you saved these files?)
GO!

1. Log-on to your profile (via DiversityInfoResources.com (illustrated) or a client’s site).


2. Mouse over the “My Account” tab and drop down to “Update Organizational Profile” (Note! Not “Update My Profile” right above it). 

3. Click on the hyperlinked/underlined word: Attachments

4. Click the “Choose File” button and proceed on to your own hard drive to find the document you wish to upload. 

5. Once you’ve chosen your file (you do one at a time), click the “Upload” button. You’ll be directed to a page where you can fill in more details about your document. Be brief, but targeted, and give your file (again, an informative) a name (i.e. MyCompany.MissionStatement2013). 

6. Success! You’re now done and have provided up-to-date, additional information for a sourcing company to reference.

7. Congratulations … you can view them or upload more at this point.


Friday, November 8, 2013

"Flashback Friday" Celebrating 45 Years of Supplier Diversity Action

Wrapping up DIR's 45th Anniversary year, we'll celebrate by featuring archival photos of DIR in action. Enjoy these 3 today that feature:
DIR founders, Pete and Rose Meyerhoff
DIR's first office in North Minneapolis, MN
DIR's first directory printing

For more on DIR's history, visit "About DIR" on the web site.