WASHINGTON, DC – June 9, 2021 – The state of Supplier Development and Procurement took center stage on the second day of the virtual CelebrASIAN Business + Procurement Conference, held June 9. The deep-dive discussions from Fortune 500 subject-matter experts and practitioners were held to benefit small and underdeveloped businesses who want to be part of the billion-dollar supply chain of these major corporations.
Among the participating Fortune corporations were Nationwide, T-Mobile, and Trane Technologies. The panelists discussed how supplier development evolved through federal reforms, how much corporations spend on supplier development, and how they develop and partner with small business suppliers, among other salient points.
'This is the time for supplier development programs to live up to their potential,' said Susan Au Allen, USPAACC National President & CEO. 'Since former President Richard M. Nixon began the minority business program 50 years ago, it has evolved into what is now known as "Supplier Development" and it has steadily gained momentum. Today, major corporations are stepping up their engagement and are directly targeting small and underdeveloped businesses. This is a win-win scenario.'
The following reflects the language used at the time of his remarks: 'There is an energy and force up the C-Suite and board level of organizations to develop and advance supplier diversity programs that never existed previously for many organizations,' added Tarun Puri, Senior Director, Procurement and P2P Advisory, The Hackett Group.
Allen also traced how USPAACC has worked for over 30 years on small and underdeveloped business development with major corporations, governments, and large non-profits. 'USPAACC has been focusing on Supplier Development for more than 20 years now – long before it became the talk of the business community,' she said. 'Through collaboration and equal opportunity, USPAACC is poised and determined to take the growing Asian American businesses on this journey and keep paving the way for their continued success.'
'We will show you the way to corporate supplier development programs. Come and get certified as an Asian American and small business owner,' Allen added.
To learn more about CelebrASIAN Business + Procurement Conference, follow link here. For more information about USPAACC, click here.
