The Advisory.

A monthly note from Harvey L. Phelps · Volume III · September MMXXVI

§ 01 · The Note

Nine months into 2026, three patterns are emerging across the advisory desk. Enterprise buyers are asking harder questions about supplier accountability. Municipal programs are being audited more publicly than in a decade. And boards are quietly separating the DEI conversation from the operational discipline conversation — often to the benefit of both.

What follows is a short read on all three.

§ 02 · Enterprise · The New Buyer Question

The most useful question I have heard from an enterprise procurement leader this year is: "Is your diverse supplier list the same suppliers we already use — or is it a real curated field?" Programs that pass this question have already done the work of Section 03 below.

What to do this month: Pull your top-15 supplier list. Cross-reference against your diversity spend. If the overlap exceeds 60%, you have a curation problem, not a spend problem.

§ 03 · Public Sector · The Audit Season

Three major cities in the American South released procurement audits this quarter. The pattern is consistent: participation targets met, performance metrics unmeasured. The programs that will survive the next round of audits are the ones that put performance on the same page as participation.

§ 04 · From the Book

"Awareness is not the endpoint. The endpoint is the decision made differently on Monday."

— Unconscious Bias · A Book About People · Chapter 3

§ 05 · Availability

Two advisory slots opening in Q4. One keynote date opening in November. If your calendar has a decision on it, this is a good month to reach out.

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Every note above is a starting point for a real conversation.

harvey@hlp-advisory.com