Conexis VMS was proud to be a sponsor at the 2023 ProcureCon Contingent Staffing Conference held in Austin TX this past March. We had an opportunity to connect with a lot of attendees, friends and colleagues and also hosted a round-table discussion on the topic of "Is Your Tech Stack Holding You Back?"
We thought we would share two key observations from these discussions:
1. Frustration with Current VMS
A common theme is that many organizations are frustrated with their VMS. They said their VMS was too slow, too complicated to use, often timed out, and their customer care was terrible. One attendee confided to me that their users knew more than the VMS rep when they called to solve an issue! Attendees also shared that these factors contributed to poor user experience and system adoption. Their teams are constantly looking for workarounds or ways not to use their system. But they are frustrated with what to do about this. There was a general sense of feeling trapped with their VMS partner. Many expressed wanting to know what their VMS systems should be delivering and how they can build a business case for change. Overall, there was a desire to have a better and easier to use system, but not sure how to make this happen within their company or how to get started.
I wasn't surprised to hear of their frustrations. I've been there. After 25 years in procurement (both on the buying and solution side), I have faced these same challenges. In fact, that's why we started Conexis VMS in the first place. We knew the market had a gap and people were looking for a VMS that was easy to use, inexpensive and gave them what they needed without all the extra bells, whistles, and costs. So, we built it. Now we are up to over 235,000 registered users and our clients span multiple industries - manufacturing, warehousing and logistics, life sciences, information technology and consumer products.
2. Direct Sourcing is Maturing
While the concept of direct sourcing has been around for quite some time and there are a few successful case studies, these have been few and far between. Direct sourcing is when a company recruits its own contingent workforce rather than enlisting staffing agencies. This can involve a significant investment by an organization in talent acquisition resources, tools, and guidelines.
Many discussions I had were about the ROI from direct sourcing and whether the investment would pay for itself. Other major issues were job and employer brand being properly represented, and candidate curation to ensure an active pool of vetted candidates. The other big discussion centered around the incremental resources required to do the work and how to get the budget approvals.
Although progress is being made and you can see a definite maturing of the DS model, it seems like organizations are still testing the waters instead of jumping in with both feet.
How Can We Help?
- Reach out for a chat. Bring me your top issue and we can discuss it, and we can give you advice and ideas that you can start right away. No obligation. No sales pitch. Simply reach out to me via email, connect on Linked-In, or book time in my calendar for a free no-obligation Consultation.
- Find out what to look for in your next-Gen VMS with our free e-book: "The Ultimate VMS Buyer's Guide". Whether you are reviewing your current system or just starting to explore the benefits of a VMS, this step by step guide has something for you. It also includes a checklist to follow when meeting with VMS Providers.
You can access your free copy of the guide here.
Interested in learning more about Vendor Management Solutions?
Whether you are looking for a new VMS Solution, or just getting started, we are here to help. See how easy Conexis is to use by taking a quick 2 minute Self-Guided Tour. Contact Us for a Free No-Obligation Consultation to discuss your workforce challenges (and get immediate actionable insights) or Book a Personal Demo Today!
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