What is Diverse Certification?

Diverse certification is a label given to businesses that are committed to the principles of inclusivity, equality, and diversity. 

These principles are important for any type of business, but they become especially important when there is an opportunity for discrimination. 

To help protect against this possibility, diverse suppliers must be certified by a third-party organization before they can do business with your company.

In this article, we will discuss what diverse certification means and how your organization can attain it.

What is Diverse Certification with Regards to Suppliers? 

As we mentioned before, diverse suppliers must be certified by a third-party organization to do business with your company. This certification will show that they uphold the principles of inclusivity and equality and have undergone an audit looking at their hiring practices, supplier diversity initiatives, compliance with equal employment opportunity laws, etc.

Certification Organizations Include:

A diverse supplier certification organization will be accredited by an international accreditation body, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) or Global Social Compliance. In some cases, certifications may not need to be obtained from a third-party and can come directly from your company’s policies.

In order to know which organizations you should get involved with in your area of interest, search online for “diverse supplier” followed by keywords that correspond to what interests you: e.g., diverse suppliers in sustainability  or diverse suppliers in food service . You’ll probably find several different listings that offer this service!

What Types of Diverse Certification Exist?

There are three types of diverse certifications: general diverse supplier certification (GDS), temporary diverse supplier certification (TDCS) and permanent diverse supplier certification (PDCS).

As you might guess from these names, TDCS is good for companies that want to diversify their supply chain but know it won’t last long while PDCS is more appropriate for those who plan on doing business with diverse suppliers for the long haul.

What are GDS and TDCS?

GDS is something of a “middle ground” certification in that it lasts three years before undergoing another audit, but provides more stringent guidelines than TDCS certifications do. It’s good to know that there are no fees associated with getting this certification, though you will have to undergo an external audit every three years which can be costly depending on your size or location as well as who does the work (fees range from $3000-$6000).

DDCS doesn’t come with any cost either because they’re permanent once issued. Regardless of what type of diverse supplier certification you choose to get, some companies outsource audits while others conduct them in-house. DDCS is a little more complicated because you have to get an ISO 90012008 certification as well.

An ISO 90012008 certification is necessary for any company that is in the process of getting diverse supplier certification. It’s important to note, though, that if you’re not going through a third-party auditor then this will have to be done internally and requires specialized knowledge which may cost money.

Conclusion

In conclusion, diverse supplier certification is the best way to verify that your company doesn’t discriminate and is compliant with all laws.

Diverse certifications can be obtained in a couple of different ways, including getting an ISO 90012008 certificate or paying for audits from third parties.

Some companies outsource these audits which may cost more money depending on who you hire and who is the auditor.

There are many other factors to consider when looking for diverse supplier certification, including whether you have it internally or externally and what type of certifications your company needs.

These people will also be able to provide guidance regarding obtaining diverse supplier certification so that you don’t overlook anything important while completing the process.

You should do research into each option before deciding which one suits your business and make sure there are no hidden costs associated with any choice!