Frequently Asked Questions
M-Tier FAQ
Q: Will I be able to report to all my other customers in M-Tier?
A: You will be able to report to all your customers that participate in M-Tier. In addition, you can purchase additional capability from CVM Solutions to generate reports for your other customers.
Q: When we start our own Tier 2 program, we'll need to give access to our suppliers so they can enter their information onto M-Tier per the business they do with us. Will we be able to enter that information for them or do they have to be the ones to do it?
A: You will tell the system what suppliers you want to have report. Then the system will send them a notification to report and they will enter their company's information. Eventually, we want your suppliers to also have their suppliers report into the system so you entering the data for them would not be preferable.
Q: I have over 400 MBE vendors. To get this data input on the web page for another customer in a similar system took approximately 3 days. Is there any way I can provide you with an Excel spreadsheet with the vendor information to upload before the system is set up and I have to take another three days to input the exact same vendors for Ford?
A: M-Tier will allow you to upload your spend data. You will be provided an Excel-based template to complete.
Q: My company does not want to participate in M-Tier.
A: Your request will be forwarded to the appropriate Ford Supplier Diversity Development business manager. The Ford Administrator does not have the authority to remove you from the process.
Q: I am a certified MBE, can I register in M-Tier to get business with suppliers?
A: Unfortunately, the system does not have that capability. However, you can register in a business to business directory of tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers.
Q: For Indirect Purchases, are we supposed to enter ALL US Indirect Purchases without taking a percent or do we take a percent of our Total US Indirect Purchases before we enter them into the Ford system? We weren't sure if it was automatically calculated in the M-Tier system.
A: The system will automatically calculate the portion of indirect MBE purchases using an allocation factor based on your company's percent of sales with Ford. The percent of sales figure is calculated based on the Total US Sales and Total Ford sales that you enter for your company.
Q: If MBE suppliers we currently use are certified by other recognized agencies (other than NMSDC affiliates), would their utilization be counted as "good faith"?
A: Not at this time. Spend with MBE suppliers who are not certified by NMSDC will show up as ”unverified”.
Q: Do all reported purchases with MBEs need to be tied to a specific "customer"?
A: Not necessarily. All spend (both direct and indirect) are reported by supplier, but only direct spend needs to be tied to a specific customer.
Q: Is all direct spend reported in the system 100% attributed to Ford?
A: Yes, because spend with these suppliers is tied to a specific Ford purchase.
Q: How much of the indirect spend reported in the system is attribute to Ford?
A: Spend that is not directly attributable to a single customer is considered indirect spend. A portion of that spend is attributable to each customer you do business with based on the percentage of business you do with each of them.
Q: The M-Tier system requires you to report spend with MBE & WBE suppliers that are NMSDC and/or WBENC certified. How does the system know which suppliers are certified?
A: CVM Solutions, our development partner, manages a national database of diverse and women owned suppliers. Their database is constantly being refreshed with up-to-date information and is one cornerstone that supports the accuracy of the entire M-Tier system.
Q: Is spend with MBE suppliers that are in a "pending" stage of certification counted within your utilization standards?
A: This spend will show as “unverified” until the supplier’s certification is complete.
Tier 2 Reporting Program FAQ
Q: Is Ford business on medium duty truck and/or passenger car & trucks included in your 2nd Tier Reporting?
A: Yes, direct spend related to all Ford vehicles are included in the reporting process. We also have companies providing non-production products and services to Ford report their minority purchases.
Q: Is Ford's 6% goal based on purchases that are put into Ford products or sales to Ford?
A: The 6% goal is calculated as follows = Total MBE Purchases/Total US Purchases. The 6% is related to your whole business, not just Ford specific business.
Q: Is the goal a condition on your PO's?
A: Though it is not a requirement of your purchase order, this is taken into account when sourcing new business opportunities.
Q: Are all utilities, insurance, taxes, mortgages part of expenses that are counted for this report?
A: Total U.S. Purchases are defined as goods and services bought from suppliers based on operating in the U.S. Based on this definition, I would exclude taxes, but include everything else.
Q: How does Ford define a minority and women supplier?
A: Ford defines a minority supplier based on the NMSDC definition. Ford currently requires that you report MBE spend as well as WBE spend. Ford defines WBEs as those companies certified by Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) or National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).
Q: If I cannot disclose my company’s sales and/or purchase information due to Sec/internal policies, What should I do?
A: Please contact the SDD office and someone will assit you.
Other FAQ
Q: How can I become a certified WBE?
A: Please contact your local affiliate of Women Business Enterprise National Council at for certification information.
Q: How can I become a certified MBE?
A: Please contact your local affiliate of National Minority Supplier Development Council at for certification information.
1
10/23/2018