Having a supplier diversity program is not only smart, it’s necessary. To discuss supplier diversity programs and how they support business goals, DiversityComm Inc. spoke with Camille Chang Gilmore, Vice President of Human Resources and Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Boston Scientific. Together, we discussed how supplier diversity programs benefit business, its core values and how Boston Scientific is fostering global collaboration and innovation.
How does Boston Scientific’s supplier diversity program support its business goals?
Our supplier diversity program is an important part of our responsible supply chain and aligned with our company values. We support working with certified companies who share our commitment to customer and patient care, including businesses that are minority-owned, women-owned, small or disadvantaged, service-disabled veteran-owned, LGBTQ+-owned and disability-owned.
By working with small and diverse suppliers, we’re able to access new markets, enhance our supply chain resiliency and deliver high-quality products and services to our customers and patients more efficiently, sustainably and cost effectively, while creating opportunities for underrepresented groups and communities to grow and thrive.
I’m very proud of how we’ve built this mutually beneficial program, and I’m touched by how passionately it’s championed by many of our employees.
How does the supplier diversity program reflect Boston Scientific’s core values and commitment to diversity and inclusion?
At Boston Scientific, we believe diversity and inclusion are essential for our culture and our business. We seek to reflect the diversity of our customers, patients and communities in our workforce and our supply chain. By working with small and diverse suppliers, we believe we’re able to leverage different perspectives, experiences and capabilities, and ultimately better serve customers and patients.
We invest in our small and diverse suppliers and commit to their success by building long-term relationships. We encourage our suppliers to bring new ideas and solutions to the table. In addition, we uphold high standards of quality and compliance in our sourcing processes, and we expect our suppliers to do the same.
What role does internal collaboration play in the success of Boston Scientific’s supplier diversity program?
Internal collaboration enables us to identify, engage and develop small and diverse suppliers across our business. Our global sourcing team works closely with our research and development, operations, facilities and commercial teams, to understand their needs and priorities, and to present them with a diverse array of qualified suppliers. Our sourcing team also partners with our diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) team to provide organizational education about the benefits and opportunities associated with greater supplier diversity, and to connect with potential suppliers.
We leverage our internal network to share best practices and lessons learned that lead to cross-functional synergies. By working together, we’re able to significantly broaden the impact of the program.
This collaboration is aligned with Boston Scientific’s longstanding commitment to empower people and achieve high performance with integrity—cornerstones of our corporate responsibility strategy.
How does Boston Scientific support its small and diverse suppliers?
We support our small and diverse suppliers in many ways, such as providing them with coaching, training and feedback to help them grow and succeed in their business and in ours. We seek to create opportunities for them to showcase their products and services, to participate in our sourcing events and requests for proposals (RFPs) and to expand their scope and reach within our organization and beyond. Additionally, we recognize and celebrate our small and diverse suppliers for their achievements and contributions, and we highlight their stories and successes to internal and external audiences.
We also take pride in our involvement in mentorship programs with several national certification bodies, such as Diversity Alliance for Science, Disability:IN, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and National Minority Supplier Development Council. Through these programs, we connect with and support small and diverse suppliers in various fields and stages of development and help them prepare for and pitch to potential customers, such as Boston Scientific and other corporations. Through these mentorship programs, we build long-term relationships and create a pipeline of diverse talent and innovation for our business.
Can you provide an example that demonstrates the success of the program?
One success story is our partnership with Encompass Onsite, a Black-owned small business that provides innovative and sustainable janitorial solutions. Encompass Onsite introduced us to their H3O product, which is a wall-mounted unit that adds a hydrogen molecule to water to make it a virus and bacterial cleaning agent. This product is safe, effective and environmentally friendly, as it reduces the use of chemicals, packaging and transport. It also saves us time and money, reducing our cleaning time by 50% and our annual cost by tens of thousands of dollars in our Maple Grove location. We are now looking to expand it to more locations. This is a great example of how we work with our small and diverse suppliers to find innovative and sustainable solutions that benefit our business, our employees and the environment.
How do you expect the program will grow or evolve in the years to come?
We expect our program to grow and evolve with our business goals as well as our customer and patient needs. We also expect our program to adapt to the changing market and industry dynamics, such as the growing opportunities for digital and data solutions. Additionally, we are looking to expand globally, both through a membership to WeConnect International, a certifying body for women-owned businesses globally, and generally by partnering with small and diverse suppliers in different regions and markets. We will always expect our program to foster more collaboration and innovation and to create more value for our business, our suppliers and our society.
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This article was originally published on diversitycomm.net.