As B2E Consulting continues on the journey towards greater inclusivity, I’m pleased to provide an update on our Supplier Diversity Programme. This initiative is rooted in our belief that a diverse supplier base not only fosters innovation and creativity but also enhances our competitiveness in the market. In previous articles, we’ve outlined our commitment to diversity and inclusion (D&I), and today I aim to build upon those discussions by sharing our recent progress and future aspirations.

Progress and Achievements

Our Supplier Diversity Programme is driven by key objectives: inclusivity and equal opportunity, economic growth, innovation, and community engagement. B2E is are proud to report that 69.23% of our suppliers are majority female-owned, while 30.77% are majority minority-owned. This diverse representation underscores our commitment to embedding D&I into our supply chain.

To effectively implement and assess our programme, we have focused on two critical areas: systems and relationship building.

1. Systems Alignment: We have ensured that our systems are configured to support both our suppliers and contracting teams in collecting supplier diversity data. This data helps us recognize our diverse suppliers, track our spending, and meet our targets. Measuring the effectiveness of our Supplier Diversity Programme is vital; we regularly evaluate our progress and refine our strategies based on the data collected.
2. Building Relationships: Earlier this year, we appointed Sonal Patel as our Supplier Diversity Lead. With her extensive experience in onboarding suppliers, Sonal has been instrumental in integrating our supplier diversity initiatives into our contracting process. She has taken proactive steps to connect with diverse suppliers, ensuring they have the necessary support and resources to thrive. Sonal’s leadership in this area has helped to foster stronger partnerships and enhance our overall supplier network.

In addition, we conduct quarterly meetings to review our progress and discuss actionable next steps. By regularly tracking our spending with suppliers, we are able to assess the impact of our initiatives and adjust our strategies to iteratively improve on our supplier diversity programme. These meetings not only help us assess our current standing but also serve as a platform for brainstorming new initiatives to promote inclusivity further.

Looking Ahead: Opportunities for Growth

As we expand our business looking forward to 2025, we are eager to enhance our supplier diversity efforts further. We will continue to proactively monitor our engagement with suppliers who are majority veteran-owned, LGBTQ+-owned, and those owned by people with disabilities and individuals from the neurodivergent community. By broadening our focus, we strive to enrich our supply chain with diverse perspectives and innovative solutions that drive our growth.

While we celebrate our achievements, we also recognize that there is room for improvement. We are committed to increasing transparency in our reporting, allowing for more granular insights into our supplier diversity efforts. By fostering open dialogues and gathering comprehensive feedback, we can better understand the experiences of our suppliers and address any gaps in our data collection processes.

Conclusion

B2E Consulting’s Supplier Diversity Programme is not just about compliance; it is about creating lasting relationships and driving meaningful change within our community and the marketplace. I am excited about the progress we have made, particularly through Sonal’s leadership, and remain dedicated to evolving our initiatives.

As we move forward, we invite our clients to join us in this journey, as together we can cultivate a more inclusive and equitable business landscape. Take a look at our Supplier Diversity Programme to learn more about our goals and initiatives.

About the author – Dale McNeill:

Dale has spent the majority of his career consulting in IT Service Management, firstly with Northgate IS, then more recently with Accenture. An ITIL Expert with Cross Industry knowledge, Dale has led many consulting projects in large programmes across the IT Lifecycle. Dale joined B2E in January 2017, supporting some of our key client accounts and helping develop capabilities to support new clients, showcasing our expertise and growing our B2E community.

When not in the office, Dale enjoys going to a variety of gigs, visiting the cinema, cooking and talking to his budgie, Eric. A new addition to the family (Gus the Cocker Spaniel puppy) also keeps him busy and very fit!