FAQ
What is contingent workforce (CW) management?
- Contingent workforce management is the strategic approach to managing a company’s contingent workforce. Properly done, it focuses on quality, efficiency, cost and risk and optimizes a company’s ability to onboard and offboard contingent workers at the right cost, with the right technology and partnerships, with the least risk and best process for the company.
Who is Brightfield Strategies?
- Brightfield Strategies is a boutique contingent workforce consulting firm that specializes in best-in-class programs by objectively analyzing them within the dimensions of quality, efficiency, cost, and risk. Brightfield relies on Six Sigma methodology to draft program improvement strategies independent from any bias.
For more information, please visit us in our About section.
- Brightfield Strategies is a boutique contingent workforce consulting firm that specializes in best-in-class programs by objectively analyzing them within the dimensions of quality, efficiency, cost, and risk. Brightfield relies on Six Sigma methodology to draft program improvement strategies independent from any bias.
What does Brightfield specialize in?
- Brightfield specializes in various aspects of contingent workforce management including:
• Strategy, data analytics and VSM technologies
• Strategic sourcing of Contingent Workforce providers such as staffing companies, VMS, MSP, Payrolling and IC Compliance specialists
• Compliance and contract compliance
• Employee-Independent Contractor misclassifications
• Supplier audits
• Large-scale project management
• International program management and supplier practices
For more information, please visit us in the Services section.
- Brightfield specializes in various aspects of contingent workforce management including:
Why should I work with Brightfield Strategies?
- Brightfield Strategies is strictly an independent company so we can help clients understand how to best optimize their program to best in class without conflicts of interest. We also understand that there is no one-size-fits-all program and with over 50 years of experience in designing programs, we work with our clients to understand their specific needs. Brightfield brings many talents from various backgrounds including technology, sourcing, legal, compliance, auditing, project management, and international programs and policies. The well-rounded team helps our clients consider program requirements and considerations from a 360 degree perspective.
For more information, please visit us in the About section.
- Brightfield Strategies is strictly an independent company so we can help clients understand how to best optimize their program to best in class without conflicts of interest. We also understand that there is no one-size-fits-all program and with over 50 years of experience in designing programs, we work with our clients to understand their specific needs. Brightfield brings many talents from various backgrounds including technology, sourcing, legal, compliance, auditing, project management, and international programs and policies. The well-rounded team helps our clients consider program requirements and considerations from a 360 degree perspective.
What is Brightfield’s relationship with Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)?
- Brightfield is the exclusive consulting partner to SIA Contingent Workforce Strategies (CWS) Council and assists members in educating them of the growing industry and helping them to fully optimize their CW program. Additionally, Brightfield supports the CWS Council by performing industry benchmarking exercises covering both the buyer and supplier communities; e.g. the VMS and MSP Competitive Landscape report.
What is the Contingent Workforce Strategies Council (CWSC)?
- The Contingent Workforce Strategies Council (CSWS) is a peer-based community of HR, IT, and Procurement leaders responsible for transforming and managing their company’s contingent workforce program. The CWS Council consists of some of the largest and most complex CW program in the country with charter members such as HP, Nationwide and Accenture, and their 45 and growing memberships including Applie, Bank of America, Bayer, Microsoft, Dell, Eli Lily, IBM, Qualcomm, Shell and UPS.
Is Brightfield associated or affiliated with any Staffing, VMS or MSP providers?
- No. Brightfield Strategies is a completely independent strategy consulting company that is not associated or affiliated with any Staffing, VMS or MSP providers. We hold no partnerships with any like companies in order to remain completely objective in our analysis and recommendations to our clients. We rely on our reputation as unbiased third part subject-matter experts to build trusting relationships with our clients.
For more information, please visit us in the About section.
- No. Brightfield Strategies is a completely independent strategy consulting company that is not associated or affiliated with any Staffing, VMS or MSP providers. We hold no partnerships with any like companies in order to remain completely objective in our analysis and recommendations to our clients. We rely on our reputation as unbiased third part subject-matter experts to build trusting relationships with our clients.
We are looking to benchmark our companies’ contingent workforce program against other companies of similar size. How can Brightfield help?
- Through their partnership with SIA, Brightfield Strategies has access to benchmarking reports that may be shared. However, Brightfield Strategies prefers to speak with their clients about the goals behind the benchmarking exercise to fully understand what the company is asking. Are they trying to understand whether tenure limits are co-employment deterrents vs recruiting hardships? Do they seek to understand at what point of CW spend should a VMS or MSP join the program? With Brightfield’s industry expertise, we can quickly help clients assess their place amongst peers and answer the deep laying questions.
For more information, please visit us in the Contact section.
- Through their partnership with SIA, Brightfield Strategies has access to benchmarking reports that may be shared. However, Brightfield Strategies prefers to speak with their clients about the goals behind the benchmarking exercise to fully understand what the company is asking. Are they trying to understand whether tenure limits are co-employment deterrents vs recruiting hardships? Do they seek to understand at what point of CW spend should a VMS or MSP join the program? With Brightfield’s industry expertise, we can quickly help clients assess their place amongst peers and answer the deep laying questions.
We are considering implementing a MSP and a VMS? Should we select two separate companies or a supplier that provides both a VMS and MSP services?
- Each CW program differs from another and has different needs. Sometimes a provider that has both the VMS and MSP services is exactly what a company needs, while others companies prefer a separation between services. Brightfield Strategies can help your team think through which solution makes most sense for your program and how to negotiate the best terms and conditions.
For more information, please visit us in the Contact section.
- Each CW program differs from another and has different needs. Sometimes a provider that has both the VMS and MSP services is exactly what a company needs, while others companies prefer a separation between services. Brightfield Strategies can help your team think through which solution makes most sense for your program and how to negotiate the best terms and conditions.
What does it mean when a CW supplier says they are vendor-neutral and why should I care?
- Vendor-neutral suppliers are VMS, MSP, Payrolling or IC Compliance providers that don’t have a Staffing arm to their services. They are “vendor-neutral” because they aren’t competing for spend in your temporary staffing market. They promise to focus on providing only program services and will be able to treat all your suppliers equally. Most do, but also it’s important to understand whether providers have allegiances or partnerships with other providers to ensure true vendor-neutrality.
We’d love to discuss further and in more detail, please find our contact information in the Contact section.
- Vendor-neutral suppliers are VMS, MSP, Payrolling or IC Compliance providers that don’t have a Staffing arm to their services. They are “vendor-neutral” because they aren’t competing for spend in your temporary staffing market. They promise to focus on providing only program services and will be able to treat all your suppliers equally. Most do, but also it’s important to understand whether providers have allegiances or partnerships with other providers to ensure true vendor-neutrality.
We are considering making changes to our contingent workforce policies (e.g. tenure limits). How can Brightfield help?
- Brightfield stays up-to-date on all CW compliance related issues and can help clients understand which policies are required to keep them risk adverse and which policies may be strictly cultural or client-specific. Brightfield has worked with numerous clients on risk assessments and policy refinement and can help your organization customize your CW policy with consideration compliance and company goals in mind.
We’d love to discuss further and in more detail, please find our contact information in the Contact section.
- Brightfield stays up-to-date on all CW compliance related issues and can help clients understand which policies are required to keep them risk adverse and which policies may be strictly cultural or client-specific. Brightfield has worked with numerous clients on risk assessments and policy refinement and can help your organization customize your CW policy with consideration compliance and company goals in mind.
We want to build a business case to change the way our company acquires and manages contingent workers but we don’t have any data? How do we get started?
- Many companies start with little to no data, and that can actually be supporting evidence towards optimizing your program. In today’s industry, many companies are able to provide reports on CW data points; and that is a continuing trend for CW programs. To get started, a company will need benchmarking data, an analysis of where and why their program current is lacking (current program assessment), a direction for their program (future state design) and a return-on-investment (ROI) to show executives the value behind change. Brightfield has helped do the leg work and put together convincing business cases for many of our clients based on our benchmarking knowledge, program assessments, industry pricing and ROI calculations.
We’d love to discuss further and in more detail, please find our contact information in the Contact section.
- Many companies start with little to no data, and that can actually be supporting evidence towards optimizing your program. In today’s industry, many companies are able to provide reports on CW data points; and that is a continuing trend for CW programs. To get started, a company will need benchmarking data, an analysis of where and why their program current is lacking (current program assessment), a direction for their program (future state design) and a return-on-investment (ROI) to show executives the value behind change. Brightfield has helped do the leg work and put together convincing business cases for many of our clients based on our benchmarking knowledge, program assessments, industry pricing and ROI calculations.
How can I determine whether my company is out-of-compliance or at risk in regards to the contingent workforce population?
- Brightfield Strategies has subject matter experts on staff in regards to compliance and legal liabilities, and works readily with other organizations to keep up-to-date on CW compliance issues. Brightfield can conduct a risk assessment of your CW program and help identify areas of risk or concern.
We’d love to discuss further and in more detail, please find our contact information in the Contact section.
- Brightfield Strategies has subject matter experts on staff in regards to compliance and legal liabilities, and works readily with other organizations to keep up-to-date on CW compliance issues. Brightfield can conduct a risk assessment of your CW program and help identify areas of risk or concern.
How do I get executive support for my CW program?
- The most important aspect in a CW program, in either optimizing or maintaining it, is executive support and sponsorship. Brightfield Strategies has helped create executive and stakeholder teams for almost all their clients. Each client requires differing amounts of strategic counsel but all require properly defined program charters and executive decks that explain their role, the plan, and the ROI.
We’d love to discuss further and in more detail, please find our contact information in the Contact section.
- The most important aspect in a CW program, in either optimizing or maintaining it, is executive support and sponsorship. Brightfield Strategies has helped create executive and stakeholder teams for almost all their clients. Each client requires differing amounts of strategic counsel but all require properly defined program charters and executive decks that explain their role, the plan, and the ROI.
Please contact us for further information!
