Future of Sourcing - Vendor Management System (VMS) https://www.futureofsourcing.com/tags/vendor-management-system-vms en 5 Tips to Simplify the Hiring Manager Experience When Sourcing External Workers https://www.futureofsourcing.com/5-tips-to-simplify-the-hiring-manager-experience-when-sourcing-external-workers <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/5%20Tips%20to%20Simplify%20the%20Hiring%20Manager%20Experience%20When%20Sourcing%20External%20Workers.png"><a href="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/5%20Tips%20to%20Simplify%20the%20Hiring%20Manager%20Experience%20When%20Sourcing%20External%20Workers.png" title="Here are five tips to help you scrutinize ways to simplify sourcing external workers to create a better experience for your hiring managers." class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1943-AHE4FaZy7h0"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/5%20Tips%20to%20Simplify%20the%20Hiring%20Manager%20Experience%20When%20Sourcing%20External%20Workers.png?itok=gaibOJ9E" width="624" height="325" alt="Here are five tips to help you scrutinize ways to simplify sourcing external workers to create a better experience for your hiring managers." title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-intro field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <h1>5 Tips to Simplify the Hiring Manager Experience When Sourcing External Workers</h1> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-related-news field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Related news:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/harnessing-workforce-intelligence-for-strategic-and-holistic-decision-making">Harnessing Workforce Intelligence for Strategic and Holistic Decision-Making</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>If you&rsquo;re in Talent Acquisition or Procurement, you know all too well that hiring people &ndash; whether employee or non-employee &ndash; can be complex and time-consuming. When you&rsquo;re busy with the day to day, it&rsquo;s easy to get distracted from tackling process improvements. Yet, it&rsquo;s not hard to simplify and modernize procedures for your hiring managers. Some simple improvements can make sourcing external workers a more streamlined process.</p> <p>Below are five tips to help you start scrutinizing ways to <a href="https://blog.utmost.co/simple-talent-sourcing-for-hiring-managers" target="_blank">simplify sourcing external workers</a> to create a better experience for your hiring managers:</p> <h2>1. Keep It Streamlined</h2> <p>One of the main criticisms about the hiring process, in general, is that it can be overwhelming when dealing with several top candidates. To improve the process, ask yourself:</p> <ul> <li>How can key hiring manager activities be streamlined?</li> <li>How can approvals and reports be accessed via mobile devices?</li> <li>How can interview scheduling be simplified?</li> </ul> <p>By identifying best practices and reorganizing or removing outdated processes, HR or Procurement has the impetus to drive change. For example, you can work with your hiring managers to create a list of questions in which candidates must have certain qualifications to make it to the next level of consideration.</p> <p>Additionally, by using technology, time and expense approvals can be made on-the-go via a mobile device. And basic calendaring systems can simplify interview scheduling, avoiding the back-and-forth of time availability for all parties, especially your hiring managers.</p> <p>A typical Vendor Management System (VMS) can handle some process simplification for requesting external workers, enabling the hiring manager to make key parts of hiring more efficient. However, a VMS will not give you nor the hiring manager key insights into your total talent workforce that includes non-employees as well as employees.</p> <h2>2. Solve Selection Dilemmas with Data</h2> <p>When faced with hiring decisions for selecting non-employees, talent acquisition now has more analytic tools at its fingertips than ever before. Two of the top critical questions on hiring managers&rsquo; minds can be answered with data:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>What will help drive success in this role and at your company?</li> <li>What are the talent market dynamics influencing your hiring for this role at this particular location?</li> </ul> <p>To get insights with analytics, many HR and Procurement professionals use either free tools or purchased tools (i.e., your HRIS for success profiles; your ATS for pipeline reports; and Glassdoor for salary, reviews and competitor insights). These tools are helpful as you hone-in on gaining insights into your candidate pool as well as get a more holistic view of individual candidates. Technology solutions that the company already owns may include an analytics capability, so check into that before investing in an additional solution to avoid cobbling together data from disparate systems.</p> <h2>3. Use Technology to Simplify Hiring</h2> <p>Digital checklists are one feature that can help streamline the hiring process. These enable hiring managers to move quickly while meeting your organization&rsquo;s hiring requirements. Configuring checklists by job type or even by geographic location can help hiring managers evaluate candidates based on role-specific requirements, as well as guide them through each step.</p> <p>You can also tap into technology that gives you&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthcaresource.com/our-advantage/capabilities/structured-interview-guide" target="_blank">structured interview guides</a>. These give your hiring managers a consistent framework, which will assist you to more judiciously vet candidates. Structured interview guides also help hiring managers and recruiters stay aligned on role requirements so that the process can move forward smoothly and effectively.</p> <p>Even more important, these tools promote a high degree of reliability, validity, and legal defensibility compared to&nbsp;unstructured interviews as each candidate is asked identical questions.</p> <p>You can further enhance the interview and evaluation process by using&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthcaresource.com/our-advantage/capabilities/behavioral-assessments" target="_blank">scientifically backed behavioral assessments</a>, some of which are known as personality tests. These assessments objectively show your hiring managers how well-suited candidates are for a specific role with uncanny precision, taking the guesswork out of candidate evaluations while simultaneously keeping hiring managers on track.</p> <p>One such longstanding example is the DiSC profile system. Others may be more closely aligned with questions that specifically advise whether the candidate is suited for a specific role such as marketing or accounting.</p> <h2>4. Outsource Your Sourcing</h2> <p>Creating a single entry point for hiring managers to go for requesting workers (employee, contingent, project, freelance, etc.), regardless of how or where those workers are sourced or managed, results in a streamlined request process for <a href="https://blog.utmost.co/total-talent-management-benefits" target="_blank">true total talent management</a>.</p> <p>Systems using this approach streamline the process to request data, correctly classify the request to reduce compliance risk, route it for approval, dispatch it for sourcing and flow worker data back into the system.</p> <p>This helps reduce confusion of which system to use for various types of non-employees, eliminates duplicate and re-entry of requirement details, and improves Net Promoter Scores (NPS) for hiring managers for HR shared services as a measure of their performance.</p> <p>One solution to request external workers is to layer complementary services such as using ServiceNow with a VMS. You create a digital workflow that connects systems, apps, and data using their platform. This ensures end-to-end visibility resulting in a better hiring manager experience.</p> <p>Another option is to use an <a href="https://utmost.co" target="_blank">Extended Workforce System</a> (EWS) that integrates with your Human Capital Management (HCM) system. By using a single global access point to request external workers, your organization can create one place to go&nbsp;for hiring managers to request and manage all classifications of&nbsp;workers, whether employee or non-employee.</p> <p>Because all people-related requests are initiated through their&nbsp;access point known as the Front Door, this ends the confusion about where a manager should go for different types of&nbsp;workers. As a fully self-service software, the system guides inexperienced managers, while providing streamlined processes&nbsp;for experienced managers to make the process as easy as possible.</p> <p>When you are able to capture all requests through one place, it ensures you receive optimum multi-channel sourcing. Additionally, you gain insight into your total talent for a complete picture of all workers, not solely external workers.</p> <h2>5. Centralize Your Hiring Team</h2> <p>One of the most advantageous structures for larger organizations&rsquo; hiring process involves creating a dedicated, centralized hiring team that handles the entire process &ndash; from sourcing to onboarding &ndash; in one department. Until a new non-employee is in the final stages of interviewing, only the recruiter, hiring manager and candidate should have interacted to that point.</p> <p>Centralization is crucial to more than just getting a requisition request and the subsequent steps needed to fulfill the position. A truly centralized team involves one task force-type group that is involved in developing not only sourcing strategies, such as the one mentioned above, but also is key in other factors. This includes identifying top talent, coordinating and tracking the process throughout the interview and background check stages, and ensuring a smooth onboarding process that is consistent with that of the employees in your organization.</p> <p>To bridge the gap between non-employee talent acquisition and talent management once they are onboarded, an organized centralized team is vested in the total experience for hiring managers and candidates.</p> <p>A centralized team also allows for autonomy and provides an environment for lean operations to quickly identify ineffective processes and execute changes quickly, freeing up the hiring manager to concentrate on their role within the hiring process.</p> <p>Simplifying processes in the talent acquisition workflow for non-employees is not only critical for a great hiring manager experience, but improved processes will also create a better experience for your candidates by default, helping to build your company&rsquo;s brand.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/vendor-management-system-vms" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Vendor Management System (VMS)</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/talent-management" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Talent Management</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/workforce-management" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Workforce Management</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/telecommute" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">telecommute</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="5 Tips to Simplify the Hiring Manager Experience When Sourcing External Workers - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/5-tips-to-simplify-the-hiring-manager-experience-when-sourcing-external-workers"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Thu, 25 Mar 2021 02:00:00 +0000 Neha Goel 1943 at https://www.futureofsourcing.com https://www.futureofsourcing.com/5-tips-to-simplify-the-hiring-manager-experience-when-sourcing-external-workers#comments Weighing VMS and MSP deployment options? Experts share their secrets! https://www.futureofsourcing.com/weighing-vms-and-msp-deployment-options-experts-share-their-secrets <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/VMS_vs_MSP.jpg"><a href="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/VMS_vs_MSP.jpg" title="Weighing VMS and MSP deployment options? Experts share their secrets!" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1559-AHE4FaZy7h0"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/VMS_vs_MSP.jpg?itok=Dw2_21Uy" width="624" height="325" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <div><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US">The&nbsp;</span><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US">c</span><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US">hicken or the&nbsp;</span><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US">e</span><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US">gg?&nbsp;</span>For organizations of all sizes and compositions, it can be a daunting challenge to determine whether to implement a new <a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/the-rules-of-outsourcing-have-changed" target="_blank">contingent workforce management solution</a>. Nearly every type of business can benefit from leveraging contingent labor in one form or another as evidenced by the continuing growth in the use and utilization of all manner of non-employee workers. From the traditional &ldquo;temp&rdquo; workers supplementing full-time staff to the more recently use of independent contractors, project workers, freelancers, and other worker classifications that increasingly comprise the contemporary workforce, organizations of all stripes have become more comfortable and reliant on the contingent workforce as a regular part of their business operations. According to the World Economic Forum&rsquo;s insight study <a href="https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2018" target="_blank"><em>The Future of Jobs Report 2018</em></a>, by the year 2022 between one-half and two-thirds of companies will be utilizing contractors, temporary labor and freelancers to address growing skills gaps.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Not surprisingly, the complexity of modern workforce management has created a crowded field of providers that support the design, development and management of contingent workforces. Two of the most trusted and effective offerings are <a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/a-msp-service-delivery-model-based-on-design-thinking" target="_blank">Vendor Management System (VMS) software products and the Managed Services Providers (MSP)</a>. Both have become trusted industry-standard practices and both represent significant challenges to implement successfully. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Yet, despite knowing that intrinsic value exists in applying either a technology or a service (or both) to contingent workforce management, it can be difficult for organizations to determine whether either option is best suited to help achieve their objectives. And for those that conclude there are benefits to employing both, the question is further complicated by the decision surrounding which to deploy first and why. For guidance on making the best of these thorny dilemmas, savvy organizations need workforce management experts to help guide their decision-making and execute on deployment.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>We asked workforce management solution experts for their best advice on how to determine if their operations could benefit from VMS solutions, MSP solutions or both. We also asked them how they help organizations to decide the best order of operations when the decision is made to engage both VMS technology and MSP services. Here&rsquo;s what they said.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h2>VMS Considerations</h2> </div> <div>Yvonne McAteer is the Senior Vice President of Sales and Strategy at <a href="http://www.nextsource.com/msp-vms" target="_blank">nextSource</a>. Here&rsquo;s how she helps organizations decide if a VMS is the best option for addressing workforce management challenges.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;&ldquo;There are a number of important questions to pose to the customer. For example, any change management or technology initiatives they mention will often help to clarify whether or not VMS makes sense for the organization.&rdquo; &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>McAteer shared the top four most salient questions she poses to organizations considering deploying a VMS solution. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <ol> <li>Does this tie with the organization&rsquo;s broad strategy, such as bringing speed and agility to the workforce, reducing organizational risk or improving financial performance? &nbsp;</li> <li>Does the organization possess the internal expertise necessary to determine and articulate the workflows and business processes necessary to properly configure a VMS solution? &nbsp;</li> <li>Do you have the internal resources needed to manage a contingent workforce? &nbsp;</li> <li>Are you prepared to align bill rates with suppliers in such a way as to avoid having to revisit them again shortly if the organization intends to field an MSP solution after deploying VMS? &nbsp;</li> </ol> <div>&ldquo;These are mission-critical considerations,&rdquo; said McAteer, noting that typically, it is the larger organization that is more readily equipped to embark on a VMS initiative because they often already have tighter, more mature controls over business processes related to workforce management. Automation enabled by VMS tools is heavily reliant on proper configuration of the software to address workflows that are already proven effective. Whereas smaller organizations may not have an inherently clear set of existing policies and practices that can be easily automated. In the absence of such clarity, there is a higher likelihood that simply deploying a VMS tool will not automatically result in effective utilization of VMS tools.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Similarly, it is somewhat pre-requisite for an organization to have sufficient internal resources available to dedicate to the implementation and management of a contingent workforce. Without the basic management infrastructure in place, implementing a VMS may be putting the cart in front of the horse. The existence of internal workforce management resources also supports the organization&rsquo;s ability to prepare the above-mentioned processes and workflows for staffing supplier management.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&ldquo;The last of the three questions are geared toward an organization that may also be considering adding MSP services to their contingent workforce mix at some point,&rdquo; said McAteer. She adds, &ldquo;It is important to consider the future state so that when negotiating bill rates with suppliers as part of your VMS implementation room is left to absorb the cost of an MSP program deployment at a later date, if the intent is to deploy a supplier-funded model.&rdquo; &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h2>MSP Considerations</h2> </div> <div>When it comes to considering an MSP solution, nextSource&rsquo;s Director of Business Development Joe Olstadt offers three key questions an organization must address:&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <ol> <li>Do you truly have a well-conceived contingent workforce management policy in effect?</li> <li>Is contingent labor being used strategically or in an ad-hoc manner? &nbsp;</li> <li>How effectively does your organization balance access to talent versus cost savings?&nbsp;</li> </ol> <div>Joe advises, &ldquo;It is often a good idea to craft contingent workforce management policies that work in alignment with your organization&rsquo;s full-time talent acquisition process and hiring strategy. Otherwise, an MSP might operate at odds with your HR and talent acquisition departments and that is a recipe for failure. Having a policy in place improves the probability of success with an MSP solution.&rdquo;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&ldquo;How contingent labor is currently being utilized is also a highly important consideration,&rdquo; says Olstadt. For those already applying a strategic approach to contingent labor usage, Joe suggests, &ldquo;it may be sufficient to simply &lsquo;lift and shift&rsquo; existing contingent labor management processes over to a new MSP partner. However, if a company is only addressing the practice in an ad-hoc fashion more significant re-engineering of workforce management processes may be required to derive the maximum benefit from the application of an MSP to the tasks associated with sourcing and managing a contingent workforce.&rdquo; &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Olstadt counsels the majority of organizations opting to engage MSP solutions to consider re-engineering processes for smoother adoption and better results. But he cautions that this level of change requires a strong focus on change management expertise. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>To answer the third question regarding the balance between access to talent and cost savings, Olstadt notes, &ldquo;Organizations should look to its top three or four strategic drivers to determine which consideration should be the priority. You don&rsquo;t want to be hashing this issue out during implementation. You should clearly understand the drivers at play before implementation so that an MSP can hit the ground running with clearly enunciated priorities.&rdquo; Many MSP providers have tools that can help you identify your priorities. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <h2><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US">The&nbsp;</span><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US">c</span><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US">hicken or the&nbsp;</span><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US">e</span><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US">gg?</span></h2> <div>For many organizations, it makes sense to employ the centralization and automation of a VMS technology alongside the purchasing power and compliance capabilities of an MSP service begging the perennial question: which project to deploy first?&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Both McAteer and Olstadt seemed to agree that there is no hard and fast rule dictating the &ldquo;best&rdquo; order to deploy these two complementary solutions. Making the decision of which comes first for any given organization will rely on the specific answers developed to the numerous questions posed in each of the assessments detailed above. However, deploying them in tandem decreases implementation time and enables an organization to have both sets of experts involved in design, configuration and launch. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Ultimately, the comparative size of the organization plays a significant role in the decision-making. Typically, larger organizations tend to stand up a VMS first and then, later, an MSP. This is because larger companies characteristically possess greater levels of resources&mdash;both in terms of IT support and in terms of existing process, policy and personnel dedicated to workforce management. This means the underlying infrastructure needed to successfully determine the correct VMS workflows and configurations is already in place and the larger organization can more effectively shoulder the burden of standing up a VMS while retaining stronger control over contingent workforce management. Frequently, once implemented, the VMS provides much more penetrating views into drivers of performance, compliance and a host of other KPIs that the large organization can then use to weigh whether or not an MSP arrangement will drive additional operational benefits.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>For the small and midsize business (SMB) organization without the same levels of internal resources, engaging an MSP first is often more appropriate. Typically more interested in reducing the workloads of their internal resources, SMBs find that MSP engagements deliver added value via the expertise they bring in re-engineering processes and fostering strong, effective change management practices helping drive positive results. With more standardized and well-controlled workforce management operations guided by an MSP, the SMB organization can then take the next steps in partnership with their MSP in selecting and standing up the most appropriate VMS solution. In fact, according to the Staffing Industry Analysts, MSPs can absorb as much as 62% of the workload associated with deploying a VMS platform. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Ultimately though, the decision of &ldquo;which comes first&rdquo; does not adhere in a hard and fast sense to the large company/small company distinction laid out above. There are many variables to consider, regardless of the size of the organization. For just one example, consider that a company of any size that aligns bill rates with their suppliers to account for a new VMS fee would then need to renegotiate with the suppliers again six to 12 months later if/when they elected to layer in new MSP services. Is this level of disruption to be avoided or endured? Other considerations lean toward the cultural. Does your culture emphasize internal control or does it work better culturally when your sourcing managers sit close to your hiring managers? &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In the end, there are so many variables to weigh when making this decision that it is definitely advisable to engage some consultative expertise from a workforce management consultancy.</div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/contingent-workforce" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Contingent Workforce</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/talent-management" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Talent Management</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/vendor-management-system-vms" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Vendor Management System (VMS)</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/managed-service-provider-msp" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Managed Service Provider (MSP)</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/workforce-management" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Workforce Management</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/future-of-work" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Future of Work</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Weighing VMS and MSP deployment options? Experts share their secrets! - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/weighing-vms-and-msp-deployment-options-experts-share-their-secrets"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Tue, 27 Aug 2019 22:53:53 +0000 Yvonne McAteer 1559 at https://www.futureofsourcing.com https://www.futureofsourcing.com/weighing-vms-and-msp-deployment-options-experts-share-their-secrets#comments Women in Global Sourcing: Beth Boegershausen https://www.futureofsourcing.com/women-in-global-sourcing-beth-boegershausen <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/WIGS_Beth_Boegershausen.png"><a href="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/WIGS_Beth_Boegershausen.png" title="Women in Global Sourcing: Beth Boegershausen" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1461-AHE4FaZy7h0"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/WIGS_Beth_Boegershausen.png?itok=l3DZlQt5" width="624" height="325" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-intro field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Future of Sourcing Digital continues to highlight leaders in the field with the series titled &ldquo;Women in Global in Sourcing.&rdquo; This series strives to highlight, celebrate and acknowledge women who are pioneers and leaders in the industry and who have been influential in moving the industry forward. Future of Sourcing is thrilled to welcome Beth Boegershausen to the series.</p> <p>Beth has over 15 years of experience in the Staffing and MSP industries. &nbsp;Beth&rsquo;s last 13 years have been spent focusing on staffing in a senior production capacity and contingent and permanent recruitment delivery.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <div><strong>Tell us about your career path. How did you get into this field? Was it purposeful or by accident?</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Definitely by accident! &nbsp;After I graduated, I went into a temp agency in Manhattan, seeking temp work and they asked me if I would be interested in an <a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/attracting-and-retaining-talent-in-the-face-of-low-unemployment" target="_blank">internal role as a recruiter</a>. &nbsp;Having had zero experience or insight into the staffing industry/indirect sourcing world, I opted to give it a try. &nbsp;I enjoyed it right away. &nbsp;I really liked working with candidates and assisting with their career goals. &nbsp;After about a year operating on the recruitment side of the business, I asked to be moved into a client facing/sales role. &nbsp;The time I spent recruiting gave me the foundation/confidence I needed to help companies/my clients identify their own staffing gaps and needs. &nbsp;I stayed in a high producing sales capacity over the next 11 years of my career in both the New York City and Philadelphia markets and eventually made the transition to the managed service provider (MSP) space. &nbsp;The experience I gained as a producer for a few of the top staffing firms in the world made the transition extremely comfortable. &nbsp;I currently am running two contingent labor programs and managing recruitment process outsourcing &nbsp;(RPO) for a large financial institution in multiple markets across the United States.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Would you follow that same path again if you had the choice?</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Yes, I would. &nbsp;Sourcing/outsourcing/talent management is one of those unique industries where you get to wear so many different hats and there literally is never a dull moment. &nbsp;It forces you to learn so many different facets of business that you may not get to experience with a siloed career.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>What has been the single most significant development to impact your profession or area of business during your career and why?</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>How contingent labor has developed into becoming a far more recognized procurement function. The increase in contract workers and how global companies recognize the importance of having a contract labor force has shifted significantly and as a result, it is an established HR Procurement function that requires subject matter expertise and oversight to regulate/implement, drive governance and compliance processes, cost measures, supply chain management and stakeholder adoption</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Technology, including the use of a vendor management system (VMS), the development of customer relationship management systems (CRMs,) e-procurement tools, cloud technologies, job boards, etc., have created massive shifts as well.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>What&rsquo;s the biggest challenge facing your industry today - and how do you plan to solve it?</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>I would say that there are four major challenges</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>1. Unbalanced Labor Market<br />&nbsp;</div> <ul> <li>Demand higher than supply for certain skillsets globally (IT, engineering, skilled trades)</li> <li>Baby Boomer generation beginning to exit the workforce and Gen Y/Z do not have the same skillsets across the population</li> <li>Unemployment lower than ever before</li> </ul> <p>2. Competitive Sourcing/Outsourcing Landscape</p> <ul> <li>Plethora of staffing, MSP and VMS solutions overcrowding the landscape</li> <li>Human capital vendors reputation damaged due to excessive competition</li> <li>Lack of true differentiators in sourcing techniques and approaches &ndash; ultimately vendors are sourcing from the same pool</li> </ul> <div>3. Technology<br />&nbsp;</div> <ul> <li>Although technology has many benefits to our business, it limits the human interaction/soft skill capture in the sourcing process, which is absolutely critical in the sourcing and delivery processes</li> </ul> <div>4. Client Stakeholders<br />&nbsp;</div> <ul> <li>Adoption and change management of a new program/process</li> <li>Lack of willingness to adjust historical ways of working and thinking</li> </ul> <div>All of the above cause delays to the sourcing process which slows business productivity and performance, ultimately increasing costs for the business.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>What do you consider to be your greatest achievement career-wise?</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The establishment of trust based strategic client relationships that have allowed us to implement value driven complimentary solutions. &nbsp;As one example, I sold an RPO solution to my client that resulted in a full transformation of their IT Application Development team which historically had been supported by off shore contractors. &nbsp;The result was that a total of 48 FTE hires ranging from junior level developers through to Senior Solutions Architects. &nbsp;The success has been referred to other areas of the business and we are expanding services.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>What&rsquo;s your biggest (as yet) unfulfilled ambition - and what are you doing to achieve it?</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>I would like to take on a leadership role that expands past the management of my contingent labor programs. The role I envision will allow me to lead and mentor others on building client and peer relationships that will drive value for our company as well as our clients.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>What three words do you think your colleagues and peers would use to describe you?</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Customer-oriented, attentive and dedicated.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Finally, what piece of advice would you give to young women starting their careers in the field of sourcing, outsourcing and procurement?</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Procurement is a profession that I have found to champion diversity and one whereby your success as a female professional will not be hampered.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Sourcing, outsourcing and procurement offer deep insight into all aspects of a business operation &ndash; you get full exposure into indirect and direct processes, which truly is fascinating. Additionally, in your capacity you have a key role influencing business operational performance which naturally connects you to that company and is a source of pride and passion. Sourcing and procurement have historically been viewed unfavorably by organizations and employees alike as a vehicle to control supply chains and reduce costs; however, it is now getting the professional recognition it deserves. A mature and highly functioning sourcing and procurement organization drives improved financial and operational performance, creating an optimized business that is primed for growth. &nbsp;Sourcing and procurement organizations govern internal supply chain behavior, ensure that the best suppliers are enlisted to support an organization at market costs and enable better business operations.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>This is a challenging yet hugely rewarding profession. I feel valued as a key business partner for my clients and appreciate that my category/in-market expertise are proactively solicited to drive optimization.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/managed-service-provider-msp" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Managed Service Provider (MSP)</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/recruitment-process-outsourcing-rpo" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/vendor-management-system-vms" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Vendor Management System (VMS)</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/labor-market" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Labor Market</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/future-of-work" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Future of Work</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Women in Global Sourcing: Beth Boegershausen - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/women-in-global-sourcing-beth-boegershausen"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Wed, 05 Jun 2019 13:55:36 +0000 Beth Boegershausen 1461 at https://www.futureofsourcing.com https://www.futureofsourcing.com/women-in-global-sourcing-beth-boegershausen#comments How Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing Help Create Structured Versus Unstructured Data https://www.futureofsourcing.com/how-machine-learning-and-natural-language-processing-help-create-structured-versus-unstructured-data <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Structured%20vs.%20Unstructured%20Data%20624x325.jpg"><a href="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Structured%20vs.%20Unstructured%20Data%20624x325.jpg" title="How Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing Help Create Structured Versus Unstructured Data" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1293-AHE4FaZy7h0"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/Structured%20vs.%20Unstructured%20Data%20624x325.jpg?itok=lxCl5YuD" width="624" height="325" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <div>Most procurement organizations lack the necessary data to make decisions about their services spend. The fundamental reason for the gap between the data they have and the data they need is that it is buried in documents. As a result, there is a desperate need for deeper visibility into services spend in most organizations. For too long, spend analytics have only provided details at the aggregate level and in many cases the data is not accurate. The marketplace consistently wants to better understand this part of the business to gain greater insight.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The greatest challenge is capturing and organizing the detailed contract metadata contained in the Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and related <a href="http://www.futureofsourcing.com/ten-ways-to-shake-your-world" target="_blank">Statements of Work (SOWs)</a> across an organization. We refer to the detailed information stored in these documents as unstructured data. In most organizations, significant time and effort goes into developing these SOWs and there is a wealth of information in them that is rarely captured in the typical S2P or P2P process. Christie Schneider, with IBM Watson says, &ldquo;It is estimated that 80% of the world&rsquo;s data is unstructured, but businesses are only able to gain visibility into a portion of that data. Innovative companies are using data to enhance their value proposition and increase customer satisfaction.&rdquo;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In most cases, companies&rsquo; documents are often in one of four primary states:</div> <ol> <li>Organized digital files stored in a procurement management system</li> <li>Digital documents stored on a shared drive</li> <li>Paper records stored in filing cabinets</li> <li>No official document or record</li> </ol> <div>In almost all of the above cases, significant details never make it into a system or database designed for reporting or analysis purposes. Even when agreements are stored in a transaction system, the data is usually not robust enough to provide procurement leaders with the insights they need because these systems typically only require the data to manage budgets or process payments, and perhaps indicate high level categorization of spend/supplier. As a result, the ability to perform a comprehensive <a href="http://www.futureofsourcing.com/what-makes-a-spend-analysis-valuable" target="_blank">spend analysis</a> or measure contract compliance is very limited. Another challenge with getting the information out of the documents and into a transactional system is that it requires a person with contract experience to read and interpret them &ndash; and do it efficiently and accurately to make it meaningful and worthwhile. When the data makes it into one of these transactional systems we refer to it as <a href="http://www.futureofsourcing.com/top-3-takeaways-from-hfs-cognitive-agent-research" target="_blank">structured data</a>.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>To improve the growing data needs of the market, you must have the ability to reach into these documents to grab the important unstructured data elements. This is crucial in order to leverage it for reporting, analysis and improved decision-making. With the use of natural language processing and machine learning, you can extract from these documents the rich information contained in the unstructured data. Once the unstructured data is captured in a database, machine learning models can categorize and analyze the information and data within. These models help organize the data so it can be leveraged by analysts and procurement leaders. In simpler terms, this means you can turn unstructured data into meaningful information.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Imagine if you could automatically extract SOW end dates and compare them to payable data to determine if payments are being made outside of contracted dates. Or what if you had the ability to automatically extract the payment terms and details from SOWs without intervention from an individual in your organization? You&rsquo;d be able to compare PO details with payable data to ensure you&rsquo;re capitalizing on payment discounts, or recognize variances between what&rsquo;s contracted in the SOW and terms within the vendor master or MSA to identify improved cash flow opportunity, or lost savings.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>If a machine could extract roles and rates from your SOWs, and then compare them to standard rates within a staff augmentation rate card, or against market rates, you could potentially identify significant cost savings. What if you could reconcile structured data from a transactional system, such as a Vendor Management System (VMS), with the unstructured document data? The end result would be an enhanced data set that gives procurement leaders unprecedented visibility into contract compliance and risk. All of these things can be achieved through artificial intelligence (AI), be done quickly and accurately and leave your precious resources to focus on the strategy to resolve these discrepancies. These are things that can bring real value to your organization!</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In a recent case study, we note three key customer benefits realized through AI:</div> <ol> <li>Document repository &ndash; documents are securely stored and viewable</li> <li>Structured data &ndash; previously unused data is extracted, categorized and organized by machine learning models that are accurate and efficient to create a layer of detail that can take you much deeper than aggregate supplier and category spend information</li> <li>Reporting and analysis &ndash; newly structured data is accessible for visualization and export to drive supplier/sourcing decisions, pricing strategies and negotiation, as well as better business decisions</li> </ol> <div>As a service provider supporting many customers, we have first-hand experience with the challenges organizations face trying to get a handle on their labor-based services spend. Today, significant resources and time must be utilized to produce what is often an ineffective and very high-level spend analysis. With AI, we have significantly reduced the level of effort required to extract the data needed from contract documents, while increasing the accuracy of and confidence in the information. As more documents are processed through machine learning principles, the processes get better at identifying the key data elements needed for meaningful spend analytics. As a result, procurement leaders can spend more time looking at the important data points and use them to make decisions and drive true value to their business partners through better spend management.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><em>This piece was also contributed to by&nbsp;<a data-auth="NotApplicable" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-kesman-csp-9b82943/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jon Kesman</a></em></div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/data" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Data</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/data-analysis" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Data Analysis</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/artificial-intelligence-ai" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Artificial Intelligence (AI)</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/vendor-management-system-vms" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Vendor Management System (VMS)</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/spend-analysis" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Spend Analysis</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="How Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing Help Create Structured Versus Unstructured Data - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/how-machine-learning-and-natural-language-processing-help-create-structured-versus-unstructured-data"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Mon, 15 Oct 2018 20:43:33 +0000 Tim Johnson 1293 at https://www.futureofsourcing.com https://www.futureofsourcing.com/how-machine-learning-and-natural-language-processing-help-create-structured-versus-unstructured-data#comments Q&A: Toni Jackson, SAP Fieldglass https://www.futureofsourcing.com/node/930 <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/xToni-Jackson-slider-April-2016-420x215.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.URhDlVT-Sk.jpg"><a href="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/xToni-Jackson-slider-April-2016-420x215.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.URhDlVT-Sk.jpg" title="Q&amp;A: Toni Jackson, SAP Fieldglass" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-930-AHE4FaZy7h0"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/xToni-Jackson-slider-April-2016-420x215.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.URhDlVT-Sk.jpg?itok=YSX4qDkK" width="420" height="215" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><em>Ahead of this year&#39;s <a href="http://outsourcemag.com/event/sig-regional-roundtable-sydney/?instance_id=2587" target="_blank">SIG Regional Roundtable in Sydney</a> (taking place May 12), at which Toni will be speaking on &#39;Enabling Effective Services Procurement through Technology&#39;, we thought we&#39;d find out a bit more about her career, her company, and her thoughts on the role of emergent technology in the workplace today...<br /> En güncel ve yüksek deneme bonusu veren siteler 2023 listesi üzerinden deneme bonusunuzu alın. Bonus veren bahis siteleri için <a href="https://lapalmroyalbeachhotel.com" title="deneme bonusu">lapalmroyalbeachhotel.com</a> adresimizi ziyaret edin.</em></p> <hr /> <p><em>Outsource: Hi Toni: thanks for taking time out to speak with Outsource ahead of the Sydney Regional Roundtable. Could you please give us a brief introduction to yourself and your organisation?</em> Toni Jackson: I established SAP Fieldglass in 2010 in Australia for the APAC Region; since then I&rsquo;ve enthusiastically expanded the business. SAP Fieldglass now calls some of Australia&rsquo;s largest organisations as customers and collaborates with multiple MSP partners. I&rsquo;ve assisted with the continued growth of SAP Fieldglass in the region, including the go-to-market strategies with SAP post-acquisition. SAP Fieldglass provides a cloud-based Vendor Management System (VMS) to assist companies in managing their contingent workforce and services procurement programs. <em>O: You&#39;re going to be talking on &#39;Enabling Effective Services Procurement Through Technology&#39; on May 12. Without giving away too much of your presentation, can you give us a few insights into the topic?</em> TJ: The topic will be centre on how organisations can achieve better cost savings and compliance with their service procurement vendors by actively managing them through intuitive automation. I don&rsquo;t want people to think &quot;actively managing&quot; means an increased workload for the customers employees. It&rsquo;s about using technology to capture the level of detail needed to simplify the management of contracts and push the relevant information to key stakeholders and decision-makers. <em>O: Do you think services procurement is even possible </em>without<em> technology today?</em> TJ: It is absolutely possible: we still see lots of companies managing millions in services spend through spreadsheets, even today. Is this solution a scalable, cost/time efficient and compliant solution? Absolutely not. Without the use of a single platform and source of truth to manage increasingly complex data, the customer would need more employees, multiple integrations and would leave themselves open to compliance issues. <em>O: What are the main potential challenges of relying so heavily on technology for such a crucial aspect of the business?</em> TJ: In my experience if I could wave a magic wand over each implementation it would be for the customer to spend as much time articulating how the business, its processes and its behaviours are going to change in sync with implementation of technology that will enable the desired outcomes. Some organisations believe that technology is the silver bullet, only to be left very dissatisfied by what they have purchased when they fail to give implementation the attention it deserves. <em>O: What are the primary skillsets you think are important in today&#39;s procurement space and is this changing as technology becomes more central?</em> TJ: I believe that supplier engagement skills are very important. Organisations are looking for partners to continually drive improvement not just supply goods or services. The success of our platform is down to the partnerships we have built with our customers, they have a business problem and we work together, even co-invest to build the functionality that will not only solve their business problem but will then be available for all of our customers to use. <em>O: How does your organisation soothe concerns over cybersecurity?</em> TJ: Great question. We are a cloud solution, hosted in the US and EMEA, so these concerns are always front of mind for customers especially in Australia and with government clients. We are able to get the right people engaged from SAP Fieldglass to provide the necessary information for that organisation to be comfortable about their data&rsquo;s security. <em>O: What&rsquo;s your idea of the perfect client/vendor relationship?</em> TJ: To me the perfect relationship is where you are together focused on the road ahead and even when it gets rocky that the strength and depth of the relationship will prevail in the end. Therefore, I can say based on that premise, all of my customer relationships are perfect. <em>To apply to attend the SIG Regional Roundtable in Sydney, May 12, <a href="https://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1810915" target="_blank">click here</a>. For more information on this event or any other aspect of SIG&#39;s Regional Roundtable series, write to Stephani McGarry at <a href="mailto:smcgarry@sig.org" target="_blank">smcgarry@sig.org</a>.</em></p> <div style="display: none;"><a target="_blank" rel="dofollow" href="https://amplifeeder.com/" title="amplifeeder.com">amplifeeder.com</a></div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/vendor-management-system-vms" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Vendor Management System (VMS)</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/cloud" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Cloud</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/analytics" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Analytics</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/data" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Data</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/technology" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Technology</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Q&amp;amp;A: Toni Jackson, SAP Fieldglass - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://www.futureofsourcing.com/node/930"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/asiapacific" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Asia/Pacific</a></div></div></div> Wed, 27 Apr 2016 19:14:25 +0000 Toni Jackson 930 at https://www.futureofsourcing.com https://www.futureofsourcing.com/node/930#comments