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NKT Supplier Diversity
As one of the largest minority-owned IT firms in the US, NKT understands
and appreciates a commitment to diversity. This means a commitment to the
inclusion and support of all groups encompassing people of various communities.Not
only do we understand the value of diversity, we are also aware of the
benefits diversity brings to the community.
As part of this commitment, NKT has targeted 20% of all spend for qualified
MWBEs (Minority/Women Business Enterprises). Using a focused process, this
target has been exceeded regularly. NKT also provides mentoring opportunities
to the principals of qualified companies through vendor interaction sessions
and meetings.
The Goals of our Diversity Program are to:
- Create opportunities for members of diverse groups including those who vary according to race, ethnicity, economic status, national origin, disability, gender, age and religious viewpoints
- Enhance efforts to recruit and retain a more diverse office staff
- Facilitate the development of diversity-inclusive curricula and other diversity programs
- Mentor and help other MWBEs grow within their industry space.
Doing business with NKT
To do business with NKT as an MWBE, a company must register as a diverse
supplier. To be considered for a contracting opportunity through our Supplier
Diversity Program, you will need to complete these 3 steps:
- Complete the attached Vendor Management Form. Please click on this link, print out and complete
the document.
- Provide proof of your company’s diverse status, by submitting a copy of your current certificate from one or more qualified agencies.
- Mail your completed Supplier Profile Form and copy of diverse status validation to:
Vendor Management
NKT
300 Pistachio Circle
Irving, TX 75063
Or E-mail to johnc@nksoft.com
Certification Criteria
NKT recognizes various third-party certifications. The organizations below
are those whose certifications we accept. NKT may consider other certifications
on a case-to-case basis.
National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC)*
1040 Ave. of the Americas, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.nmsdcus.org
Phone: (212) 944-2430
Certifies minority-owned businesses
NMSDC has 39 affiliate offices located nationwide.
Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)*
1710 H. Street, N.W., 7th Floor Washington, D.C. 20006
www.wbenc.org
Phone: (202) 872-5515
Certifies women-owned businesses
WBENC has 12 affiliate offices located nationwide.
Small Business Administration 8(a) Program*
26 Federal Plaza, New York, NY 10278
www.sba.gov
Phone: (212) 264-4322
Certifies small businesses
For more information or questions, please e-mail supplier@g-c-i.com
NKT Mentoring Program
NKT has drawn up a Mentoring Program for emerging MWBEs to provide encouragement,
guidance and opportunities. Our Business Mentoring Program is a win-win
strategic business partnership program for minority businesses. This program
identifies emerging certified MWBEs and develops ongoing mentoring relationships
that promote long-term growth and development of area minority businesses.
MWBEs are identified according to their advanced stage of development and assistance needs. The mentoring program seeks to:
- Cultivate an environment for true supplier diversity
- Recognize committed and emerging minority enterprises
- Enhance the self-sufficiency of emerging minority enterprises
- Facilitate mentoring relationships to expand procurement opportunities and regional economic growth
Qualifying MWBEs for inclusion into the Mentoring Program: NKT has a 2-phased
qualifying process for MWBEs to be included into the Mentoring program.
The first phase involves screening of the MWBE through the MWBE sub-contractor,
qualification questionnaire and a face-to-face meeting with the entrepreneur.
This is to gauge the commitment level, vision, processes & systems,
business strategy and relationship potential. After a potential MWBE is
approved in Phase 1, the enterprise signs the NKT vendor agreement and
is included in our subcontractor list.
Phase 2 of evaluation is a 3-month period where NKT starts work with the
MWBE and requirements are passed onto the latter for fulfillment. The performance
of the MWBE is evaluated on several parameters including number of hires,
response time, adherence to schedules, average time taken for responding
to a request, number of resumes sent, number of resumes sent versus number
of interview requests, number of interview requests versus number of hires,
total number of requests versus number of hires, average time taken to
respond to a NKT complaint or feedback, overall commitment to the relationship
and potential for a long-term strategic relationship. Based on these parameters
that are captured by our Vendor Management System (RAVEN), NKT selects
potential emerging MWBEs and includes them into its Mentoring Program.
There will not be more than 3 MWBEs per client at any time included in
our Mentoring Program. This is to ensure dedicated attention and commitment
to the selected MWBEs in the Mentoring Program.
NKT's mentoring program includes:
- A minimum commitment of business from NKT.
- Monthly meetings for guidance, evaluating performance, identifying strengths and areas of improvement, identifying other potential areas of partnership and sorting out any management or process issues.
- Meetings between management of both companies for strategic guidance
- Visits by various personnel of the MWBE to NKT offices to understand and
learn best of breed practices, processes, systems & methodologies.
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