Supply Chain Diversity
In 2008, Office Depot's highly regarded Supply Chain Diversity Program grew even stronger. In fact, with the consolidation of all our industry-leading efforts under the leadership of Robert McCormes-Ballou, Director of Supply Chain Diversity, we might just have reached that new level everyone keeps talking about.
Office Depot's Supply Chain Diversity Program assists Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs; which include Certified, Minority, Women, Disabled, Veteran, and Small [SBA 8(a), SDB, and HUB Zone] enterprises), in building community, business and customer relationships that inspire organizational (profitable) growth and empowerment within every aspect of our business. For another year, we continued to build on the success of our proven, multi– dimensional approach to small business development by promoting and including diverse suppliers, partners and customers throughout our entire supply chain.
We are very proud to offer the most comprehensive Supply Chain Diversity model of its kind in order to give HUBs the best opportunities to grow and prosper. As always, we actively seek out promising HUBs to ensure equal opportunity in our supplier selection process.
The Supply Chain Diversity process encompasses three dimensions – Vendor Diversity, Supplier Diversity and Tier One – that focus their efforts around five essential strategies:
- Seeking out HUBs through vendor fairs, trade shows and enhanced vendor management process and performance.
- Offering HUBs an equal opportunity in the vendor selection process.
- Forming partnerships with diverse businesses and HUB member organizations, including the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Minority Business Development Agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
- Marketing HUBs to provide them with national exposure through Office Depot's national catalogs, websites and various magazines that focus on the business of diversity.
- Empowering HUBs by raising their capabilities and making them the best sources from which to buy.
One highlight of these ongoing efforts was the inaugural Women's Business Development Center (WBDC) of Florida Conference and Business Expo at our Corporate Headquarters. The event brought together America's leading corporations, government agencies, women business owners and affiliate organizations with the goal of enhancing networking and contracting opportunities for women business enterprises.
The more than 140 participants had the opportunity to attend interactive workshops with leading businesswomen and corporations, learn about women-owned businesses across multiple industries, take part in one-on-one matchmaker appointments with participating corporations, meet corporate representatives interested in doing business with women and network with product vendors.
On a regional and national scale, we sponsored or participated in a dozen events that enabled us to reach a broad and diverse audience, including:
- Women's Business Development Center of Florida Corporate Close–up
- Women's Business Enterprise National Council Gala
- Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council Procurement Fair
- DiversityBusiness.com's 8th Annual Multicultural Business Conference
- Institute for Supply Management's 93rd Annual Conference
- Florida Regional Minority Business Council Expo and FAMBEO Training
- National Minority Supplier Development Council Dinner Dance
- Women's Business Enterprise National Council Women in Business Expo
- Florida Minority Supplier Development Council Expo
- Diversity Information 13th Annual Best Practices in Supplier Diversity Seminar
- Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council Business Awards Dinner
- National Minority Supplier Development Council Expo
We were gratified that our peers acknowledged our efforts once again last year. WBENC named Office Depot to its annual listing of America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises for the seventh consecutive year. And for the eighth year in a row, we were recognized as one of the "Top Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities" by DiversityBusiness.com. Office Depot was the highest ranking retailer on the list, dubbed the Div50.
Recognition came to individual members of our Supply Chain Diversity team as well. Shari Francis, Manager of Vendor Development for Office Depot, was chosen by DiversityPlus Magazine as one of the Top 25 Women Impacting Diversity, while Robert McCormes-Ballou received the President's Award from the Florida Minority Supplier Development Council.
For Office Depot's Supply Chain Diversity Program, our bottom line is not how many awards we receive, but rather our success in changing the face of business. We are proud of our steady progress toward this important goal.
To learn more about Office Depot's commitment to Supply Chain Diversity, visit: www.officedepot.com/corporatecitizenship.