Editor’s Note: Ardent’s resident contingent workforce management (CWM) expert and research director, Christopher Dwyer, is set to launch the exciting next iteration of his annual State of Contingent Workforce Management research study. He encourages you to spend 15 minutes of your time participating in the 2014-2015 State of Contingent Workforce Management online survey by clicking here. It is critical that your voice be heard in this evolving industry. All survey participants will receive a complimentary copy of the resulting research report, which will be available in early October.

Just last week, CPO Rising asked for your time and participation in the State of Contingent Workforce Management research survey (click here to participate in this year’s survey). The 2014-2015 edition of Ardent’s annual research report in the contingent workforce management (CWM) space is being developed as a landmark “guidebook” for all enterprises, regardless of their size, industry or regional location. No other space under the greater business management umbrella has evolved quite like the contingent workforce, and the State of Contingent Workforce Management research report will be the official guidebook for enterprises as they enhance their CWM programs and build strategies for the future.

We’ve put together some answers for some common questions regarding the upcoming report:

What will this year’s edition of the State of CWM report tackle from a topic perspective?

Designed as a formidable guidebook that can sit on the desk of every executive across the world that holds some responsibility for managing contingent labor, the State of Contingent Workforce Management research report will address current market trends, offer predictions for the future, highlight the growing role and significance of technology, and paint a vivid picture of how companies can better manage the totality of their contingent workforce.

Technology, as you indicated, will be a major theme in this year’s report. How will you address this aspect?

The technological and solution marketplace for CWM has certainly evolved just as much as the space itself. The State of Contingent Workforce Management research report will discuss, in heavy detail, how solutions such as Managed Service Providers (MSP) continue to address day-to-day issues, and the role of Vendor Management System (VMS) platforms as the “nexus” of contingent workforce management. The upcoming research report will also highlight the concept of technology integration, and how solutions like VMS can be integrated with Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and other human capital management offerings to address the notion of total workforce management (a centralized, standardized approach to managing all enterprise talent regardless of the source).

The “future” is always on the minds of executives tasked with managing contract talent. Will the new report offer guidance in this area?

Absolutely. There are no signs of the contemporary contingent workforce’s evolution slowing in the years ahead, thus it is crucial that enterprises build deep, multifaceted programs that can address both temporary and next-generation challenges. The role of the contingent workforce and its various sources will be a topic for years to come, as companies look to non-traditional sources of talent outside of more “classic” means. The State of Contingent Workforce Management will address the capabilities, strategies and solutions that companies will require to:

• Prepare for the impending rise of total workforce management.
• Address and control the many evolutionary sources of talent, and;
• Build and develop a CWM program that can address all facets of contemporary contingent workforce management.

Click here to participate in the State of CWM online survey. We appreciate your time and participation in shaping this critical new research study.

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Tagged in: Ardent Partners Research, Christopher Dwyer, Complex Categories, Contingent Workforce, People, Process, Technology