Temporary Workforce Management - Q&A

Our director Simon Woodhouse has been devising and implementing Managed Solutions for over 21 years working with a variety of clients.

We have asked him about his approach to Temporary Workforce Managed Solutions and the success he has had. Read his answers below.

Which sectors have you personally implemented Temporary Workforce Solutions into?

The biggest project I have worked on was way back in 1995 within the Automotive sector when a Managed Service was first introduced to Europe, and since then I have successfully devised and delivered solutions for the Oil & Gas, Utilities and Nuclear market sectors.

How long does a project take to implement?

It really depends on the scale of the project. I worked with one client who required greater cost control and compliance; their initial structure took 4 months, whilst a follow on launch, that also required setting up a new office and solution in the Caribbean, took an amazingly short period of only 4 weeks. Another client I worked with needed a solution to manage their permanent staff and their contractors. The first part took 14 weeks to implement, with the Permanent element adding just 3 weeks. So you can see it does vary greatly.

How often would you recommend a Managed Solutions Provider be involved in the operation of the solution once implemented?

I would always recommend a long term solution over a quick fix. A robust Managed Solution takes time and a lot of planning to implement, one that will create significant efficiencies and on-going savings the longer it continues. By embedding an on-site presence from the start also ensures consistently high standards and compliance for the client. I have worked with clients on solutions for a few months to set up a project and then let them run the service, but more often than not I have gone on to work with clients for 5 to 10 years thereafter.

Can you give us any examples of Temporary Workforce Managed Solutions you have been involved with?

Example 1:

Scope and solution - One Oil & Gas client I worked with had an overseas asset which deployed 55 contractors from 20 suppliers, billing in 5 different currencies. They were struggling to effectively manage visas, tax compliance, meet and greet and the general duty of care to their contractors. They particularly needed help to set up the service under strict Caribbean in-country laws, maintaining a close working relationship whilst exploring future opportunities in Central/South/North America.

I organised a team to visit the island to map the process, scope the supply chain and establish the key deliverables for the client. The consultation and analysis stage is vital to getting the right solution. We selected a local service team, setting up a new company (registration, tax and VAT) and finally implementing the service. This in-country presence was vital in understanding what the client wanted and what compliance was needed in the Caribbean.

Delivery - The service went live and billed on time with a tax and VAT compliant invoice. All of the suppliers signed the new terms, were trained and then billed via the new service. In addition all of the contractors were registered, trained and billed via the newly introduced technology part of the solution.

Example 2:

Scope and solution – Another Oil & Gas client I worked with had 120 contractors supplied via 70 UK and International agencies. There were inconsistent terms & conditions with both the agencies and the contractors. There was also a lack of control over spend, with the added complexity of having to manage billing in 4 currencies. They needed to ensure greater compliance and cost control whilst improving recruitment within their sector.

I organised a team and we spent a couple of weeks fully mapping out the process, meeting with all the parties involved within the Requisition, Offer, Purchase Order issuing, On-boarding and Payment processes. Time was taken to ensure the process covered all individual needs and possible circumstances. The Supplier Relations team scoped out the supply chain, established the key deliverables for the client and the supply chain. Finally the team recommended and implemented underpinning technology (a Vendor Management Platform) that could manage the scale and variants of the project.

Delivery – I managed the team to ensure that all services promised were delivered on time, implementing technology to better manage their compliance. In fact there were no invoicing errors in the 4 years that followed the implementation of the service, with a 100% success in the annual audits.

What evidence have you seen of a Temporary Managed Solution delivering results?

When I’ve worked with clients and have implemented solutions I have seen…

• A client make savings in excess of 300% of the management fee charged
• Clients able to easily manage tax and VAT compliant invoicing
• Clients generally making significant savings and gaining greater visibility of the whole solution
• An Oil & Gas client drive down costs and increase the quantity and quality of candidates by better management of suppliers

Contact us

If you would like to find out more about a workforce solution could benefit your business, contact us today on 01925 907008 or email enquiry@operamms.com