“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. It’s an infamous quotation, recited time and time again for all manner of reasons. But it’s flawed. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you plan, things simply go wrong. Whether it’s a new project or business as usual, you can prepare and manage your team perfectly, and something can still disrupt your workflow.

Recent weeks have underscored the need for companies to be more agile. We’re all operating in an uncertain business environment, with plenty of obstacles along the way – some predictable, others not. Today, more than ever before, success is measured by how well an organisation can continue to execute business strategy in the face of changing market conditions.

How to enhance business agility

Creating a more nimble workforce is one way to improve business agility. In a fast-changing business environment, hiring managers need quick access to the specialist skills required to drive their business initiatives. To achieve this, many organisations are opting for a blended workforce. They’re enhancing the capabilities of their permanent workforce by enlisting the specialist skills of contractors and freelancers.

Access to specialist contractors is the key to organisational growth and innovation. However, operating with large numbers of contractors can be a challenge, particularly when you’re engaging with a number of different recruitment agencies at the same time.

From auditing to managing cost, when you’re engaging with lots of recruitment suppliers, everything can become much more difficult to keep on top of. Business leaders are realising this. They know that their organisation relies on steady access to contractors, but they also recognise that they need greater control, efficiencies, and cost savings in their contingent workforce.

More visibility, less risk

One solution is a Managed Service. By outsourcing their contingent workforce requirements, organisations reap all the rewards that contractors offer, with none of the burden. They provide organisations with direct access to the contractors they need, and streamline processes on their behalf too.

It’s a win-win. Managed Services combine talent attraction, supplier optimisation, compliance, technology, analytics, and employee engagement, and much more (depending on your business requirements), into a single programme. In turn, businesses benefit from greater workforce visibility and mitigated risk.

Most importantly, their organisation is equipped with the agility it needs to compete in an ever-changing business world.

We are all operating in an environment which changes in a flash. And that’s not going to change any time soon. Nowadays, the world of work is a rollercoaster – and it’s leaders who establish and maintain business agility who will withstand the ride.