Promoting a Supply Chain that Reflects our Values

Mar 14, 2017 11:00 AM ET

We work with nearly 6,000 suppliers throughout the world who provide us with the equipment and supplies we need to operate our global business. We are committed to conducting our business in an ethical, legal and socially responsible manner and, to that end, require our suppliers to comply with our Supplier Code of Conduct (SCoC). This SCoC outlines our expectations across a broad range of topics, from ethics to protecting the environment and is available in 19 languages.

Looking ahead, we want our supply chain to help bring to life our commitment to give more than we take in communities around the world. In 2015, we established a Supplier Diversity program, which is designed to support our inclusion and diversity corporate goals. Our intent is to develop thoughtful and robust guidelines that will help us integrate social responsibility into our procurement processes. This new initiative strives to strengthen the communities we serve, create value for our shareholders and open opportunities for diverse suppliers who satisfy our purchasing and contractual standards. It also helps our customers achieve their corporate diversity goals. In 2016, we plan to expand this program by integrating sustainability principles and requirements into our procurement policies and processes.

While we are working on transparency within our own supply chain, we also respect that many of our customers and partners are doing the same. In 2016, we were awarded a Silver Recognition Level on our sustainability performance survey through EcoVadis, a collaborative platform enabling companies to monitor the sustainability performance of their suppliers. Additionally, we work with our customers on their unique environmental and social responsibility goals by responding to various inquiries and custom surveys throughout the year.

Read more about our commitment to sustainability in the VMware Global Impact Report 2015.