What is a vendor management system? A guide for external workforce managers

As the business world becomes increasingly reliant on contingent workers, managing vendor relationships and performance has become more important than ever. For IT workforce managers, a vendor management system (VMS) can provide a comprehensive solution for vendor management.

In this guide, we’ll dive into what a VMS is and the benefits it can provide, as well as key features to look for when selecting a vendor management system. We’ll also provide a step-by-step guide for implementing a VMS, and share best practices for using a vendor management system to maximize its effectiveness.

What is a vendor management system?

At its core, vendor management is the process of managing vendor relationships and performance. A vendor management system (VMS) automates these business processes by providing an intuitive platform for organizations to onboard vendors, collaborate with them on projects, evaluate performance metrics and monitor vendor compliance.

A VMS allows organizations to manage vendor information such as contracts, contact details and payment terms in one secure location, as well as easily identify potential vendor risks. Additionally, vendor management software enables businesses to create custom reports on vendor utilization, payment accuracy and supplier performance metrics for better insight into the ROI of their external workforce.

By streamlining vendor onboarding, vendor management systems save companies time and money while ensuring vendor compliance.

Benefits of vendor management software

Vendor management solutions can provide organizations with a number of significant benefits, including:

Increased visibility

Without a VMS, vendor data can be scattered across multiple departments and teams, making it difficult to get an accurate view of vendor performance. A VMS aggregates vendor information into a single platform, allowing organizations to quickly identify vendor utilization trends and areas for improvement.

Improved compliance management

Vendor management systems also provide businesses with a central repository for vendor contracts and documents, making it easier to ensure vendor compliance and mitigate potential risks.

Streamlined vendor onboarding

Vendor or supplier onboarding is an essential part of vendor management. A VMS streamlines the onboarding process by providing a standardized vendor onboarding checklist and automating vendor compliance checks.

Improved vendor performance

Vendor management systems enable businesses to track vendor performance metrics such as utilization rate, cost per hour and quality of work. With this data, organizations are better able to identify areas for improvement in vendor performance and take corrective action when needed.

Cost savings

By streamlining vendor onboarding and vendor management processes, vendor management systems can help organizations save time and money in the long run. Additionally, a VMS allows businesses to quickly identify vendor efficiency issues, allowing them to take corrective action when necessary.

Key features of a vendor management system

Vendor management systems typically include a number of key features that help companies optimize the procurement process, and manage their vendor relationship and performance. When looking for the best vendor management system, look out for these features:

Vendor contract management

Vendor management systems provide a central repository for vendor contracts and documents, making it easier to ensure vendor compliance.

Vendor onboard automation

A VMS can automate vendor onboard processes such as eligibility checks and background screening, streamlining vendor onboarding.

Vendor performance tracking

A vendor management system enables businesses to track vendor performance metrics such as utilization rate, cost per hour, and quality of work.

Vendor risk monitoring

Vendor management systems allow organizations to perform risk assessment by providing visibility into vendor compliance measures, vendor relationships, and vendor background checks.

Reporting tools

Vendor management systems provide businesses with custom reporting tools, allowing them to track vendor utilization and vendor performance metrics.

How to implement a vendor management system

If you’re looking to implement a vendor or supplier management system for your contingent workforce, it’s important to plan and prepare carefully to ensure a successful implementation. In this section, we’ll provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to implement a VMS, from vendor selection to training and adoption.

Step 1: Vendor selection

The first step in implementing a vendor management system is vendor selection. During this process, it’s important to consider vendor capabilities, pricing models, and customer reviews when selecting the right vendor for your organization.

Step 2: Technology setup

Once you have selected a vendor, the next step is to set up the vendor management system. This includes configuring vendor profiles and setting up vendor contracts, vendor onboarding processes, and vendor performance tracking systems.

Step 3: Training

Implementing a VMS requires employees to learn a new system, so it’s important to provide adequate training on how to use the vendor management system. Provide employees with detailed instructions on how to use the vendor management system, and ensure that they are comfortable with all of its features.

Step 4: Adoption and monitoring

Once the vendor management system has been implemented, it’s important to monitor vendor performance regularly. This involves tracking vendor metrics such as utilization rate and cost per hour, as well as vendor compliance measures, vendor relationships, and vendor background checks. Additionally, it’s important to ensure that employees are using the VMS as intended to get the most out of it.

Best practices for using a vendor management system

Choosing the best vendor management software for your business can provide significant benefits for managing a company’s external workforce. However, it’s important to follow best practices to maximize the system’s effectiveness. Here are some key best practices for using a vendor management system.

1. Establish vendor performance metrics: Establish vendor performance metrics such as utilization rate, cost per hour, and quality of work to ensure vendor performance is consistently monitored.
2. Create vendor onboarding processes: Create onboarding processes for your external labor that automate background checks, eligibility checks, and other vendor onboarding processes to streamline vendor onboarding.
3. Foster vendor relationships: Foster vendor relationships by providing vendor feedback on performance, offering incentives, and fostering open communication between the vendor and the company.
4. Implement vendor compliance measures: Implement vendor compliance measures such as background checks and training requirements to ensure vendor compliance with contractual obligations.
5. Communicate regularly: Make sure to communicate regularly with vendor resources like vendor suppliers and staffing agencies to ensure that vendor performance goals are being met and vendor requirements are being fulfilled.

Conclusion

Vendor management systems provide businesses with the tools needed to manage their external workforce more efficiently and effectively. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can successfully implement a vendor management system and maximize its effectiveness by following best practices such as establishing vendor performance metrics, creating vendor onboarding processes, fostering vendor relationships, implementing vendor compliance measures, and communicating regularly with vendor resources. With the right vendor management system in place, organizations can achieve greater cost savings and vendor performance optimization.