[Editor’s note: Last week, resident contingent workforce management (CWM) expert and Ardent Partners research director, Christopher J. Dwyer, joined Vendor Management System (VMS) provider Beeline for their annual user conference on sunny Amelia Island in Florida. Today’s article is Christopher’s recap of the event and insights from the two-day conference, which drew nearly 110 attendees from across the globe.]

There’s no doubt that today’s non-employee, extended, or contingent workforce is fast-evolving into the world of tomorrow. Enhancements in technology, the availability of services for managing temporary labor, the rise of the “on demand workforce,” and a greater perception of the true impact of the non-employee workforce is actively driving this evolution…as well as innovation.

Beeline president Doug Leeby kicked off the conference with an exciting picture of the solution’s growth (141 clients across 69 countries), as well as its commitment to innovation and helping anticipate its customers’ needs well into the future. “We’re trying to think of the horizon…the future,” Leeby said, adding that the world of the “extended” workforce was rapidly changing, forcing solutions, especially Beeline, to adapt to meet more dynamic requirements.

Leeby addressed a range of items during his welcome address, including:

• Beeline’s dedication to innovation. Last summer, Beeline made waves in the CWM industry by acquiring Lexington, MA-based OnForce, a leading freelancer management system (FMS) provider. The FMS platform, identified in last year’s State of Contingent Workforce Management research study as one of the top “solutions on the rise” in this industry, has quickly entered the CWM market by providing tools and functionalities for managing the independent professional in a controlled (cost, quality, etc.) and compliant manner. The fruits of Beeline’s acquisition of OnForce has resulted in the solution’s new self-sourcing / direct-sourcing tool, which utilizes the OnForce platform to allow users, CWM programs, and MSPs to directly-sourcing independent talent, such as freelancers and contractors, from a dedicated and dynamic talent pool. Game changer? Absolutely. “The industry has a need that desperately has to be,” said Leeby.
• The importance of complex contingent labor (SOW). Leeby stated that SOW spend going through the Beeline tool has grown by 82% over the past two years, a sharp reflection of the complexities of today’s non-employee workforce. On display throughout the conference was Beeline’s updated user interface, which is tailored to meet the shifting demands of its users. “[The increase in SOW spend through the tool] validates that we did this the right way,” said Leeby.
• The criticality of CWM data security. Today’s contingent workforce management programs often overlook a critical aspect: the security of sensitive data related to corporate finances, projects, etc. With a new European data center and efforts to optimize data protection functionalities, Beeline has created a “bulletproof mentality” to its user data.

The wonder of today’s CWM programs is that they necessitate varied strategies, not just those birthed from technology or traditional business principles. In that vein, attendees of last week’s event were treated to a range of insights from a variety of speakers, all of which were linked back to how they could be better leaders:

• The notion of “presence.” Harvard Business School professor and researcher Amy Cuddy spoke of the importance of body language and presence in both personal and business environments. Many will remember Cuddy’s lauded TED talk, which has over six million views on YouTube.
• “Leadership” and “management” are two different notions. Former NFL quarterback Tom Flick (who played for the Washington Redskins, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns and San Diego Chargers) challenged the audience to understand the difference between traditional management and the meaning of true leadership, which invokes more energy, passion, and preparation.
• Total talent, total intelligence. Lastly, Greg Muccio, Senior Manager of the People Department for Southwest Airlines, gave an engaging presentation on the growing concept of “total talent management,” stating that its foundation is based on collaboration, supplier motivation strategies, centralized compliance measurement / management, and a philosophical shift of how non-employees are perceived internally.

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