How Aramark Transformed its Supplier Engagement Strategy

Aramark, a global force in food, facilities and uniform services, serves a diverse range of clients, from stadiums and hospitals to federal agencies.

For a company of its stature, securing new business while nurturing existing partnerships hinges significantly on strong community engagement.

Integrating small supplier sourcing has, therefore, emerged as a critical element of Aramark’s business strategy.

Natily Santos, Vice President of Responsible Sourcing at Aramark, explains: "We're in every community across the country. Supporting local and small businesses isn't just a goal – it's a business imperative and a reflection of the values our clients care about deeply."

Addressing visibility challenges

Aramark's approach to supplier engagement has evolved significantly compared to a decade ago, when it had limited means to monitor and engage with smaller suppliers.

The transformation has been facilitated by Supplier.io, whose platform has enabled one of the most respected small supplier engagement programmes in the country.

Before collaborating with Supplier.io, Aramark faced challenges with limited tags and missing insights.

"We had a tag for diverse and a tag for women," shares Natily. "We worked with small businesses, but we weren't monitoring that in any centralised or consistent way."

This lack of visibility posed significant challenges, especially as clients, particularly those in regulated and community-centric sectors, began requesting more comprehensive reporting.

"They wanted to know the certifications, the impact and how we were representing the communities we serve," adds Natily.

Boosting supplier engagement

By leveraging Supplier.io’s solutions, Aramark experienced a significant uplift in its supplier sourcing programme.

Natily goes on: "I needed a solution that could make my life easier, improve our ability to report and tell stories, and integrate into our current practices. Supplier.io absolutely met all three."

Utilising Supplier.io's Supplier Intelligence Platform, Aramark could start tracking small businesses that align with SBA definitions. The shift doubled Aramark’s supplier engagement metrics overnight, by merely gaining visibility into the small businesses it was already collaborating with.

"Supplier.io also made it easier to source with small suppliers by engaging the broader procurement team," Natily continues. "Now, anyone in sourcing can search, identify and vet qualified small suppliers quickly. It's not siloed; it's integrated."

With insights from more than 11 million suppliers and access to 350 million insights, Aramark was able to pinpoint small, local businesses rapidly and identify sourcing gaps with updated data, as well as identify potential partners proactively, enhancing resilience and supply chain undertakings.

"It's helped our teams proactively find new partners, build resilience and strengthen our supply chain," Natily observes.

Quantifying economic impact

A critical aspect Supplier.io brought to Aramark was the ability to measure and report on economic impact.

"Our clients care about the 'so what'," Natily asserts. "It's not just how much we're spending, but how that spend supports jobs and communities."

With tools from Supplier.io, Aramark could convert procurement data into community value, understanding the ripple effects of its small business sourcing strategy from fostering local employment to bolstering community infrastructure.

"That's the game changer," Natily highlights. "It turns procurement data into community value."

Beyond improving client support, Aramark reimagined spend data into clear economic impact results, assisting Natily in advocating for her internal team's resources and budget.

"Economic impact data was a critical game changer in how I was able to continue to build up my team and make sure that we can maintain and advance progress," she adds. "It helped me fight for resources and budgeting to ensure that when we have impactful numbers that we maintain, because that's something important to our client base."

Aramark's experience illustrates that, while engaging small suppliers doesn't require a complete overhaul of existing methods, it does necessitate the use of smarter tools and dependable data.

"You don't need to have it all figured out," concludes Natily, "but you do need the right partner."

With Supplier.io, Aramark was able to transform its small business sourcing efforts into a distinctive advantage that not only delivers business value and meets client expectations but also creates a measurable impact on the communities it serves.