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Technology and Innovation

Key Providers for 2022: Utmost

Solution ProvidersTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The Background:

Heading into 2022, Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange identified, amongst other key pressures, two major issues for businesses across the globe: 1) the need to “reimagine” workforce management processes and strategies in the wake of worldwide disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic (as stated by 84% of enterprises), and, 2) a greater need to automate key elements of talent acquisition and workforce management with new and innovative technology (as indicated by over 70% o enterprises).

Today’s workforce management solutions cannot simply rely upon the automation required by organizations during pre-pandemic times, but must now offer a wide range of disruptive, intelligence-led functionality that can lead businesses into the Future of Work era.

Enter Utmost.

Why They Were Selected:

Utmost’s inception was positioned as an extended workforce platform that was buoyed by its seamless integration with Workday to provide users of that software with an agile means of managing both traditional and non-employee workers. Today, it is an end-to-end Vendor Management System (VMS) powerhouse that leads with innovation and talent-fueled functionality. In just four short years, the company blossomed into one of the market leaders in the extended workforce technology landscape, owed to its total talent intelligence capabilities, convergence of HR- and procurement-led functionality, and unique product vision that will enable its clients to traverse into a new era of total talent management and work optimization.

In Their Own Words:

Utmost transforms the VMS by managing the entire extended workforce lifecycle from sourcing to paying all workers in one global talent network for high-growth, dynamic companies. A network of enterprises, workers, and suppliers ensures speed of sourcing/deployment, and Utmost Front Door provides a single place for managers to request workers or work to be done across every channel of sourcing. Utmost supports all talent categories (staff augmentation, service providers, freelancers, SOW, consultants, etc.) in a single module with flexible workflows to cover complex and changing business needs. Utmost was founded in 2018 by industry leaders Annrai O’Toole, Dan Beck, and Paddy Benson, and is backed by Greylock Partners and Mosaic Ventures. Visit www.utmost.co for more information.

The Outlook:

Utmost offers a variety of robust functionality that bodes well for its future in the VMS technology market; its “Front Door” offering is an omni-channel portal (augmented by a seamless user interface) that serves as a dynamic module for finding, engaging, and sourcing Best-in-Class talent, while its native integration with major HRIS platforms is a boon for those business leaders seeking to harness the relative power of total talent intelligence.

Utmost represents the next evolutionary step in the journey of VMS software, as its integration-friendly platform and intuitive functionality position the solution as a powerful offering for organizations seeking a next-generation source of agile workforce management automation. By placing “work” and the overall “talent experience” as the nexus of the platform, Utmost remains a Future of Work-led VMS platform that will only continue to thrive in the months and years ahead.

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Key Providers for 2022: LiveHire

Direct SourcingSolution ProvidersTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The Background:

Over the next two years, nearly 70% of business leaders expect to implement an “integrated” talent acquisition strategy within their organizations, according to Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research. This mode of approach towards worker engagement, in essence, translates into the ability to blend traditional measures of talent acquisition with new and innovative means to foster better relationships with candidates and drive recruitment success.

An integrated talent acquisition strategy doesn’t just render the intermingling of “old” and “new” together, but rather involves a fresh approach towards talent engagement and candidate sourcing that 1) drives better time-to-fill rates, 2) improves the overall success of projects led by both FTE and non-employee candidates, and 3) infuses the greater organization with top-tier skillsets and expertise that can be deployed and retained for both current and future initiatives.

Enter LiveHire.

Why They Were Selected:

LiveHire was the first true direct sourcing technology platform to disrupt the market well over a decade ago, buoyed by its unique mixture of ATS, CRM, and talent community management functionality. They have long been a market leader in this industry, and rightfully so: a truly global software entity, LiveHire has redefined what it means to technologically-enable “total talent management” through an innovative array of powerful recruitment solutions.

In Their Own Words:

LiveHire is the most proven technology for direct sourcing and total talent acquisition with more than 200 clients across 20 industries globally. Independently awarded for exceptional candidate experience, product design, innovation, and client outcomes, we enable our clients to universally attract and engage all worker categories, including direct-hire, contingent and independent workers, for a true total talent solution. We are proud that LiveHire is not only the most proven but also the most loved technology by candidates and recruiters alike, with almost a decade of top NPS scores and industry ratings.

Our mission is to empower the flow of the world’s talent, so we consider candidate experience our superpower and know that it leads to unmatched outcomes in speed and diversity of hire. In direct sourcing, we are known as the battle-tested, heavyweight technology to achieve hiring scale through our powerful candidate relationship management (CRM) and applicant tracking system (ATS), unique talent pooling, intelligent matching, 2-way text messaging and candidate journeys through “moments that matter.” 

Our leaders combine deep experience in technology and staffing, as well as some of the world’s most admired thought leadership firms for talent strategy, workforce solutions, and the Future of Work. Continuing to innovate and evolve our product is a top priority for LiveHire, and we frequently seek market feedback to identify improvement opportunities that will deliver measurable results for our clients.

We would love to hear from you. For more information, visit us at www.livehire.com/us or contact karen.gonzalez@livehire.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

The Outlook:

The Future of Work Exchange has maintained, since its inception nearly 16 months ago, that the realm of direct sourcing is positioned to transform the ways businesses think about talent, work, and workforce management. However, no longer does simple automation for talent curation and talent pool development portend an effective direct sourcing technology platform in today’s frenetic, volatile, and dynamic business arena.

LiveHire is well-positioned to not only continue as a dominant force in the direct sourcing market, but also become a revolutionary solution due to its laser-like focus on the candidate experience, innovation within the integration of ATS, CRM, and direct sourcing functionality, universal talent engagement and talent nurture capabilities, disruptive recruitment automation, and frictionless total talent management offerings.

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Key Providers for 2022: Toptal

Solution ProvidersTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The Background:

One of the key attributes of the Future of Work movement revolves around the concept of “talent evolution.” Businesses across the globe have realized that, in a world that requires agility to be truly competitive, they require real-time access to top-tier talent and skillsets. Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research has routinely discovered that the utilization of alternative talent channels, particularly digital staffing and talent marketplaces, have experienced upwards of 10x adoption over the past several years.

Why such an extreme uptick in utilization? The answer is quite simple: in order for enterprises to tap into a global market of Best-in-Class talent without the restrictions of archaic talent acquisition capabilities, they need to tap into solutions that offer on-demand talent that reinforces the Future of Work-led world we live in…especially attributes such as remote work.

Enter Toptal.

Why They Were Selected:

Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research has found that nearly 70% of executives leaders anticipated increasing their reliance on talent marketplaces and digital staffing platforms over the next two years, an astounding fact that reflects the dynamic benefits of such models. For over 12 years, Toptal has been a market leader in the digital staffing space, owed to its top-tier network of skillsets and expertise, as well as an on-demand foundation that allows business users to scale their workforce remotely in near-real-time fashion.

Toptal’s Enterprise offering is a services-oriented solution that enables a wide range of agile talent acquisition models. Toptal is well-known for leveraging its deep talent marketplace, talent community, and expanded freelancer network to enable true workforce agility and flexibility in its client base. And, what sets this solution apart from others in the industry is its ability to offer its clients the ability to build a fully-scalable team of distributed talent.

In Their Own Words:

Toptal is an international network of highly skilled freelancers in technology, design, and business that enables companies to innovate, meet business challenges and scale their teams, on demand. The company serves thousands of clients from hyper-growth start-ups to the Fortune 500, connecting them with top software engineers, product and project managers, designers, and finance experts from more than 100 countries. Founded in 2010 by CEO Taso Du Val,  Toptal has the world’s largest fully remote workforce. Toptal is also regularly recognized as one of the world’s top companies hiring for work-from-anywhere jobs.

The Outlook:

Toptal continues to be a pioneer in the talent marketplace industry; as such, their years-long commitment to remote work was an idyllic means of combating the many challenges during the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a trailblazer in assisting business leaders and hiring managers across the world with building and developing fully-scalable teams of top-tier, remote talent, Toptal has positioned itself as a continued market leader in the digital and on-demand staffing realm.

Toptal’s long track record of success in delivering on-demand, top-shelf talent and expertise to clients across the world position the solution as an ideal platform in a world driven by Future of Work accelerants.

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Key Providers for 2022: WorkLLama

Solution ProvidersTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The Background:

There are many slivers of the Future of Work movement that traverse beyond the concept of “work optimization.” In recent years, the very idea of “the evolution of talent” has translated into businesses harnessing the power of new and alternative talent sources while also tapping into the robust functionality of direct sourcing and digital staffing platforms.

Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research has found, over the past two years, that the 1) development of talent communities/talent pools and 2) the initiation of direct sourcing programs are two of the top five priorities for enterprises as they think about how they address work and talent. To effectively achieve these goals and implement robust strategies and processes for direct sourcing, organizations require innovative technology and automation that can revolutionize the ways they engage, source, and manage top-tier talent.

Enter WorkLLama.

Why They Were Selected:

Before entering the enterprise market a few years ago, WorkLLama was battled-tested in the world of staffing; this time spent in that arena allowed the solution to hone its functionality and quickly become a dominant player in the direct sourcing technology marketplace. Through their continued progression, WorkLLama has become a major purveyor of the “Direct Sourcing 2.0” movement, in which advanced functionality, artificial intelligence, access to superior talent, an enhanced candidate experience, and the enablement of repeatable and scalable direct sourcing processes all contribute to a more advanced program.

“Direct Sourcing 2.0” follows the next generation of direct sourcing strategies and is fundamentally rooted in the linkage between key technological arenas, a renewed focus on the candidate experience, a seamless connection between talent pools and the projects and roles that require specific expertise, and a retooled “hiring manager experience” that takes into account Future of Work-era innovation.

Through its dynamic mix of ATS, CRM, and progressive direct sourcing tools, WorkLLama is a pure a reflection of Direct Sourcing 2.0. In addition, the platform has proved that it has the capabilities to transform the ways businesses find, engage, and manage talent through its total talent-ranging functionality and automation.

In Their Own Words:

WorkLLama is a total talent acquisition and engagement suite. Our platform harnesses the power of AI with a complete suite of applicant tracking system (ATS), candidate relationship management (CRM), and direct sourcing tools to help companies build communities of highly engaged talent for all hiring needs. Visit us at www.workllama.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

The Outlook:

Although WorkLLama has become one of the market leaders in the direct sourcing technology arena, there is so much more to the platform than just functionality related to talent curation, talent pool development, and candidate management. Innovative offerings such as its AI-fueled, conversational bot (Sofi), simple and automated referrals, and in-mobile-app candidate assessments are examples of how the platform will thrive in the coming months and years.

In addition, WorkLLama has partnered with three major solution providers over the past several weeks; these partnerships will extend the vision, capabilities, and ultimate value of the WorkLLama suite of offerings:

  • The company’s partnership with global workforce solutions giant Randstad Sourceright as its preferred direct sourcing platform is a hallmark union that will push WorkLLama’s powerful functionality into the global market.
  • WorkLLama’s recent partnership with background screening platform Checkr will enable faster time-to-hire and improve the overall candidate experience by integrating screening with its already-robust talent acquisition functionality.
  • By partnering with EverHive, the relationship between the two providers will meld the direct sourcing offerings across WorkLLama’s technology suite with EverHive’s contingent workforce management offerings, resulting in a boost to extended workforce programs that require direct sourcing automation to enhance access to top talent.

WorkLLama’s bright future in the workforce solutions market is buoyed by its dynamic offerings and commitment to the Future of Work.

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Key Providers for 2022: SAP Fieldglass

Solution ProvidersTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The Background:

The extended workforce comprises over 47% of the average company’s total workforce, according to recent Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research. In addition to the growth of this talent over the past several years, businesses across the globe require the proper technology and automation to ensure that non-employee labor can effectively drive value across the greater organization.

While the Vendor Management System (VMS) model is not a new solution, many of these platforms have undergone radical evolution in the face of continuous business change…especially during pandemic times, when the extended workforce became a cornerstone of operational survival. In fact, the innovation in the world of VMS technology has become a veritable linchpin to truly thriving in a business arena that essentially requires progressive functionality, Best-in-Class data capabilities, and a commitment to the Future of Work movement.

Enter SAP Fieldglass.

Why They Were Selected:

Over the past two years, SAP Fieldglass has reconfigured its core functionality to reflect the ongoing transformations within the greater world of work and talent, introducing several key innovations to its wide-ranging product suite. Through its deep integrations and connections to SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Ariba, and other facets of the SAP line of technology, SAP Fieldglass is enabled with the ability to effectively manage all facets of total talent in the face of a transformative world of work.

SAP Fieldglass has demonstrated its pledge to progressive, Future of Work-era automation through a blend of industry maturity and next-generation product offerings. Its configurable, integrated workplace (SAP Work Zone) merges SAP technology (such as SAP Ariba and SAP SuccessFactors) with other critical enterprise systems to generate a holistic, end-to-end view of a user’s total workforce, while the solution’s Active Guidance functionality is perhaps the industry’s deepest proactive insights tool.

In Their Own Words:

SAP Fieldglass, a longstanding leader in external workforce management and services procurement, is used by organizations around the world to find, engage, and manage all types of flexible resources. Our cloud-based, open platform has been deployed in more than 180 countries and helps companies transform how work gets done, increase operational agility, and accelerate business outcomes in the digital economy. Backed by the resources of SAP, our customers benefit from a roadmap driven by continuous investment in innovation. To learn more, visit www.fieldglass.com.

The Outlook:

SAP Fieldglass is well-positioned to become an idyllic, Future of Work-oriented workforce management platform due to its robust integrations with other key SAP solutions (particularly SAP SuccessFactors), scale of offerings that provide real-time and AI-augmented visibility, and inherent flexibility that cascades down into how its users manage the complexities of today’s agile workforce.

With its Visualizer analytics tool, strong services procurement automation, assignment management technology (for enhancing control over the burgeoning light industrial contingent workforce), and abilities to drive both total spend management and total talent management, SAP Fieldglass is a force in a Future of Work-driven business world.

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Upwork’s “Work Without Limits” Conference: Thriving in a New World of Work

EventsSolution ProvidersTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

“The world of work is changing faster than ever before,” said Upwork Chief Sales Officer Eric Gilpin at the start of the talent platform’s annual “Work Without Limits” summit in Chicago. Gilpin’s opening thoughts echo the evolution of work and talent over the past two-plus years, as Future of Work-era accelerants (and the desire to truly optimize how work is done) rapidly shape the way businesses around the globe operate.

Eric Gilpin, Upwork’s Chief Sales Officer, kicks off the 2022 Work Without Limits event. (Photo credit: Upwork)

Hayden Brown, President and CEO of Upwork, kicked off the conference reminiscing about what it was like when she finally made it to the corner office and when she got an office with a door for the first time in her career. Today, Hayden says, “Every employee can have their own corner office.” There are after all, new rules for work.

One of the major benefits of this new world of work is that control has been democratized. How, where, and even when people complete their work is in more of their control, and this is a huge benefit to all businesses, said Brown. She challenges the notion that the traditional workplace was what drove success, arguing that this misplaced nostalgia is actually caused by the Mandela effect, where false memories can sometimes be shared by multiple people. “The office was not the secret sauce [of business],” says Brown, and “It is time for business leaders to lead instead of react,” and find the true drivers of business value.

Hayden Brown, Upwork’s President and CEO, discusses the new rules of work. (Photo credit: Upwork)

Brown continued her keynote by asking a few challenging questions for business leaders – “Will a location mandate get you the results you want?” and “Are you giving your team the what they need to succeed – the best tools and the best talent?”

The workforce game has changed forever and given the distribution of workforces and of talent overall today, talent access is the key to the new game, part of the new playbook that companies must use to succeed. Contractors will continue to play a larger role in business and the new rules of work must incorporate that view.

Brown believes that Upwork address all of the classic concerns (security and privacy, workforce reliability, cultural concerns, etc.) that business executives may have regarding this tectonic shift in how work is done and the broad shift to non-FTE workers. In today’s world, the leaders that get ahead on this major shift will win…and boldness will be rewarded.

Jonah Berger, Professor at Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, talks about changing the mindsets around enterprise transformation. (Photo credit: Upwork)

The WWL event featured a variety of industry leaders sharing their thoughts regarding the new world of work:

  • “Data gives us the opportunity to be predictable,” said Vito Labate, Vice President, Global Industry Marketing Leader at Capgemini during a panel discussion hosted by Upwork CMO Melissa Waters. In a chat centered around the changes in marketing, this panel highlighted how the application of top-tier freelance talent is a true differentiator (especially within their industry, where personalization is a key factor for clients).
  • “Companies have become a bit more comfortable with distributed and remote teams,” said Deb Elias, Director, Product Strategy and Operations at Chargebee. “Technology has played a critical role in how non-co-located team members to collaborate.” Upwork’s Chief Product and Experience Officer, Sam Bright, led a spirited panel discussion on how “the impossible” could be achieved via new Future of Work concepts (and technology!) in functions like product development and engineering now that they have access to highly-skilled, global talent.
  • “We’re not just listening…we’re counter-arguing,” stated Jonah Berger, Professor at Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania during his afternoon keynote address. “We have to allow for agency; we have to give them back some of that freedom and control.” Berger’s fantastic presentation focused on how business leaders can stop “selling” change and begin changing the mindsets around transformation…a crucial factor considering just how much the world of work has changed over the past few years.
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The Future of Work is Magnetic: PRO Unlimited Rebrands to Magnit

Solution ProvidersTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Magnets are colloquially known for their attractiveness properties, drawing metal (well, iron) objects and substances within its field. For the contemporary business in 2022, the very notion of “attraction” is a desirable trait: these enterprises cannot thrive in uncertain economic times, and especially facing a volatile labor market, without some crucial level of allure to its culture, workplace, and overall brand that can effectively attract top-tier talent and skillsets.

This morning, veteran integrated workforce management system PRO Unlimited, known across the globe for its powerful Managed Service Provider (MSP) offerings and Best-in-Class Vendor Management System (VMS), announced that it has rebranded itself under the new name Magnit. The new brand reflects the solution’s overall commitment to being a magnetic force in how businesses leverage its innovative technology to draw people to work in an effective manner.

“The new name, Magnit, reflects both the evolution of our industry and how far PRO Unlimited has come as the industry-leading integrated workforce management platform,” said Kevin Akeroyd, CEO of Magnit. “Magnit is a reflection of our vision for the evolution of work. It also aligns with our position as the company of record in how businesses attract, engage, and source top-tier talent that tightly aligns with their goals and objectives. This is an exciting new chapter that will culminate in Magnit realizing PRO’s original goal: serve as a true, end-to-end platform comprised of modern software, proven expertise and world-class data and intelligence for workforce management.”

Perhaps the most critical facet of the rebrand is how the provider is approaching its end-to-end offerings: the move to Magnit is not just a simple rebrand, but rather a culmination of two years’ worth of consistent market activity, including acquisitions (WillHire, GRI, Workforce Logiq), partnerships (eightfold, Ceridian, etc.), and new product launches (Direct Source PRO, NorthStar, etc.). The new brand is an opportunity for the company to cohesively blend all of its core products and services under a unified architecture within a single brand.

It is expected that, over the next six months, any fragmentation of offerings will be streamlined and integrated under the new Magnit brand. This is a key attribute of the rebrand, as the company counts several “buckets” of products just within the data/analytics space, with ENGAGE Talent, Envision Analytics, and NorthStar (as well as its RatePoint offering) soon to be merged into a more interconnected solution.

Magnit will continue to work towards its “platform vision,” as laid out by PRO Unlimited back in 2020. With an array of innovation at its fingertips, Magnit is an ideal position to capitalize on an evolving business arena that requires top-tier skillsets to thrive; the rebrand can be considered a catalyst for the organization to continue its innovative work in becoming a platform of choice for not just the extended workforce, but also a source of agility for enterprises across the globe.

“The move to the Magnit brand represents the next bold age for our integrated workforce management platform,” said Vidhya Srinivasan, chief marketing officer at Magnit. “Both the name itself and our new logo echoes our core vision: augment the next evolution in workforce management by drawing people together through modern software and a commitment to the evolution of work. Magnit will be a powerful force for our clients, partners, and suppliers as we link businesses to the agile talent they require to thrive during these dynamic times.”

The definition of a magnet does not just mention the attraction of other metal- or iron-containing objects; it also includes the alignment of itself in an external magnetic field. For Magnit, this means one thing: the solution is positioned to align itself as a centerpiece in how businesses not only find the talent they need, but how they truly optimize how work is done.

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Direct Sourcing’s Future of Work Impact

Contingent WorkforceDirect SourcingGeneral InsightsPodcastSolution ProvidersTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The Future of Work Exchange podcast features coverage of industry news, software developments, Future of Work happenings, and, most importantly, conversations with industry thought leaders.

Several months ago, I chatted with Sunil Bagai, CEO of Prosperix, for an insightful Future of Work-oriented discussion (click to listen to the full interview). Sunil and I discussed the changes in how businesses engage talent, the continued growth of direct sourcing, and some interesting Future of Work predictions. Today’s article is a recap of our conversation. [Note that this excerpt has been edited for readability.]

Christopher Dwyer: Seeing how our world of work and talent has been changing so much, you’ve had a front-row seat being where you are in workforce management software space. From your perspective, what do you feel are the biggest changes in the way businesses engage talent and get work done, and how the pandemic has shaped those aspects over the past couple of years?

Sunil Bagai: That’s a really good question. Several changes have been happening. Some of them were obviously sped up by the pandemic. For example, businesses are now much more open to hiring remote workers. And when we say remote, it’s kind of like an umbrella where everybody can be under that remote category. But the reality is we need to slice it a bit further. Remote can be onshore where they’re local to that office, so they can at least still come into the office. Remote can be not local to the office, so some other state or anywhere else in the country. Remote can also be offshore where a person can be in the Philippines, Colombia, India, or somewhere else in the world supporting that organization. There are a variety of different ways to slice and dice what remote really means. And that nuance is new. And it’s important going forward.

Another trend that I’ve seen happen in the last few years is much more openness to a variety of different marketplaces. And that means being able to hire talent directly by going onto a portal, for example. So, that trend has taken off. What that does, however, is create a challenge in these organizations. Why? Because enterprises are not equipped to deal with the nuances of being remote or how to integrate hiring marketplaces into their existing hiring processes. So, for example, their ATS and VMS platforms are not fully equipped to integrate with those new ways of hiring. That’s creating some more challenges and friction, which will get ironed out and addressed as the next few years go on.

CD: Direct sourcing has become such a hot strategy. And the more we talk about it on the Future of Work Exchange, the more we’re educating the market on something that seems to be dominating conversations not only around the Future of Work but also talent acquisition and workforce management. I think back to some of my first encounters with the Crowdstaffing platform, and you were one of the pioneers of direct sourcing. What are your thoughts on where direct sourcing is going and where it could be headed?

SB: Let’s start by differentiating what is traditional direct sourcing. What we’re doing with a hiring marketplace is a step towards direct sourcing without having to necessarily, say, get rid of your suppliers. Because direct sourcing today assumes that you’re sourcing every candidate on your own without the use of suppliers. And I believe there’s a middle ground where you can still use suppliers — your incumbents or your initial supplier pool. The network can be a second supplier pool that can give you more access to talent as well as lower costs. And then you have a third option which is the bucket of direct sourcing, where you can engage talent directly using your brand. I believe that all can coexist.

And the aim is to use technology to publish your jobs across all diverse hiring channels. Each of these becomes a hiring channel…and may the best channel win. It shouldn’t matter where the talent comes from, as long as it’s the best talent and the best price (hopefully). From there, it’s about optimization and being able to select based on quality, based on price, and based on speed for your talent fulfillment. If you can do that, then that’s your ideal solution. It’s not one or the other, it’s a mix of all the options available through one common technology platform to help you achieve your talent needs.

CD: What are some of your 2022 Future of Work predictions — not just technology, but the space in general?

SB: For 2022, you’re already starting to see some interesting things happen in the industry. We’ve seen some large acquisitions, and we’ll probably continue to see consolidation where certain companies try to acquire other companies to have a larger presence in the space and diversify their solution portfolio. And there will be more consolidation of customers, as well.

We’re also starting to see MSPs really up their game and add much more value than they were traditionally accustomed to. Before, MSPs were managing programs, and now they’re really trying to differentiate themselves by offering more capabilities within their solutions. New technology will also continue to surface and add a different spin on how the workforce should be managed. That’s what I’m seeing for the remainder of this year.

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Expand Your Enterprise and Workforce in the Metaverse

Technology and Innovation by John Yuva on

Last week, part one of this two-part series on the metaverse, explored the technologies behind the metaverse curtain and what the possibilities are for the remote and in-office workforce. This week, we’ll examine how companies can leverage the metaverse for greater workforce and operational efficiencies.

The Enterprise in the Metaverse

When it comes to the future of the internet, it is the metaverse that often comes to mind. Integrated technologies working together to form a virtual interactive world. While its current existence offers cutting-edge interactivity, much of the grand potential of the metaverse is yet to come. What lies on the horizon will most certainly influence the future of work and what it means to collaborate and exist as an enterprise.

Currently, enterprises that want to enhance their production processes, for example, can now replicate their facility using digital twin technology. By simulating production lines or other assets, organizations can determine potential failures before they occur and develop mitigation strategies.

Within the metaverse, this same concept can exist but with remote workers’ avatars in a virtual space, viewing a 3D replica of a facility, machine, product, or other asset. The virtual meeting space could be an auditorium or other large venue with global participants representing a cross-section of the product development team and supplier base. It would no longer require expensive travel and accommodate any number of people.

The differentiator between digital twins today and those in the metaverse is the use of technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and Internet of Things to provide photorealistic representations of the asset. Better still is the power of data analytics for real-time feedback to simulate real-world conditions in a virtual setting.

Developing a new product? Simulate a stress test to ensure the expected tolerance levels hold true under real-world conditions using artificial intelligence and machine learning. Working with an architectural firm for a new facility? Not only can you review the blueprints but tour the completed building in its entirety within the metaverse. These are just a couple of examples of how enterprises can leverage the metaverse for operational efficiencies.

Digital Image and the Future of Work

Want to take digital twin technology and apply it to the future of work in the metaverse? Those possibilities are growing. Our appearance can be replicated in virtual worlds — a critical part of our digital identity — in the metaverse. Union Avatars, for example, has a creator tool to construct full-body avatars based on scanned selfies and photographs to transplant into the virtual universe. Thus, it allows an avatar, with our physical representation, to converse with colleagues and customers as we appear in real life.

Taking it a step further, imagine your avatar on its own attending virtual business meetings and taking notes, or completing lower-value tasks, while you focus on strategic projects and execution. Two versions of yourself — physical and digital — accomplishing two different types of work simultaneously. Those possibilities are evolving and could be game-changing for Future of Work strategies.

Born and Operated in the Virtual

For the remote workforce, it can often feel as if the company has no physical existence. The primary use of Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams for communication and collaboration only enhances that sense of the virtual. However, the future is coming where companies are born and operated exclusively in the metaverse, relying on virtual currency for transactions.

Looking for an attractive plot to build your enterprise? A CNET article detailed how millions are being paid for virtual real estate. It is entirely conceivable to build and operate a corporation within a vast virtual economy — populated with avatars working and living their best digital life. Blockchain will be critical to the stability of metaverse financial systems. As the foundational technology for cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to exist, blockchain security is a significant focus.

The possibilities seem endless in the metaverse. There is little doubt that the Future of Work will find its place in this virtual realm. How transformative will the metaverse be for the remote and contingency workforce? Considering the vast amount of data analytics and Industry 4.0 technology involved, entire industries devoted exclusively to the metaverse will emerge. Now is the time to explore what the metaverse could mean for enterprises and their remote workforces. The potential is there for the metaverse to become the next disruptive business force.

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The VMS of 2022: The Nexus of Extended Workforce Management

Solution ProvidersTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Vendor Management System (VMS) platforms are automated solutions that offer end-to-end management of the core and critical facets of contingent and extended workforce management. The VMS model (frequently paired with Managed Service Providers or “MSPs”) is perhaps the most mature platform in the workforce solutions market.

While the earliest incarnations of VMS technology functioned as automated procurement for staffing suppliers, these platforms have evolved to become the true “nexus” of all activity related to contingent and extended workforce management. In fact, the very foundational elements of today’s VMS solutions revolve around the many tenets of the Future of Work movement; the Vendor Management Systems available in today’s fast-moving, globalized technology market have all made great leaps in regard to managing the “extended workforce,” a phrase leveraged to describe the next progression of contingent labor.

The past couple of years has reinvigorated the world of non-employee talent in such a way that the collective business market finds itself with nearly half of its total talent (nearly 47%) comprised of contingent labor. The pandemic age has not only reaffirmed the need for businesses to harness the power of VMS technology, but to also take advantage of the many ways these platforms are reinforcing the many accelerants within the Future of Work movement.

Recently, the Future of Work Exchange announced the publication of the much-anticipated VMS Technology Advisor, a report that assesses and evaluates 11 of the major Vendor Management System platforms that are currently helping organizations around the globe automate key extended workforce management processes, provide access to talent intelligence, and reinforce contingent workforce spend management.

The new report, which is available here, evaluates Beeline, Coupa Contingent Workforce, ELEVATE, Eqip, Pixid, Prosperix, PRO Unlimited, SAP Fieldglass, Utmost, VectorVMS, and VNDLY (a Workday Company).

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