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AT&T is among the world's best when it comes to finding and doing business with diverse suppliers. Since 1968, AT&T Global Supplier Diversity promotes, increases, and improves the quality of the overall participation of minority, women, and disabled veteran-owned business enterprises (MBE, WBE and DVBEs) in its corporate supply chain.

Overview

AT&T Global Supplier Diversity began in 1968 with the creation of AT&T's Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Program. In addition to the MBE Program, the launch of AT&T's Women Business Enterprise (WBE) Program in 1980 and its Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Program in 1993 have better enabled us to provide the best products and services to our customers by expanding contracting opportunities for diverse businesses across its enterprise.

Supplier Development

AT&T has mentored several diversity suppliers as solution providers to the core areas of our business as well as in non-traditional and emerging lines of business. And, through our Prime Supplier Program, which requires our prime suppliers to meet diversity goals, AT&T has been a catalyst for supplier diversity breakthroughs in other industries, like advertising, entertainment, and contract manufacturing.

Women of Color Businesses Growth Initiative

AT&T graduated seven minority women owned businesses in 2010 from the AT&T Women of Color Business Growth Initiative (WOCB). The program helped the women businesses gain TL9000 quality certification and trained them on more than six core competencies such as: improving access to capital, developing sustainability plans, utilizing business technology and improving their expertise on bid responses. These are important success factors small businesses need to compete in global supply chains. This protégé program also positioned the participants with AT&T prime suppliers and internal business unit leaders to explore business opportunities. Two of the seven participating companies received contracts in 2010.

Operation Hand Salute (OHS) Protégé Program

Operation Hand Salute (OHS) was launched in May 2010. OHS is a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) program that mentors a select group of DVBEs towards success. The year-long program emphasizes improved business operations and enhancing their ability to win corporate contracts. The DVBE participants are assigned to an existing AT&T diverse supplier and procurement manager as coaches. Throughout the year mentees attended sales trainings, quality program webinars and met periodically with AT&T leadership to gain insights of our business and the industry.

All of the OHS members are in the process of obtaining their TL 9000 quality certification and they are introduced to decision makers for potential business. For example, in 3rd quarter 2010, one DVBE mentee received a Tier 2 contract from one of our wireless construction prime suppliers. As a result, their business grew 23% and they were able to create four new jobs in Southern California.

AT&T 'Meet the Primes' Matchmakers

AT&T Global Supplier Diversity launched a series of matchmaking events in 2010 that strategically targeted key prime suppliers to engage in one-on-one interviews with pre-vetted, qualified diversity suppliers to uncover potential contract opportunities. The events also provided education about corporate supply chains and information about AT&T's strategic direction. For example, one event featured David Haight, AT&T Vice President of Business Development, Emerging Devices, who shared AT&T's vision of how innovative devices from wireless dog collars to picture frames will be connected on our powerful network to enhance our customers' mobile lifestyle. Speakers also included AT&T Supply Chain executives and CEO's of existing successful diverse businesses from AT&T's supply chain. "This event demonstrates AT&T's ongoing commitment to leveling the economic playing field for qualified minority vendors," said Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. Founder & President - Rainbow PUSH Coalition in his remarks at the event. "They will land contracts - not merely contacts," he added.

Some corporations that participated in the 2010 events included representatives from Bechtel, Ericsson, Accenture, Amdocs, Black & Vetch, NCR and others. In 2010 AT&T hosted a total of 24 corporations that met with 177 diverse companies. Six contracts were signed within the first six months of the initiative; with 117 business development talk still continuing.

Spending Record

In 2010, AT&T spent $9.2 billion with minority, women and disabled veterans business enterprises, representing 18.8 percent of our total procurement.

A woman reviews a document with a man in a wheelchair along a busy street

AT&T is a member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable, a supplier diversity think tank of corporations that spends more than $1 billion annually with diverse companies. Only 17 companies qualify at this level.

Aggressive Goals

The company's goal is to procure 21.5 percent of its total procurement from diversity-owned enterprises. Specifically, the company's diversity goals are:

  • 15 percent with Minority Business Enterprises (MBE)
  • 5 percent with Women Business Enterprises (WBE)
  • 1.5 percent with Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE)

Making a Difference

We are making a difference for minority-, women- and disabled veteran-owned business enterprises. Working collaboratively with numerous diversity advocacy organizations, corporate forums and with policy-makers, we increase business opportunities for M/WBEs and DVBEs by providing corporate support, leadership and innovative supply chain solutions. Learn about how we're making a difference

Giving Back

In recent years, the AT&T Foundation has granted more than one million dollars in diversity supplier educational scholarships and programming. The scholarships are granted to leading-edge business schools to provide expert coaching and tangible business benefits to incumbent and prospective diversity suppliers.