Tips from the inside: "We already have a set of good suppliers in place, so if you come in for the first time and don't offer anything different in terms of bringing us value, it is going to…

Tips from the inside: "A big problem we see is that companies are not realistic with their RFPs. And that ends up being the reason why they don't get the business," says Kathy Homeyer, director…

Tips from the inside: "In my experience, there are two ways that a small company can differentiate itself," says Larry Wood, Intuit's director of sourcing. "The first is having deep expertise that can give us knowledge about a particular customer…

Tips from the inside: "Our company dates back to the pie company my grandmother started in 1927. Today, we have over 1,000 employees in six manufacturing facilities and are one of the largest suppliers of pies and baked goods to…

Tips from the inside: "We operate in 22 different market areas, so we have to be aligned with and attuned to regional offerings that may not be coming from large manufacturers," observes Hal Adams, vice president for retail…

Tips from the inside: "In 2009, we subcontracted $4.5 billion worth of goods and services to small businesses," says Gloria Pualani, director of socioeconomic business programs at the aerospace giant Northrop Grumman. "Because we're such…

Tips from the inside: "Changing vendors can be very expensive, so we're always looking for long-term partners," says Ying McGuire, senior manager of global supplier diversity at the computer maker Dell. "When companies first come…