The use of contingent labor, like temporary employees, contractors, and freelance talent, is expected to encompass almost fifty percent of the workforce population by 2020. Leaving many organizations to wonder: “What is the best way to start a business case to effectively manage the hiring processes and costs of this multifaceted workforce population?”
They say the best things in life are free, but when it comes to the complexities surrounding the widespread use of contingent workers, peace of mind comes at a price. For organizations that routinely hire upwards of hundreds, thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of contingent workers, there’s a cost to doing business; whether it’s in the technology, people management, etc.
As noted above, hiring and managing contingent workers, like temporary employees, contractors, and freelance talent, is steadily becoming the norm. While there are cost-saving benefits to be had, it takes ample time and resources to maintain an in-house contingent labor program that is efficient, compliant, and profitable.
Building a Business Case for MSP Staffing Solutions
Not so surprising, as this unique workforce population continues to grow, so do the budgets necessary to support it. Organizations with out-of-control spend, little-to-no visibility into their contingent workforce population, and a lack of technology (to manage multiple vendors) often opt to outsource the management of this operation. More commonly known as a Managed Service Provider (MSP) program, this is when an outside provider is hired to manage contingent labor processes, reporting and invoicing for a client company.
How to Start the MSP Business Case
So, if you think it’s complicated now, just wait as it is only going to become more intricate as time goes on. The real question is, how do you convince whomever it is that you need to convince to hire a Managed Service Provider to take over? If you have 30 minutes, then we have the answer for you.
In the webinar, 6 Easy Steps to Building an MSP Business Case, tackles exactly how to address and answer that question. Many organizations that hire a provider turn to the Request for Proposal (RFP) process to identify, evaluate, and select the best one for the job. Great idea, right? Sure, if you understand what you are buying, why you are buying it, how you’ll measure how it works after you buy it, and how you will implement it across your organization to those individuals who didn’t know you were buying it in the first place (think IT department on that last one).
Key Considerations
What we’ve found is that there is vast confusion around building the business case as well as effectively launching the RFP process. What our webinar host and expert MSP implementer, Erin Fortunato, shared during the live webinar was that every winning business case starts off with a plan. First, identify all of the necessary steps needed to compile the information needed for the business case. In addition, she provided some great tips on which ones are necessary to incorporate and the ones you can skip over. From there, Erin advises that you don’t throw in everything including the kitchen sink into your business case. Know your audience, and select a few goals to highlight. This will help your business case shine by showing real value.
Taken from 6 Easy Steps to Building an MSP Business Case
Erin’s biggest takeaway is that you don’t have to go at it alone. Several providers can assist you in the process by providing resources like business case and RFP templates. Additionally, you can look to third-party industry sites, like Staffing Industry Analysts, for similar templates, as well as buying insights from other providers and buyers.
Whatever the case may be, taking thirty minutes to plan ahead will save countless hours down the road. Watch the full webinar or download the presentation deck for other great time (and money) savings tips.
