Innovative I.D.E.A. by Colliers Elevates DEI at Cummins
 

In an era where DEI is more crucial than ever, Colliers has partnered with Cummins to deftly intertwine innovation with inclusivity.

Colliers’ groundbreaking program, known as I.D.E.A. (Innovation through Diversity, Equity, and Allyship), has significantly enhanced DEI efforts at the global engine manufacturer and has been recognized as an award-winning model for its effectiveness and impact.

Challenged by Cummins to develop an authentic strategy to elevate DEI that reflected its core organizational values, Colliers implemented the comprehensive initiative that emphasizes supplier and team diversity, training, and mentoring.

“In our search for a global real estate partner, we challenged companies to come up with creative solutions to ensure we could fulfill our mission of finding diverse suppliers,” said Gabrielle Woolley, Cummins Executive Director of Global Real Estate. “Importantly, we needed a strategy that considered our long-term goals as we entered – and built a diverse new supply chain in – a new region.”

In recognition of Colliers’ exceptional achievements and partnership with Cummins Global Integrated Services (GIS) Real Estate team, the diversified professional services firm has been honored with IAOP’s Excellence in Strategic Partnerships Award. This prestigious accolade highlights outstanding outsourcing and partnership initiatives that demonstrate innovation and synergies beyond traditional client-vendor relationships.

“Our partnership with Cummins is an example of our I.D.E.A. program in action, as we collaborated to set diversity goals and tailor solutions that accelerated their success while also supporting a D&I spend target for diverse suppliers,” said Kathy Foster, Executive Vice President - Enterprise Clients, Occupier Services at Colliers.

The I.D.E.A. program achieved impressive results:

• Engaging diverse suppliers in 20 percent of the active transaction pipeline where qualified options exist, with Colliers helping Cummins craft equitable fee-sharing agreements to boost these underrepresented groups further.
• Committing to 50 percent diversity on Colliers’ client account team, ensuring varied perspectives in decision-making.
• Utilizing Colliers360 technology to develop a comprehensive dashboard for tracking diverse suppliers’ engagement.
• Implementing online DEI training, consisting of a six-module course on unconscious bias, accessible to the Cummins global team.

To attract and retain a diverse talent pool to help drive innovation, Cummins strategically chose Atlanta, Georgia, as the location for a new technology hub, initially housing the supply chain planning group and IT team, with more groups to follow.

Addressing early challenges in identifying certified diverse partners, the project team introduced Supplier.io, an online platform that connects diverse suppliers, including those owned by minorities, women, veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and others from disadvantaged communities, with potential partners to help them thrive. This has opened doors to a broader range of diverse suppliers nationwide.

While the I.D.E.A. program is focused on identifying qualified suppliers with experience in local markets, primarily in the U.S., which has a more mature system to find these companies, Cummins and Colliers aim to grow it globally as well.

“We are proud to continue supporting Cummins’ goal to make the industry as diverse as the communities in which we live,” Foster said