Allegis Global Solutions: relationships in the supply chain

Allegis Global Solutions (AGS) is a global leader in the talent solutions industry, providing client-focused strategies for securing top talent. “We employ a variety of recruitment methods, including managed service provider (MSP) solutions, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) solutions and procurement solutions. My role is centred around the MSP area of the business within supply chain”, says Amy Fitzwarine-Smith, Supply Chain Manager of the EMEA region at AGS. “The supply chain team are responsible for ensuring we have the right programme delivery suppliers supporting each of our accounts and that they’re getting the same experience from AGS as a partner”.

The company regards open communication, relationships, serving others and commitment to excellence as its core values, interlacing these standards into all of its operations. “One of the most important values for me is building relationships with all parties with whom we work. The respectful and trusting partnerships we have with our suppliers are the key to our business success”, remarks Fitzwarine-Smith. Having previously worked on the operations side of MSP, Fitzwarine-Smith highlights how crucial these relationships are to all aspects of delivery to AGS’ clients. “My experience working with a specific client account made me realise just how important suppliers and the supply chain function are to a company. I became really passionate about getting it right, putting more processes in place to ensure consistency and good communication and getting the team in a better position for us to deliver a great service, not only to the clients but to our supply chain as well”.

Reaffirming strong relationships as fundamental to the company’s legacy, Fitzwarine-Smith reveals that cooperation is a required trait from suppliers. “We ask all of our agencies to work together with us regarding all aspects of the end-to-end process so that both parties are still getting their desired outcome whilst giving the client the most efficient and effective experience working with us”. AGS wants to establish a mutually beneficial dynamic with suppliers – it wants agencies to feel comfortable asking for information about the business whilst also using their strong supply chain to learn more about the market and potential upcoming challenges or opportunities.

Over the past several years, AGS has invested in a proprietary business intelligence platform to capture data from its vendor management tools. AGS has branded the platform as ACUMEN Workforce Intelligence, which displays and monitors key performance indicators across the entire AGS ecosystem of suppliers, clients and the firm’s internal teams. This system collects and combines data from a range of vendor management tools, enabling the firm to heighten its visibility of suppliers. “We have the data from the MSP accounts we hold globally and are able to filter that down to specific categories, such as location, industry and skill set. AGS has a huge focus on technology. We understand that investment in technology is what is setting companies apart in the industry. It’s enabling us to remove administrative tasks and make our operations more efficient”, says Fitzwarine-Smith.

The company runs a strategic supplier programme which recognises the top 1% of its global suppliers, offering full access to ACUMEN as one of the benefits. “As strategic suppliers, they have access to the Strategic Supplier Portal and recently released Supplier Scorecards. This access gives them visibility to all the accounts that they support. The strategic suppliers have access to key statistics, which allow them to benchmark their performance in comparison to their competitors within a particular program,” she adds. “We’re being completely transparent with them and using this to motivate improved performances whilst maintaining the quality of candidates. This effort has been very well received by our partners”.

Another benefit to being part of the Strategic Supplier Program is an invitation to AGS’ annual regional summit, which brings together professionals from the business to discuss the market and opportunities that are important to the attendees. “Some of the feedback we’ve had from our strategic partners is that this is something quite unique to AGS and proves to them how much we value their partnership. We want to be working with the best suppliers for our clients, and I think by putting visibility on our strategic suppliers it helps us to achieve that goal,” notes Fitzwarine-Smith.

Although AGS is dedicated to its relationships with outside partners, the organization ultimately considers its people to be its biggest asset. In order to ensure its staff are highly engaged with the company, AGS has launched employee resource groups (ERGs), which allow people to suggest ideas that they feel will provide extra support to them and their peers. “I think our ERGs prove how we feel about our employees – they demonstrate how much time and willingness we put in to make sure they feel they are part of the group and the society beyond their usual work team,” Fitzwarine-Smith says. The firm also offers its employees access to an online learning platform called Degreed. This system provides online articles supplied by the learning and development team. “It’s a self-learning tool that can help staff develop their soft skills and grow their knowledge around all parts of the business,” she explains.

For AGS, building and maintaining strong relationships is vital to its success – both with suppliers and its own staff. “We know that if we don’t invest in and show our people that we are growing with the industry and that we really care about them, then our company wouldn't be anywhere near as successful as it is,” says Fitzwarine-Smith. “We ensure that we take the time to really look after our team members and our industry colleagues.” As it continues to strengthen its reputation and relationships within the industry, the firm is also seizing opportunities in terms of technology, innovation and transformation – enabling it to grow its supply chain and team.