In our 2017 CWS Roundtable, we discussed "Best Practices for Internally Managed Programs."
During our conversation, a variety of topics were agreed upon as being critical to the management and/or consideration of selection of an internally managed program model.
Here is a snapshot of this discussion and a disclaimer that as an organization, HireTalent believes that "one size does not fit all" and that program models must be in alignment with organizational culture.
Credibility and buy in – In general, program stakeholders that have selected to manage their contingent workforce programs internally are strong believers that end users work more quickly and easily with program teams that are comprised of colleagues. Gaining “buy in” and establishing trust can be challenging even among internal colleagues and they’ve experienced timelines for doing so with external partners as being exponentially longer.
ERP Integration – In days past, programs relied upon MSP partners to translate business need to the VMS. With today’s sophisticated and ever evolving VMS tools, internal programs have increased opportunities to select stand alone VMS tools that integrate seamlessly with their internal platforms.
Alignment of Business Strategy and culture – Program stakeholders report a clear line of sight between vision and strategy that is clearly articulated and shared during the selection and assignment process when program teams are FTE employees of the organization. This is likely a function of proximity, exposure and inclusion of the program team in the internal culture.
Cost and funding – In general, program stakeholders that have made the decision to bring their programs internal and move away from a third party MSP relationship have gained executive support to pursue the model by applying program fees vendor partners are already paying to fund FTE staff roles.
Ensuring the right talent on the team – This consideration ranks high on the list of must haves for a successful internally managed program. Program teams must be comprised of the proper skill sets including subject matter experts in staffing, SOW management, and analytics.
Change Management when switching program models and policies – Program stakeholders report less resistance to changes in policy and practice when program teams are colleagues. This takes us back to the previous discussion around credibility and buy in: trust comes quicker and easier.
Driving Efficiency – While it remains to be seen how the internally managed program approach will look any different than that taken by MSP managed programs, this topic shows up on the radar as being necessary to evolve the health of the program, cost savings, and encourage competition among the vendor community.
Career Pathing for team – Attraction and retention of top talent to provide oversight and drive daily operations is critical to internally managed programs. Defining a career path and developing strong job descriptions will support this.
In our 2017 CWS Roundtable, we discussed "Best Practices for Internally Managed Programs." During our conversation, a variety of topics were agreed upon as being critical to the management and/or consideration of selection of an internally managed program model.
Here is a snapshot of this discussion and a disclaimer that as an organization, HireTalent believes that “one size does not fit all“ and that program models must be in alignment with organization culture.