1. Why does your company work so hard to do business with veterans?

AT&T actively seeks DVBEs to include in our business. They have proven to be valuable business solution partners in our supply chain. They help us meet our diverse customers’ needs and improve AT&T’s position in the marketplace. Our company has a designated DVBE Program manager that is specifically dedicated to growing DVBE inclusion.

The diversity of our supply chain is one of the strengths of our company that help us deliver the best products and services to our customers. Disabled veteran business enterprises bring valuable contributions to our mix of strategic suppliers. Some important benefits DVBEs provide include:
 

•Their military background makes them experts in logistics and operations.

•The Federal and State governments are important customers to AT&T, most have aggressive DVBE spend goals. Being a DVBE inclusion leader helps AT&T satisfy our customer’s requirements.

•Providing opportunities for DVBEs makes good business sense, and these suppliers are among the core strategic partners that have helped AT&T become one of the most respected telecommunications companies in the world.
 

2. Why is the supplier diversity program so important to your company?

AT&T is driven by a desire to stay connected to the needs of its customers, business partners and the communities we serve, and our commitment to diversity is deeply rooted in our business principles. Our diverse suppliers, including disabled veteran business enterprises, help us reduce cost, increase time-to-market, customize our products and services to customer needs, and improve customer satisfaction.

3. What does it mean to be named one of the Best 10 Corporations for Veteran-Owned Businesses?

Our close partnerships with disabled veteran business enterprises have made a positive and meaningful difference for AT&T, as we strive every day to be the most trusted company in the telecommunications industry. With their military backgrounds, veterans bring valuable insight to our supply chain, and we benefit greatly from their expertise in logistics and operations.Working with veteran-owned businesses not only helps our bottom line but also helps us deliver the best products and services to our customers.

– Randall L. Stephenson
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

4. What improvements have been made to your program over the last year or two?

AT&T has spent $123 million with disabled-veteran-owned firms in the last two years (2007 and 2008), and we have added several new DVBE companies to our supply chain.
 

AT&T will continue to utilize our recently developed DVBE Mentor-Protégé program, called "Operation Hand Salute" to coach and mentor DVBEs to grow capacity and become more successful. This program was highlighted last year during a public hearing at the CA Public Utilities Commission En Banc session. It also has been adopted in principle by all California based utilities and hailed as the type of proactive approach needed to increase the utilization of DVBE suppliers.

5. What changes or improvements are anticipated for the future?

DVBEs are growing, and will continue to grow, with the increased number of servicemen and servicewomen returning from active duty. We anticipate continued progress towards increasing the number of DVBE firms to our supply chain. Over the past ten years we’ve increased our DVBE spending by 37% and will work to increase these results.

We are preparing DVBEs for opportunities in the growing areas of our business. Through AT&T’s Supplier Diversity Programs, we are educating and informing DVBE suppliers about the shifts in our industry. Historically service disabled veterans have been full participants in the traditional core of our business--- telecom network services. Today, many of the contracting opportunities with AT&T are in the delivery and support of emerging and converged technologies like IPTV video, data communications, content and programming and wireless networks.

We want prospective DVBEs to be prepared and ready for business in this changing environment. AT&T produces workshops and provides scholarships to expert training business school programs to develop DVBE companies. We are also working hard to improve our prime supplier participation since most opportunities for smaller firms are second and third tier.

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