Our Supplier Diversity and Development team partners with national, state and local diverse business advocacy groups and attends outreach events each year to identify diverse suppliers for potential business opportunities. From networking and matchmaking events to business forums and “how to do business” workshops, we strive to meet and explore potential business partnerships with diverse suppliers. Please refer to our diverse business advocacy groups websites for more information on outreach events.
Matchmaking Made Easy
Matchmaking events are an effective way to provide an exclusive introduction to corporations looking for specific products/services from diverse firms capable of meeting those needs.
To make a lasting impression at a matchmaking session, keep the following in mind:
- Do your research and be prepared to state your value
- Meet the minimum requirements (e.g., bonding and insurance, union, safety and quality requirements, etc.)
- Make sure you’re certified
- Register in our supplier registration portal
- Ask about next steps, who you should follow up with and how frequently
- Send a “thank you” email
- Make sure you are registered in our Supplier Registration Portal
- Bring business cards and a capabilities statement
- Clearly state your value proposition and how you meet our needs
- Highlight your experience with similar companies
- Be prepared to discuss your gross annual sales for previous three years, insurance and bonding capacity, quality programs and safety record
- Ask who you should follow up with
- Continue to market and build your relationship with us
- Keep us informed of any awards, projects, and other achievements and milestones
- Check our website for updated information, events and upcoming workshops
Tips to a Successful Capabilities Review Meeting
Capabilities Review Meetings provide suppliers with the opportunity to present their qualifications, experience and credentials to our procurement team and other organizational unit stakeholders. Here are a few guidelines for a successful meeting:
- Conduct research beforehand that will allow you to discuss how your company’s products/materials/services can meet our business needs
- Become familiar with our mission, industry, market conditions, business operations and requirements and regulations
- Arrive early; allow time for check-in procedures (a valid ID is required at our facilities)
- Test your equipment and request Internet connection in advance or pre-arrange to borrow our equipment
- Bring a Capabilities Statement
- If presenting a PowerPoint presentation, bring it on a memory stick, along with your laptop and projector (if not previously arranged)
- Bring business cards
Your PowerPoint presentation should be concise (20-30 minutes) and include the following:
General Company Information
- Mission and vision
- Short- and long-term plans
- Years in business
- Legal structure (public, privately held, corporation, LLC, partnership, sole proprietor)
- Facility/service area location(s)
- Executive bios/experience
- Business and professional certifications
Products and Services Offered
- Highlight products/services that pertain to our requirements/company needs
- Indicate the solutions your company can offer us
Experience
- Include examples of projects completed for similar companies, noting project, dollar amount, client and reference name
- Highlight your experience with utility companies
Technical Capabilities
- Design - Highlight capabilities, including engineering, software, seismic design capabilities and experience
- Quality assurance - Discuss your formal quality assurance/control program and procedures
- State pertinent certificates, such as ISO certified
- Production - Describe your production capabilities and indicate/explain if you have written manufacturing/inspection/test procedures and how they are communicated to employees
Supplier Responsibility Program Compliance
- Diversity – Communicate any diverse business certifications; if you have a Tier II supplier diversity spend program/policy/goals, including the type of services you subcontract; and tell us if you would work as a subcontractor if the opportunity arises
- Ethics – Tell us if you have an ethics/compliance policy statement and how the program is documented and communicated to all employees, who oversees it, and how you ensure the process is followed
- Environmental Program - Describe the policies/programs you employ to comply with applicable laws and regulations, what the processes are to address the nature of the work, and if you restrict your work to a geographic area
- Safety - Describe your safety program, including Illness & Injury Prevention Program (IIPP), code of safe work practices, and site specific safety plan
- Ask/listen for opportunities
- Address how your company can successfully meet these opportunities