Supplier Diversity For Dummies

Chapter 9

Identifying Common Barriers to Supplier Diversity

IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding the obstacles to supplier diversity

Checking out issues supplier diversity professionals face on an individual level

Breaking down reasons supplier diversity practitioners aren’t successful in this role

Creating a strong supplier diversity program despite the challenges

Building a strong supplier diversity program doesn’t happen instantaneously or overnight. Based on the number of internal and external factors involved, it’s a continual and fluid process. Think of it like a diet — a business lifestyle change.

But just because you start a program doesn’t mean it’ll be a success. Despite the best of intentions, supplier diversity efforts stall or even fail for many reasons. Naturally, many people assume only external issues such as limited availability of a wide variety of firms or a lack of community resources are the leading factors that negatively impact supplier diversity. But interestingly, the most common barriers to developing a successful supplier diversity program start with the organization ...