Community Level Networking for Diverse Suppliers

We think it's always a good thing to hear from your peers. This article in the Houston Chronicle includes some first person observations from exhibitors at the Women's Business Enterprise Alliance Business Expo at the George R. Brown Convention Center. This closing statement rings true: "The main thing is to try to keep your name in lights."

Keeping your name 'in lights' also means being sure you are registered in a major corporation's supplier database. For a list of corporation who use DIR's online data management tool, click here. Meanwhile, good luck with your community networking!

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Small-business-owners-seek-clients-big-companies-5514730.php

DIR congratulates Novant Health, a client and a supporting Board of Director's member ...

for being recognized nationally for its diversity programs!

From a recent press release, DIR learned that Novant Health has been named one of the 2014 Top 10 Hospitals and Health Systems in the nation by DiversityInc., the country’s leading source for advancing and recognizing excellence in diversity management. Novant Health debuts at No. 3, joining some of the country’s most prestigious healthcare systems including Cleveland Clinic (5th) and Mayo Clinic (8th). (To note: Cleveland Clinic also utilizes SupplierGATEWAY's data management portal. SupplierGATEWAY is DIR's tech partner.)

The ranking uses exhaustive research to look at:

• Talent pipeline: workforce breakdown, recruitment, diameter of existing talent, structures
• Equitable talent development: employee resource groups, mentoring, philanthropy, movement, fairness
• CEO/leadership commitment: accountability for results, personal communications, visibility
• Supplier diversity*: amount spent with companies owned by people from underrepresented groups, accountability, support

“At Novant Health, there is a strong focus on health equity and ensuring that patients, families, communities, employees and stakeholders are respected and heard,” said Deborah P. Ashton, PhD, vice president and chief diversity officer. “Diversity is owned from the executive team through each employee to ensure that our patients’ healthcare experience is remarkable.”

About Novant Health: Novant Health is a four-state integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient centers and hospitals that delivers a seamless and convenient healthcare experience to our communities. Novant Health is one of the top 25 integrated health systems in the United States and was named a top 50 “Best Places for Diverse & Women Managers to Work” by Diversity MBA Magazine. For more information, please visit www.NovantHealth.org

About DiversityInc: DiversityInc’s mission is to bring education and clarity to the business benefits of diversity. The 2014 Top 50 Companies for Diversity results are featured on www.diversityinc.com

*Mr. Kevin J. Price, MBA, MHA is Novant Health's Director, Supplier Diversity & Performance. He is also a DIR Board Member. About Mr. Price: Price joined Novant Health in 2006. He is responsible for diversifying the procurement spend base by developing and implementing Novant Health’s Supplier Diversity and Development initiative. Working with various lines of business, Price identifies certified and qualified diverse suppliers, ensuring that they are given an opportunity to compete for Novant Health’s business. As a result of his efforts, Novant Health has increased its diverse supplier spend by 340% utilizing almost 400 diverse suppliers. His latest initiative is the refinement of the Tier II program and encouraging more majority/minority joint ventures. In addition, he monitors and reports the performance of all suppliers within the Supply Chain.

Spotlighting DIR's client: The Home Depot

The Home Depot utilizes SupplierGATEWAY, DIR's technology partner, and DIR to manage its online supplier diversity data. On Diversity and Commerce's web site, The Home Depot is featured in this helpful article about their Supplier Diversity Initiative. It's a terrific introduction to the reasons why some companies choose to pursue a robust supplier diversity plan. Read more below:

"We tell our diverse suppliers we respect them and are committed to the communities they care about," says the supplier diversity directorThe Home Depot (Atlanta, GA) began its formal supplier diversity program in 2003, says Michelle Sourie Johnson, the company's supplier diversity director. That was "primarily because of a shift in our customer base," she explains. "We were looking at increasing numbers of women and minority customers and the increased spending power they had in the marketplace. It made sense to bring in more MBEs and WBEs. ...."

Informative video of UPMC's supplier diversity outreach event

The University of Pittsburgh's Medical Center held a Supplier Diversity outreach event at the end of March, 2014. This video captures the energy there! Thank you for sharing, UPMC.

DIR's take on "Why Attend?" WBENC 2014

The Women's Business Enterprise National Council offers a variety of ways to connect to their dynamic network of WBEs (Women's Business Enterprises) and Corporate supporters. The pinnacle of this networking happens during their national conference, however. 

This year's conference is in Philadelphia, PA on June 22-25, 2014. A projected attendance of 3,000+ put it at a grand, but manageable size to navigate for networking opportunities and workshops. It certainly is the largest event of its kind in the nation for women business owners. 

This year, over 300 exhibitors will fill the Business Fair floor showcasing their products and services. Exhibitors include WBEs themselves who wish to do business with like-minded companies, and corporations who want to encourage WBEs to do business with them via their Supplier Diversity initiatives. 

Supplier Diversity is about economic growth. Corporations understand that broadening their supplier base brings flexibility, cost-efficiency and innovation. Sometimes a diverse-owned businesses is introduced to a major corporation by doing business with a prime (a majority-owned, larger business who sub-contracts) and sometimes a corporation chooses to mentor and invest in a diverse-business enterprise directly, enabling you to provide services/products in the future. (Here's a LINK to an article in "Minority Business News" about Dell's Suppler Diversity staff and their concerns.) 

Economic growth is the best reason for a WBE to attend this national conference. By attending you'll:

• learn from peers: hear stories that resonate with your own experiences
• support your peers: share stories that will educate others
• network, possibly even attend a face-to-face matchmaking session, with corporate representatives: you are the face of your company ... smile and share it!
• learn from case-study sessions, about what to learn from failing (always important!) and how others walked a road of success
• meet allies: sometimes it takes a village to approach a corporation; team up and try out
• learn jargon: every industry has it, you want to understand it

DIR encourages WBEs who are ready to explore working with a bigger client base to attend. For more information, visit WBENC's site.