Case Study: Classifying a Global Contingent Workforce
Business Issue
A global technology and manufacturing company required a comprehensive solution to ensure all their temporary workers were classified correctly. Additionally, they needed to manage and track all personnel, including employees, contingent labor, contract service workers and independent contractors who had access to their systems and/or facilities. The company sought a solution to provide worker classification management, in-depth global analytics and visibility and enhanced performance in the assignment and tracking of workers and their badge access.
They needed a program that could maximize efficiencies, streamline and standardize processes and ensure a reliable, real-time solution. Achieving this requires a partner with a widespread global presence and expertise in local regulatory environments, cultural nuances and technologies available.
Solution
TAPFIN was selected to implement a global program to track and classify workers. At the outset, the program design focused on efforts to enable real-time badge access updates in the vendor management system (VMS); develop training materials and end-user guides for managers, suppliers and the program offices; conduct dozens of training sessions across different time zones during the week prior to go-live; design decision form process for worker classification management; streamline and rationalize supplier list of almost 2,000; total subcontract labor utilization visibility; develop a system for hiring process approvals; supplier and worker on/off-boarding; contractual and regulatory compliance; and implement processes to define and classify workers correctly.
The program includes support where TAPFIN has existing MSP programs, known as “live countries,” as well as “non-live” countries. To implement worker tracking, the team created a system to integrate unique electronic ID numbers with the client’s existing employee identification (EID) numbering system. TAPFIN implemented the Fieldglass Profile Worker module (sometimes referred as People Tracker) to secure the required EID and manage the worker creation and approval process. This process is also used for workers classified as subcontract worker/agency in non-live countries where the program is not yet deployed for subcontract agency workers. TAPFIN provides full-time management of the worldwide MSP operation, ensuring compliance with client required approvals and worker on/off-boarding requirements.
The classification effort involved an extensive analysis of existing agreements as well as the development of a system to properly classify workers going forward. The solution also introduced a single platform to secure and manage required global electronic IDs issued to non-employees. The client is able to use EID approval to coordinate the setup of space, equipment, system access and ID badge. Worker assignment approvals are tracked and managed through the VMS. This includes a supplier qualification effort that resulted in an approved supplier list, ensuring global compliance with contracts, insurance and other required licenses.
Results
TAPFIN’s solution helped streamline, manage and track the company’s global supplier workforce operations, including:
- Establishment of a single global governance program for the company’s more than 22,000 contractors who were previously managed independently by country staff, along with a standardized process for on/off-boarding.
- A supplier funded model has been implemented in live countries (over 80 percent of headcount) with no additional cost to the client.
- Total headcount tracking of all non-employees, visibility to statement of work professionals and independent contractors, improved visibility and control of labor spend, improved workflow and reporting.
- The program successfully identified workers who were misclassified and realigned them to the correct program.
- Supplier qualification efforts and standardization created an opportunity for competition among suppliers to drive improved value (quality, cost, speed).
- The program delivered global transparency and visibility of all third-party workers, including categorization, count, type and cost.