Business
Looking to the Future: Can we Make Supplier Diversity a Priority Post-Pandemic? By Mayank Shah
Mayank Shah, MSDUK, explores how supplier diversity could become a priority in the distant realm of the postpandemic THE DISRUPTION of the pandemic has created a new and often unknown landscape for business. For many corporates, supplier diversity has been put on the back burner throughout the global pandemic. But for, other corporates have realised that they need to look at local suppliers to keep the continuation of their supplies, particularly when the pandemic disrupted the overseas supply chains. During these testing times, many companies have managed to continue to deliver. Large corporates spend millions of pounds with suppliers annually but changing their supply chains to include more diverse suppliers is beneficial to both the corporate and the supplier. Moreover, by procuring products and services from small and minority-owned businesses, these diverse and smaller businesses are also contributing to the economy’s recovery both in the UK and worldwide.
The importance of robust supply chains
when they were in the middle of its summer blockbusters’ production at Pinewood Studios and on locations across the UK when the pandemic hit early 2020. As a member of MSDUK, they reached out to us to recommend diverse suppliers who could provide certified PPE products. They were looking for a diverse supplier to provide certified PPE products that could offer a flexible and agile approach to delivery and serve all UK regions. For Sony, Brocks Compass met their high standards for its PPE products, and on many occasions, the team has gone the extra mile to deliver last-minute requests in different filming locations across the UK. In addition, Brocks Compass has expanded the business to supply promotional merchandise and ergonomic equipment. Sony Pictures demonstrated its ability to be agile and highlighted its commitment to supplier diversity by integrating Brocks Compass in its procurement systems to work more effectively. Sony Pictures Director of Strategic Sourcing at Sony Pictures, Andrew Edgeley, said: “Sony wants to send a message that small, diverse companies can add value to the baseline. Not only did they deliver, but they have been competitive, offering the flexibility we need to keep our latest productions from Cinderella to Venom 2 and many other movies on track safely. Dee Patel at Brocks Compass has been quite phenomenal because he doesn’t let me down and always goes the extra mile.” We are also noticing that more and more, this is something that new employees are looking for, a purpose-driven generation with higher expectations.
By looking at local and minority business suppliers, some corporates have created robust supply chains despite the pandemic disruption. Improving their partnerships and collaboration, successfully delivering a diverse supply chain, and achieving the best outcome for all stakeholders. Also, when appropriately instilled, diversity in procurement creates social value to strengthen and embed resilience in our local and broader community. One brilliant case study of how a diverse supply chain helped global name Sony Pictures UK was Generation Z are woke enough to want 30
March-April 2022
DAWN
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