Cisco System location & Suppliers

Where in the world does Cisco operate?

            San Francisco, California, U.S.A, Cisco has several branches all around the world, such as in Beirut, Dubai and Kuwait (Wikipedia, n.d.).

Suppliers:-

Previously in the United States, small and diverse businesses have been underutilized as suppliers by large corporations. A policy of promoting supplier diversity by large businesses creates a greater opportunity for all businesses to participate in subcontracting opportunities (Wikipedia, n.d.).

 Cisco support different type of businesses such as:- small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUB Zone small business, small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business, minority-owned business, and women-owned business concerns and business enterprises (Cisco, n.d.).

 One of the best competitive advantages that Cisco has is diversity of suppliers that makes Cisco collaborate with partners and other entities in a very efficient way. In addition, it also gives Cisco an edge when trying to satisfy customers and meeting their expectations. Because Cisco operates in the united sates, by law it has to have diverse procurement form different suppliers, thus this will also ensure that Cisco deals with as many suppliers as possible (Wikipedia, n.d.).    

Expanding Suppliers

  Established 14 years ago the Cisco Supplier Diversity Business Development (SDBD) Program, was created to expand Cisco's network of diverse suppliers. The SDBD team focuses on identifying potential suppliers and facilitates relationships between them and Cisco representatives who can potentially use their products and services (Wikipedia, n.d.).

   In partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the City of San Jose, in the year 2000, Cisco established the San Jose Entrepreneur Center. The center's mission is to provide entrepreneurs with a full range of support services in one location to help them succeed in today's competitive environment. The services include financial services, technical assistance, training, technology, and advice on procurement and international trade (Cisco System, n.d.).

  The SDBD team conducts supplier diversity training throughout Cisco's business units on an ongoing basis. Externally, Cisco holds quarterly "How to Do Business with Cisco" seminars, which are conducted at Small Business Administration (SBA) centers in San Jose, Oakland, and San Francisco, California. (Cisco System, n.d.).