How to Integrate an FMS into Your Contingent Workforce Strategy

Finding the right balance between managing freelancers and vendor-supplied contingent workers can be challenging. Businesses often struggle with siloed processes, compliance risks, and inefficiencies. Integrating a Freelance Management System (FMS) with a Vendor Management System (VMS) can simplify this process, creating a more streamlined and effective workforce strategy.

Published on:

February 10, 2025

Author:

Patrick Verrept

Understanding FMS and VMS

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A Freelance Management System (FMS) is designed to help businesses source, manage, and pay independent freelancers directly. On the other hand, a Vendor Management System (VMS) enables organizations to procure and oversee contingent labor through staffing agencies. While both serve different purposes, integrating them ensures a unified, efficient workforce approach.

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The Challenge: Managing Two Different Talent Pools

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Businesses today rely on both freelancers and contingent workers to meet project demands. However, managing them separately leads to:

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Inefficiencies in sourcing and payment processes
Compliance risks due to inconsistent policies
Limited visibility into workforce performance and costs

A seamless integration between FMS and VMS eliminates these issues, allowing for standardized operations across all worker types.

The Solution: Why Integrate FMS and VMS?

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1. Unified Workforce Management

Combining both systems provides a single view of all external workers, ensuring better decision-making for HR, procurement, and finance teams.

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2. Standardized Compliance & Processes

Integration ensures that freelancers and agency-sourced workers follow the same onboarding, tracking, and payment procedures, reducing legal risks.

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3. Enhanced Efficiency & Cost Savings

By automating processes across both platforms, businesses reduce administrative workload and improve operational efficiency.

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Key Considerations for Integration

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While integration offers multiple advantages, companies must also consider:

Technical Complexity: Setting up system compatibility requires initial IT investment.
Maintenance Costs: Ongoing updates and compliance checks are necessary to keep both systems in sync.

Despite these challenges, the benefits of having a well-integrated workforce management strategy far outweigh the drawbacks.

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Conclusion & Next Steps

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Integrating an FMS with a VMS is a game-changer for workforce management, improving efficiency, compliance, and cost-effectiveness. Businesses that embrace this approach gain a competitive edge in managing their external workforce seamlessly.

Criteria	Connecting-Expertise	SAP Fieldglass	Nétive VMS	ProUnity
Primary market	Belgium / EU	Global	Benelux / Europe	Belgium / Benelux
Founded	2007	1999	2003	2015
Platform type	VMS + Marketplace	VMS + Marketplace (2023)	VMS + ATS + FMS	VMS + Marketplace + MSP
Marketplace	Integrated supplier and freelancer marketplace, native to platform	External Talent Marketplace launched 2023, US-first	No native open marketplace	Open marketplace with 17,000+ freelancers
Trilingual EN/NL/FR	Fully trilingual platform	21 languages globally, not BE-specific	Multilingual, Benelux focus	French and Dutch content, not fully trilingual platform
Local Belgian compliance	Strong, built for Belgian market from day one	Via integrations and localisation layers	Strong, Benelux compliance focus	Strong, Belgian public sector specialist
Configurability	High, 8,000+ configuration options	High, enterprise-grade, longer implementation cycles	High, configurable for mid-market and MSPs	Moderate, modular and scalable
Speed to deploy	Fast, direct support, short implementation	Slower, enterprise cycles, SAP ecosystem dependency	Fast for mid-market	Fast, marketplace-first model
Freelancer access	Yes, direct via marketplace	Via External Talent Marketplace	Yes, via integrated FMS	Yes, core to the platform
MSP support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes, dedicated MSP team
ISO 27001	Not publicly confirmed	Yes	Not publicly confirmed	Yes, certified March 2025
SAP ecosystem integration	External integration possible	Native, part of SAP suite	Independent	Independent
Best fit	EU-centric organisations wanting speed, local precision, and an integrated marketplace	Large global enterprises standardising on SAP	Benelux mid-market and enterprise, MSP programmes	Belgian organisations wanting marketplace + MSP + VMS in one