11 August 2023

How Vendor Management System Software Lowers Contingent Workforce Cost

Wayne Burgess
Wayne Burgess

The dynamic nature of today's business environment necessitates flexible workforce solutions. One such solution is  the use of the contingent workforce, an external labor force comprising temporary employees, consultants, freelancers, and independent contractors.

Although this employment model offers great advantages such as increased agility and access to niche skills, it presents unique management challenges. Addressing these challenges and reducing contingent workforce costs can be effectively achieved through Vendor Management System (VMS) software.

How a VMS Reduces and Avoids Cost

1. Standardizing Rates and Reducing Overpayment

By offering a centralized platform for contingent workforce management, a VMS enables organizations to standardize worker and supplier bill rates across different workers, roles, and vendors. Without this standardization, businesses may overpay for contingent labor, resulting in higher workforce costs. A VMS can eliminate this by benchmarking rates, ensuring competitive pricing, and preventing overpayment.

2. Leveraging Competitive Bidding

Most Vendor Management Systems come with a built-in feature for competitive bidding. This means businesses can invite multiple vendors to bid on an open job, ensuring they secure the most cost-effective result. The system can also track the performance and cost-effectiveness of each vendor, enabling businesses to make data-driven decisions when selecting vendors in the future.

3. Mitigating Compliance Risks

Non-compliance with labor laws and regulations can result in financial penalties, negatively affecting an organization's bottom line. A VMS can minimize this risk by automating compliance processes, from background checks and contract enforcement to labor law adherence. By mitigating these risks, a VMS can help organizations avoid costly fines and reputational damage.

Learn more in our blog, How to Mitigate Risk in Your Contingent Workforce Program.

4. Streamlining Procurement and Management

A key feature of a VMS is its ability to streamline the procurement and management of contingent labor. By offering a centralized system, organizations can eliminate the administrative burden associated with sourcing, hiring, and managing external staff, subsequently lowering overhead costs. A VMS automates these processes, ensuring compliance with company policies, minimizing manual errors, and freeing up time for HR and procurement teams to focus on strategic initiatives.

5. Enhancing Visibility and Control

Without visibility into their contingent workforce, businesses risk overspending. A VMS offers robust tracking and reporting features that provide insights into contingent labor usage, performance, and costs. Companies can assess which departments are utilizing contingent labor, how long these workers are retained, and how their performance compares with internal employees. These insights can inform workforce strategies and prevent over-reliance on contingent labor, thereby minimizing costs.

6. Enhancing Vendor Relationship Management

A VMS improves relationships with vendors by streamlining communication and providing performance feedback. This can lead to more favorable negotiation terms, and volume rebates, thus reducing costs. Furthermore, a healthy vendor relationship can result in better service quality, reliability, and efficiency – factors that indirectly contribute to cost reduction by preventing project delays and ensuring high-quality results.

7. Fostering Strategic Workforce Planning

The predictive analytics features of a VMS can forecast future workforce needs based on historical data, helping businesses plan their workforce strategies more effectively. This can prevent over-hiring or under-hiring of contingent labor, ensuring organizations have the right amount of labor at the right time, reducing both overstaffing and opportunity costs.

Final Thoughts

Vendor Management System software offers a myriad of advantages for managing contingent labor. It streamlines procurement, enhances visibility, standardizes rates, mitigates compliance risks, and fosters strategic workforce planning. These capabilities make a VMS an indispensable tool for organizations looking to optimize their contingent workforce costs in today's dynamic business environment. By leveraging a VMS, organizations can ensure they reap the benefits of contingent labor. 

Learn more about the benefits of a VMS

Learn more about the Benefits of a VMS and what to look for when choosing the best VMS for your organization. Download our Free VMS Buyer's Guide here:

vms buyer's guide 2025

Discover the Power of Conexis VMS

Conexis VMS is purpose-built for organizations seeking to manage their contingent labor spend effectively. Here’s why we're the right choice:

About Conexis VMS

Conexis is an award-winning Vendor Management System built for organizations that want the power of enterprise software without the complexity or cost.

Leveraging the latest technology, Conexis delivers the expertise, reliability and security of enterprise systems, while offering the flexibility, user friendliness and tailored, personal service you require. Learn more about our Company and why organizations Choose Conexis VMS

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Wayne Burgess

Wayne Burgess

Wayne Burgess is the Co-Founder of Conexis VMS, a technology company focused on helping organizations get control of their Contingent Workforce.

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