Why staffing agencies should beware the Frankenstack!

Most staffing agencies’ workflows rely on too many manual activities by recruiters, workers, and clients to run efficiently. 

To solve this problem, some firms turn to single-purpose tech to automate one part of their process. Then they add another, and then another.  In no time at all, they have created a “Frankenstack” - a monstrous mix of mismatched technologies that hinder more than they help. 

Before you build a Frankenstack you can’t control, it’s time to take a look at JoinedUp. 

JoinedUp is an end-to-end staffing management platform designed to give staffing agencies more control and efficiency through every stage of their workflow. 

Instead of just automating one part of your staffing process, JoinedUp manages every key aspect of your business: 

• Candidate management 
• Candidate matching 
• Availability tracking 
• Planning & scheduling 
• Time & attendance 
• Payroll 
• Reporting 

And, when integrated with your financial and accounting systems, JoinedUp generates accurate, error-free invoicing data to speed billing and payment. 

If you're already worried about the plethora of tech in your business,  talk to us to explore the tech you need or are using now, to explore the best options for your business. 

What happens to a Frankenstack’s data? 

In addition to the efficiency you lose when you build a Frankenstack of incompatible software, you lose something else as well: the value of your workforce data. 

In today’s digital world, data is the gift that keeps on giving. The data you collect about clients, schedules, workers, shifts, pay rates, bill rates, and more can deliver the intelligence you need to drive your business.  

But that can only work if you have a single source of truth for all your data – and the right analytical tools to turn your data into actionable insights. It won’t happen if your data is siloed in your Frankenstack. But it will if you implement a seamless solution like JoinedUp. 

How a Frankenstack increases the nightmare of “tech debt” 

Like the monster in Mary Shelley’s story, Frankenstacks can be built with the best of intentions. According to CIO magazine, when organizations move quickly to solve business problems, “they risk building technical debt by taking a slapdash approach to building their data architecture".

This tech debt results in issues that can create unanticipated costs for the business. According to McKinsey & Company, this can lead to “poor data quality, rising costs, inconsistencies in data access, and an inability to enrich data with external sources”. 

A better approach is to use a best-of-breed staffing platform with proven compatibility with enterprise tech stacks. That way, your staffing operations team can have the leading-edge technology they need without incurring a tech debt your IT department will have to pay. 

The value of consistency from shift planning to payment 

When it comes to planning for clients’ dynamic, shift-based labor demands, agencies benefit from using an end-to-end, integrated platform from the outset. With JoinedUp, project requirements are matched with a global view of the available workforce. There’s no need to interrogate various systems and databases for the data you need to plan effectively. 

When work is performed, our platform generates electronic timesheets automatically, reducing the need to consult several systems to generate accurate time reporting and payroll data. It calculates pay and charges instantly, handling complex rate variations, overtime, and bonuses with ease. 

By automating routine administrative activities, JoinedUp frees agency personnel to use their time more productively, fostering relationships with clients and workers. 

Automate your entire process with JoinedUp: 

• Recruiting 
• Candidate selection 
• Shift scheduling 
• Timekeeping 

• Payment 
• Invoicing 
• Reporting 
• Analysis 

Frankenstack or smart, seamless technology: the choice is yours 

“Digital transformation” is the buzzword as organizations race to adopt digital technology to raise the efficiency of all their processes and workflows. But remember, speed is only useful if you're running in the right direction.  

If you don’t know precisely where you’re going, you may create a Frankenstack of inadequate, incompatible technologies, along with a tech debt that must be paid to put your staffing agency back on the right path. 

Instead, we encourage you to take a close look at purpose-built, end-to-end platforms - like ours - that can address all your high-volume, shift-based staffing needs. 

Contact us to talk through the tech you need or are using now, to explore the best options for your business.