Golden Rules for Staffing Providers and MSPs

What’s the secret to delivering cost-effective staffing solutions to MSPs and their clients year after year? The short answer is: business rules. Adopting a business rules approach helps to ensure that staffing partners comply with an MSP’s procedures and cost saving strategies. Best of all, having clear guidelines streamlines the delivery process and lowers operating costs so we can pass the savings onto you.

So what is a business rule and why is it golden? A business rule is a directive or workflow that supports a business policy. While the rules are written, they are often implemented through technology. The instructions serve as a guidance system that takes the guesswork out of supplying contingent workers to large, complex enterprises.

At eTeam, we find that having clearly-defined boundaries and rules reduces errors and lets our staff focus on order fulfillment and execution. Moreover, they provide a strategic advantage in high volume staffing environments.

A Few Golden Rules

To illustrate my point, here are some examples of business rules that might be part of a decision framework for servicing a managed account.

• Staff members must respond to client calls and/or emails within five minutes of receipt
• Staff members must check-in with contractors every 30 days
• Contractors can not begin their assignments until the onboarding process is completed and approved
• Telephone is the preferred method of communicating with clients and contractors

Business rules don’t prevent exceptions or eliminate the need for human intelligence and judgment, however they outline a process for proposing deviations to program rules and securing the necessary approvals. Naturally, all rules must be actively managed and adapted to incorporate changes in program goals, employment laws and labor market conditions. But business rules provide an excellent vehicle for communicating changes in dynamic environments.

Given their ability to provide a common framework, and efficient, consistent staffing outcomes a set of well-defined business rules are not only worth their weight in gold to staffing firms, but to MSPs and their clients as well.