Johnson Controls' Diversity Program
Under its Diversity Supplier Development program, Johnson Controls has established practices to:
• Report the results of all supplier-diversity effort directly to the CEO.
• Include diverse suppliers in acquisitions/divestitures, lead supplier arrangements, joint ventures, and strategic alliances.
• Implement standardized internal processes for recruiting, training, and utilizing diverse suppliers nationwide.
• Expand a successful mentor/protégé program for customers and key suppliers throughout the United States.
• Adopt Web-based systems that provide business opportunities to diverse suppliers, measure performance, and promote diversity-oriented business solutions to customers.
• Strengthen mandates requiring existing Johnson Controls suppliers to offer solutions supporting supplier diversity.
Source: Johnson Controls Inc.
Making the Business Case for Supplier Diversity
The National Minority Supplier Development Council has crafted talking points to help supply chain managers build a persuasive business case for supplier diversity. Here is an adaptation of the key elements:
Use hard facts, not soft arguments. The business case must integrate corporate philosophy, business goals, and financial expectations. Supplier-diversity champions should be very clear about the market dynamics that are driving the business units where they want to launch their programs. If a program fails to demonstrate value for the bottom line, it will not succeed.
Talk alignment talk. Emphasize that the supplier-diversity program has to be in sync with the company's philosophy, its stated values, and its mission ...