Last week, in sunny Fort Lauderdale, Vendor Management System (VMS) technology provider Beeline held its annual user conference. The event, in which nearly 100 customers of the solution provider convened, was focused on the theme of “Connect, Learn and Succeed,” aiming to cultivate a two-day culture of collaboration and innovation that would help Beeline’s clients prepare for the future of contingent workforce management.

“We’re at a very pivotal time in our industry,” said Doug Leeby, President of Beeline. Leeby began the conference by updating the audience on the growth of the solution (40% revenue increase) and Beeline’s intention to build “bulletproof” technology that is aligned directly with the growing significance of CWM data and intelligence (and its security). He also traversed future ground, saying, “We want to build the most comprehensive non-FTE management solution” that addresses contingent labor, SOW and services, and added that the term “VMS” may not be appropriate any longer due to the space’s new focus on talent.

“We don’t see ourselves as a VMS any longer,” Leeby said. “We have an obligation to find great talent, regardless of type, and getting that talent in a way that helps you move faster than your competition. Beeline wants to move company forward, and “people” is the way you do that. How do we produce better stuff for you faster?

How do we help you beat your competition through “people”? Talent management has to be expanded, and we must focus in on who the talent is and how to get it to our clients.”

Leeby’s quote above echoes a new sentiment in the contingent workforce world: VMS technology isn’t “just” VMS technology anymore. The rise of what is being called the “flex economy,” or non-traditional talent (as discussed here at CPO Rising in the past), necessitates that the solutions in the CWM world traverse beyond their original designs to drive ultimate value as the contract talent arena continues to evolve.

Leeby and the Beeline team believe that their solution set, which includes analytics, complex contingent labor automation, contingent workforce services and an overall platform that can address spend and workforce management needs, is proof that the classic sense of CWM technology is evolving…just as the space itself is. Leeby noted the company’s commitment to not just data, but the “value of intelligence” that permeates in the contingent workforce arena nowadays.

Regarding the recent Fieldglass acquisition, Leeby maintains that Beeline (and its parent company, Adecco) have no plans to follow suit in their peer’s footsteps, saying that his team refuses to sell a technology provider that is not only growing, but also a strategic component of a larger corporation (as Leeby had said, “There’s no value in selling strategic assets [like Beeline].”

The greatest themes of the two-day event culminated in a panel session that featured myself and others from around the CWM industry, revolving around such concepts as:

• The “rise” of the VMS industry
• The current and future evolution of contract talent
• The importance of a procurement-minded approach towards CWM

Stay tuned to CPO Rising for a more detailed article that covers some of the questions that I answered during the panel discussion.

Other highlights from last week’s event included:

• The first in-person announcement (an official PR hit earlier this month) regarding Beeline’s partnership with PIXID, the French VMS provider that is currently the country’s largest offering in the CWM space (which is a feat in a country with such strict labor regulations). The strategic partnership will allow users of both platforms to access a solution that is designed for the specific needs of French-based labor and non-traditional employees.
• Renowned author and actor, Scott Christopher, riled up the day-one crowd with a deep discussion founded on his recent books, The Levity Effect, which advises organizations to inject fun and humor into the workplace, and People People, which includes a contemporary framework for understanding the three major “people types.” Christopher has appeared on numerous talk shows and news outlets to promote his work, while some of you may have seen him in many a television show or advertisement.
• Think the Blue Angels aerial team (aka the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron) has nothing in common with the business world (or contingent workforce management)? John Foley, former lead solo pilot for the group, spoke about the parallels between his career and those of the nearly-100 Beeline users in attendance. “We all represent something much larger than ourselves,” he said, adding that, while in the air, he can’t control everything, but can certainly control his reaction, a thought that strongly resonated with the crowd.

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Tagged in: Christopher Dwyer, Complex Categories, Contingent Workforce, Events, People, Solution Providers, Technology