They say that timing is everything, and when you stop to think about it, it's really true. Think about when you met your spouse or how you landed your current job. Chances are timing is the common denominator: I wasn't even looking, and then pow, there it was!  That same theory holds true when you are thinking about making a colossal decision; like outsourcing your contingent labor program.

If you are responsible for managing your organization's flexible workforce, then you know first hand the process is anything but flexible. To be clear, in this example, flexible workers isn't referring to employees who are working outside of normal business hours. We are talking about the following types of non-employees within your company:

• Temporary or contingent workers 
• Independent contractors 
• Statement of Work (SOW) workers 
• Interns or retirees

In this previously published SlideShare, we explored the top four reasons why procurement and/or HR (the departments typically responsible for contingent workers) would explore outsourcing its contingent labor program. Among the top obstacles companies experienced in self-managing contingent labor were a lack of visibility into its current program and a fear of lost cost-savings due to staffing suppliers and/or multiple processes. 

Additionally, we provided three real-life case studies detailing why these clients ultimately chose to outsource contingent workforce management to a Managed Service Program (MSP) provider (hey, that's us!). By doing so, we highlighted the real ROI of the implemented program. 

We'll be the first to admit it. We missed something vital in that SlideShare: timing. We've seen it time and time again. It can take months to gain the executive buy-in needed to start the MSP provider selection process, and it can be over a year before you can implement a solution.

When considering launching your MSP program for the first time, remember these words of wisdom: a quality (MSP) program can and will take longer than you anticipate. Because the process is a lengthy one, communication in a MSP program is key. Do yourself a favor and set realistic expectations and project milestones. To help you visualize what this looks like, here is a project road map based on learned best practices from other managed services programs.