7 Signs Your DBE Program Is “Leaking” Efficiency

Perhaps you’ve noticed that some of your DBE Program’s current processes just aren’t as efficient as you’d like. You’ve periodically considered that improvements could be made to positively impact your DBE program (and likely make your typical workday a lot easier).  After all, you have important community and diversity goals to meet and are simply tired of chasing paper.  Moreover, you’re becoming keenly aware of the projects you could accomplish if you weren’t spending hours manually tracking information which, depending on your organization and responsibilities, could range from subcontractor payments to certification applications and renewals. Working until the eleventh hour to create and submit critical reports, doing multiple follow up with suppliers, and spending far too much time running in circles with multi-system chaos, questioning the accuracy of your data has become the norm.

Still trying to figure out if the time is right for a change? We’ve compiled the 7 Signs your DBE program is “leaking” efficiency:

You’re struggling with multitier tracking and reporting.

Without the proper tools in place, your visibility could be shallow. For example, your program might be successfully tracking and reporting on Tier 1 or prime DBE suppliers; however, you know you’re missing out on the opportunity to accurately report on your entire DBE utilization, as your subs may also be subcontracting with DBE businesses. The problem is effectively tracking and reporting on those deeper tiers, whether manually or through a multitude of different systems, seems impossible.

You have critical, timely reports you need to produce.

The ever-looming Uniform Report is your bi-annual nemesis! There doesn’t seem to be any simple way to get through it, and with NPRM proposed rule changes on the horizon, an accurate, timely submission will not get any easier. Besides the Uniform Report, depending on your industry and program goals, there are likely specific compliance goals, internal requirements, or mandated reports that you need to produce.  To generate these reports, you need a consistent and efficient way to collect and accurately report on this data.  As your program grows, and if your processes are manual, the “old way”  won’t cut it in the long term – especially considering those inevitable NPRM changes.

 If your organization is a certifying agency, you spend countless hours collecting and verifying vendor information while also needing more time to encourage others to apply.

Managing a certification process is a big undertaking because of the detailed information and verification required and because it involves collecting confidential documents. Many certification agencies struggle with antiquated processes involving too many steps and a questionable document collection process, often leaving vendors confused and frustrated as they initially apply for certification and, again, at the time of renewal. Additionally, after all that effort and time spent managing your directory, you still fall short on potential suppliers to fit your needs. As a result, you often think to yourself how nice it would be to have a “one-stop-shop” where vendors could easily apply for certification and renewal online and where your team could manage the entire certification process seamlessly, including outreach efforts to grow your directory!

 You want your weekends back.

If you’re sacrificing your weekends to manually sift through the data, sending late-night emails, living in Excel sheets, and bouncing through a myriad of different tools to keep your DBE program flourishing, chances are you might benefit from process automation.

 You’re not confident in your data.

Suppose you’re leveraging manual processes toggling between several different systems or spreadsheets, or you’re relying on a directory that isn’t exactly reliable. In that case, there is a high probability of more data errors than you’d like to admit. The problem is you know you will have difficulty meeting your DBE goals if you’re questioning data integrity. Furthermore, you fundamentally understand that accurate data on diverse suppliers and spend can be the cornerstone of your program’s success, achieving compliance, improving the economy, and supporting the community.

 You’re tired of the multi-system chaos.

You have the process of toggling between software systems and spending time fixing the data field nuances down pat.  But, generating a simple report, cross-referencing data, or importing or formatting specific figures from one system to the next takes a lot of work. So, you’ve often thought about how nice it would be and how much time and effort you would save to have all the features, functionality, and data you need in one system.

You want a better way to track payments.

Accurately tracking payments and reporting on diverse spend is crucial for meeting DBE program objectives. However, manually tracking and painstakingly managing the reporting framework and guidelines breeds errors and inconsistencies and must be more scalable. Leading agencies, organizations, and businesses understand that efficiently tracking payments in a streamlined and automated manner is pivotal to achieving diversity goals and growing supplier diversity programs.

If these 7 signs that your DBE program is “leaking” efficiency sound familiar, know that you’re not alone. 

Budget constraints, small teams, challenging change management situations, and more are just a few of the reasons DBE program managers find themselves stuck with a potentially inefficient program. On the contrary, a growing number of DBE program managers and organizations are facing these obstacles square in the eye and actively seeking better, more effective ways to manage and grow their DBE programs. Whether the desire to seek a better way is driven by mandated compliance requirements by federal, state, municipalities, school districts and more, or supplier diversity program initiatives with goals focused on supporting the community, committing to high ethical standard, or encouraging innovation, these organizations are turning to automation and the powerful capabilities of supplier diversity and DBE compliance software programs like B2Gnow. For more information on how your organization can take advantage of automated data gathering, tracking reporting, vendor management, and administrative processes, we encourage you to reach out and schedule a time to speak with a B2Gnow expert.