The contingent workforce — comprising temporary staff, independent contractors, consultants, and service providers — plays a critical role in today’s agile and flexible workforce strategies. Managing this workforce efficiently across its full lifecycle is essential to maximize productivity, ensure compliance, and control costs. SAP Fieldglass, a leading Vendor Management System (VMS), offers end-to-end capabilities to manage the entire contingent workforce lifecycle seamlessly.
This article explores how SAP Fieldglass supports organizations in managing every phase of the contingent workforce lifecycle, from planning and sourcing to offboarding and analytics.
¶ Understanding the Contingent Workforce Lifecycle
The contingent workforce lifecycle consists of several interconnected stages:
- Planning and Forecasting
- Sourcing and Requisitioning
- Onboarding and Engagement
- Time and Expense Tracking
- Performance and Compliance Management
- Offboarding and Transition
- Analytics and Continuous Improvement
Effectively managing each stage is vital for optimizing contingent labor programs.
¶ 1. Planning and Forecasting
SAP Fieldglass enables organizations to:
- Forecast contingent labor needs based on historical data and project requirements.
- Collaborate with business stakeholders to define roles, skills, and timelines.
- Create workforce plans that align with budget and business goals.
This strategic planning foundation reduces last-minute sourcing and ensures resource availability.
¶ 2. Sourcing and Requisitioning
The platform streamlines the sourcing process by:
- Automating job requisition creation with detailed role descriptions and criteria.
- Enabling multi-vendor bidding and supplier collaboration to identify the best talent.
- Supporting compliant and consistent procurement workflows globally.
Automation accelerates time-to-fill and reduces administrative burdens.
¶ 3. Onboarding and Engagement
SAP Fieldglass supports smooth onboarding through:
- Electronic document collection and validation (e.g., tax forms, certifications).
- Digital worker profiles to capture skills, qualifications, and compliance status.
- Communication tools to engage contingent workers and suppliers from day one.
Efficient onboarding improves worker satisfaction and readiness.
¶ 4. Time and Expense Tracking
The system provides:
- Mobile-enabled time and expense capture for workers.
- Automated validation and approval workflows aligned with company policies.
- Integration with payroll and invoicing systems to ensure timely and accurate payments.
This reduces errors, prevents fraud, and enhances operational efficiency.
SAP Fieldglass enables:
- Real-time tracking of worker performance against KPIs and SLAs.
- Automated compliance checks for certifications, work permits, and labor laws.
- Alerts and workflows to address non-compliance or performance issues promptly.
Proactive management mitigates risks and maintains workforce quality.
¶ 6. Offboarding and Transition
The platform manages offboarding by:
- Automating contract end notifications and transition workflows.
- Ensuring return of company assets and completion of exit documentation.
- Archiving worker records for audit and future reference.
Structured offboarding protects the organization and supports workforce planning.
¶ 7. Analytics and Continuous Improvement
SAP Fieldglass offers robust analytics capabilities:
- Comprehensive dashboards for spend analysis, vendor performance, and workforce metrics.
- Identification of trends and opportunities to optimize workforce strategies.
- Support for executive decision-making and reporting requirements.
Data-driven insights enable continuous program enhancement.
- Enhanced visibility across all contingent labor activities.
- Improved compliance with global labor laws and corporate policies.
- Faster time-to-fill and reduced administrative workload.
- Better cost control through spend transparency and supplier management.
- Higher worker satisfaction via streamlined onboarding and engagement.
- Data-driven decision-making supported by real-time analytics.
- Standardize processes globally but localize as needed for compliance.
- Engage all stakeholders — procurement, HR, legal, finance — in lifecycle governance.
- Leverage automation to reduce manual errors and accelerate workflows.
- Continuously review performance and adjust strategies based on analytics.
- Train vendors and workers on system usage to ensure accurate data capture.
Managing the full contingent workforce lifecycle in SAP Fieldglass empowers organizations to optimize their external labor strategies effectively. By leveraging its comprehensive tools—from planning and sourcing to compliance and analytics—businesses can drive operational excellence, mitigate risks, and achieve greater agility.
Adopting a lifecycle approach with SAP Fieldglass not only improves workforce management efficiency but also delivers significant cost savings and competitive advantage in today’s fast-paced business environment.