Direct2Dell

A couple of weeks ago, Worldwide Procurement hosted a Global Citizenship Workshop in Shenzhen. This week we are back in China working on another supplier development: the National Minority Supplier Development Council’s (NMSDC) Mission to China.  NMSDC is focused on helping U.S. minority suppliers gain market information and experience business development knowledge in order to expand business opportunities.  Dell is one of the group’s leading members.  

Earlier this year, China Association of Advanced Knowledge Promotion in Ethnic Regions (AKPRO) sent a delegation to the U.S. to benchmark NMSDC’s best practices on minority business development. Mission to China, NMSDC’s reciprocal visit, hopes to raise the level of communication and cooperation between China and the U.S. while aiding in the development of historically underutilized Chinese suppliers, such as those located in smaller cities and rural areas.

Here at Dell, we recognize the importance of fostering strong relations between the US and China to help create an environment conducive to the growth of minority suppliers for both countries. During the mission, Ying McGuire, HR senior manager, and I will talk with the delegation about how Dell provides equal access to potential business opportunities for small, minority, and woman-owned businesses. In addition, Ying will share our best practices which help drive economic development and promote community growth.

That growth helps enable minority business enterprises (MBEs) participate as responsible partners and suppliers of within the global supply chain.  In fact, many of our suppliers already have made tremendous strides thanks to Electronic Industry Code of Conduct (EICC) training. The next step, taking place later this year, will take that training to second-level suppliers through another Global Citizenship Workshop in China. This workshop will focus on driving EICC principles throughout the supply chain.

Through mentoring and coaching, sharing our best practices and providing access to international business opportunities, Dell is working with MBEs to help them compete in the global market. Dell’s continued support for these companies and ongoing relations with organizations like AKPRO, EICC and NMSDC promote business opportunities that help China establish a global footprint and increase its economic competitiveness.

A Peking University study released earlier this year estimated that Dell indirectly creates more than 1.5 million jobs in China. The launch of the results, hosted by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, attracted representatives from all over the country and showcased Dell as a significant contributor to China’s economy. For every US$1million Dell spends in China, more than double that is contributed to China’s GDP, 92 new jobs are created, and US$144,000 in tax revenues are produced.

At a Glance: Dell’s Supplier Diversity Best Practices

Business assessments and mentoring

• Coach/Quarterback Training Camp – a new mentoring program where corporate members help minority-owned businesses compete for corporate contracts
• Supplier Diversity Summit – an event where more than 150 diverse suppliers are given access to procurement opportunities at Dell, Dell’s corporate customers and prime suppliers

Educational fellowships

• Direct Talk – a periodic forum where diverse suppliers can learn about real Dell procurement opportunities and have direct dialogues with Dell commodity managers
• Technical training
• Online procurement tools – introducing small suppliers to technology to teach them how to do all transactions online
• Supply chain management – Dell’s competitive advantage in management transferred to Chinese-based suppliers and customers