Every organisation that has ever run a supplier diversity programme knows its aggregate number. Or thinks it does. The percentage of spend that reached women-owned suppliers last year. The share of the supplier base that is youth-owned. These numbers are quoted in board presentations, included in ESG disclosures, and repeated

If you choose a supplier based solely on price and delivery promises—without verifying their compliance or financial health—you’re taking a major risk. Their tax status might be outdated, their cash flow unstable, and their reliability questionable. And when things start to go wrong—missed deliveries, stalled projects, regulatory issues—it’s often too