How do you communicate and promote your supplier diversity achievements and impact?

One thing that I have found helpful in promoting supplier diversity achievements and impact is to align your diversity goals with broader organizational objectives and values. For example, if your company values innovation, you could highlight how utilizing diverse suppliers can introduce new perspectives and ideas that drive innovation. If sustainability is a key focus, you could showcase how partnering with minority-owned or women-owned businesses in your supply chain contributes to building more sustainable and ethical supply chains. By tying your supplier diversity program to overarching business priorities, you make a stronger case for its strategic importance and cultivate buy-in from leadership and key stakeholders.

Communicate and promote supplier diversity achievements and impact through transparent reporting, highlighting tangible outcomes such as increased supplier participation and diverse procurement spend, while engaging stakeholders through various channels like social media, press releases, and industry events to amplify visibility and foster ongoing support.

One thing I have found helpful is to highlight specific supplier success stories and testimonials that demonstrate the tangible benefits your organization has realized through supplier diversity initiatives. Real-world cases make the achievements more relatable and credible. You can feature these stories on your website, newsletters, annual reports and even have the suppliers themselves present at events. Seeing the faces and hearing the voices of the diverse entrepreneurs adds authenticity. Additionally, sharing testimonials from internal stakeholders - buyers, managers, executives - who have directly experienced the value diverse suppliers bring can help build confidence in the program internally.

Another organisation to consider partnering with is Minority Supplier Development UK (MSDUK). They are the UK’s leading supplier diversity advocacy organisation working for inclusion of ethnic minority businesses in corporate supply chains. Networks such as these not only provide opportunities for working with corporate organisations, but also add invaluable networking opportunities with other suppliers and startups in similar positions.

Evaluating and continuously improving your supplier diversity communication and promotion strategy is crucial for long-term success. Establish clear metrics to measure the reach and effectiveness of your communication channels (website traffic, email opens, event attendance etc.) Analyze data on stakeholder engagement - are your messages resonating with the intended audiences? Track supplier diversity spend and contracts awarded as an outcome metric Solicit feedback from internal stakeholders (procurement, business units) on what's working well and areas for improvement Survey your diverse suppliers on their experience and how you can better support them Gather input from community partners, advocacy groups on perception of your efforts

One powerful way to build momentum is to identify internal champions at different levels who can advocate for the supplier diversity program. These could be executives who provide visible leadership support, or managers who actively mentor and connect diverse suppliers. Their personal stories of why they are passionate about this initiative can inspire others. Promoting your supplier diversity efforts externally by engaging with local community organizations can yield multiple benefits. You showcase your commitment, but also get to interact directly with potentially diverse suppliers. Some companies host diverse supplier outreach events, seminars or join community festivals and business expos.