Beeline/IQNavigator Customer Conference: 2 VMS Platforms, 1 Company

Andrew Karpie, Kendra Cato and I dropped into Orlando Tuesday for the Beeline/IQNavigator customer conference. The event is of more importance to the provider than usual — as customer conferences go — given it marks the first combined event for what were previously the No. 2 and No. 3 VMS providers by volume. There are roughly 350 people in attendance, which makes it one of the largest conferences in the contingent workforce and services provider universe, with 100 companies represented.

Becoming ‘The Biggest’ — Not Just ‘The Best’

Doug Leeby, Beeline’s CEO, took the stage to kick things off for the morning session. He broke the ice noting that this particular event is “fun for me because I’ve been battling IQNavigator for 15 years. Then you embrace them and you realize they’ve done some really neat stuff.”

“What’s encouraging from me,” he noted, “is that (as Beeline) we never strived to be the biggest. We strived to be the best. But this [the addition of IQNavigator] gives us a chance to leverage [our size] as well.”

But beyond heft is expertise. Here Leeby observes that “what is exciting about this ‘better together notion’ is that it’s a small industry. There’s not a lot of experts out there, and we’ve doubled our SMEs as a result of the combination.”

On The Combination

Leeby also shared that the transaction was not one that was done quickly.

“This did not come out of nowhere. I had been talking to GTCR on and off for seven years. Adecco did not want to make any changes under the previous leadership. But new leadership was open to [getting more creative]. In the end, the executive teams got a chance to work together and know each other well before the deal was announced and on Dec. 13, 2016, the structure was already in place.”

Supporting Both Platforms – Including Cross Leverage

Beeline continues to support both technology platforms today. Leeby shared that Beeline has continued to enhance self-sourcing, dashboard personalization, web import tools and services procurement (SOW) in recent quarters. IQNavigator enhancements include additional investments in artificial intelligence (ATOM), request for talent (a “one-click” approach to requesting talent) and its rate, time and expense engine.

Cross-leverage of technology across the platforms has also been a focus. For example, Beeline has adopted the Dell Boomi integration approach of IQNaivgator, which “just launched.” Also, Beeline’s talent pool and self-sourcing capability is being exposed within IQNavigator. In addition, Beeline is starting to take advantage of IQN’s ATOM benchmarking capability for rate and related guidance.

Stay tuned for more live coverage from the event.