Suppliers
EDI action should go beyond the internal operations of an organisation to include external relationships too. This section of the toolkit offers recommendations on how to foster and sustain diverse, and inclusive, supply chains.
Working in partnership or collaboration with suppliers who are embedding their own EDI strategies serves to exponentially improve the experiences of your organisation’s employees. Suppliers directly contribute to outputs; in the case of the creative and cultural industries, building diversity into your supply chain can help your products/services better reflect the needs and wants of diverse audiences. Read more about creative supply chains.
Make a proactive effort to seek out and work with diverse suppliers
When using external suppliers, the overall responsibility for EDI remains with the business instructing those suppliers. It is crucial that each business makes a proactive effort to seek out and use diverse suppliers. Asking organisations about their understanding of and commitment to EDI can help you work out whether you would like to engage further with them or not.
It is important that procurement managers have an understanding and belief in the business EDI strategy, to ensure and encourage a diverse supply chain.
An organisation’s choice of suppliers has a direct and significant impact on its own workforce, and highlights its commitment to EDI. By making it clear that your business partnerships are rooted in a core set of shared values like EDI commitment, you will be able to better identify suitable organisations.
The creative and cultural industries have long relied on word-of-mouth to recruit and coordinate project teams. Proactively diversifying your network of potential suppliers, partners and collaborators will increase your potential to create a business offer that better reflects the needs and wants of diverse audiences.