The Open University Case Study
16/6/2009
Key Facts
· Tate created a Managed Supply delivery service resourcing all contracted staff in the commercial sector
· It involved structured management of up to 100 temporary administration staff at any one time and a pay rolling service for regional staff
· Tate introduced a highly accurate and successful invoicing system
Client Quote
“The Open University has over 180,000 students and 13,500 staff. Resource management and managing peaks in workload requires an agency to work closely with the University to ensure temporary appointments are handled quickly and candidates fit with job requirements. Tate has provided such a service and continues to be one of the main agencies supporting the challenging requirements of the Open University. We would recommend them as a supplier of staff.”
Recruitment Manager
The Challenge
The Open University (OU) required a new way to source and manage temporary administration and professional staff and so the organisation invited tenders for a Managed Supply Solution.
Within the solution, the OU required an offering that provided them with quality temporary staff, enhanced productivity, cost effective solutions for their regional staff, reliable delivery of staff for their drastic seasonal peaks and operational and commercial efficiencies.
It was also critical that the solution provided better internal and external communication to successfully cope with the volume of recruitment, meaningful management information with agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and compliance with legal and national standards.
The Solution
Working in partnership with the OU, Tate has developed a solution suited to its needs, in which our temporary recruitment service includes a dedicated Servicing Manager, tailored invoicing methods, a consultative advisory service, structured management of peaks of up to 100 temporary administration staff at a time and a pay rolling service for regional staff. Our solution involved:
· Creating a managed supply delivery service resourcing all contracted staff in the commercial sector
· Flexibility to recruit during peak seasons based around university registrations and exam periods
· Providing comprehensive management information
· Providing and managing a payroll service to regional ‘floating’ staff
· Dedicated Account Manager, separate from supply brands, with expert knowledge of business needs and trends
· Agreed KPI’s relating to motivation and monitoring staff on-site
· Establishing an agreed and highly successful invoicing system
· Co-ordinating internal meetings, workshops and open days to continually improve relationships and stay abreast of any changes within the business.
The Results
From the project’s outset, we proved we could deliver a solution that satisfied the OU’s unique demands. The client appreciated our close-working partnership and our ability to resolve complex issues when coordinating recruitment and managing large numbers of on-site staff throughout the organisation. Bringing the temporary recruitment together in one convenient place, it ensured we:
· Managed the strict timeframes in place for temporary staff to remain on-site
· Captured all temporary recruitment activity while providing management information and trend analysis
· Structured pay rate management
· Provided a secure and effective recruitment process that meets strict legislative rules and guidelines
· Provided an effective total pay-rolling service for regional staff
· Constantly provided quality administration and professional staff with a fundamental knowledge of soft and hard skills required for each area
· Received unanimously positive feedback from the client and temporary staff on site