Three Questions with Sr. VP of Market Strategies, Brian Hoffmeyer

This is the third in a four-post series diving deeper into our announcement of the world’s first Extended Workforce Platform. Today we’re getting Brian Hoffmeyer’s take on what this means to him personally, Beeline’s partners and the broader analyst community.

1. You’ve worn many hats and held many roles during your long tenure in the VMS world. What makes this announcement so exciting for you?

Our announcement reflects where the industry is headed today and how Beeline’s product is evolving to support it. I’ve been privileged to see the growth of the extended workforce over the years, both in size and perhaps more interestingly in terms of its importance to our clients.

When it comes to the technology needed to support the extended workforce, it’s no longer just about managing vendors and spend. While that certainly remains important, it’s also about optimizing how clients engage this business-critical part of the workforce. What makes this announcement so exciting is that it really is so much more than a name change – it is the culmination of insights gathered from our customers for over 20 years to enhance the critical role technology plays. It’s fitting that Beeline is the one taking the lead here – we are the only provider that is both an originator of the industry (with the breadth and depth of functionality that implies) and continues to innovate. I’m really proud of our past and even prouder to be a part of Beeline’s future.

2. One of the pillars of the Extended Workforce Platform is connectivity. What does this mean, and what does this mean for Beeline’s strategic partners and alliances?

This is near and dear to my heart. Our partners – all of them – are core to what we do and to our customers’ success. But before I jump into connectivity, I have to pause and focus on just our MSP partners for a moment.

They view the extended workforce the same way Beeline does, and truly “get” this shift to the Extended Workforce Platform. Our product roadmap focuses on all user experiences (which I LOVE and sets us apart), including MSPs. Ensuring they have the tools they need to better and more efficiently serve our mutual clients is a big priority today and as we move forward.

Back to connectivity… look, the extended workforce is complicated. In order to meet all of our clients’ needs and goals, it takes a network of interconnected systems working together and doing what each system does best. You’ll see us expose more connections and make it easier for partners to connect. This lets each partner shine and focus 100% on improving their core functionality. In this scenario, everyone wins, especially our customers. It’s a cliche but 1+1 truly equals 3 here.

I also love that our approach lets clients and MSP partners BYoS (bring-your-own-software) and increases our connections and collaboration with them. This kind of collaboration is at the heart of who Beeline is. There isn’t just one right way to do something, and we don’t dictate who else our customers use.

3. The analyst community has applauded Beeline for stepping forward and setting this new direction for the industry. Can you share more about how they see the space evolving, in both the immediate and longer-term future?

Our approach with the great analysts and influencers of our space is another area where you’ll see Beeline’s collaborative nature. These thought leaders are such key advisors to us, truly, so we sat down with them prior to our official announcement to ensure they understood the Extended Workforce Platform message and how it aligned to both the needs of our customers and where the industry is headed. I have to say, it was gratifying and validating to see such an enthusiastic response to our new direction.

We spoke with a wide range of analysts – from HR and Talent Acquisition to Procurement folks in multiple countries – and they all recognized this shift upon us. The category was developed at a time when the extended workforce bears no resemblance to what it looks like today. The analysts recognize the need for the VMS to evolve beyond what it has been to become a force for strategic management of extended workers and a connector of the entire workforce management ecosystem.

For more on what this means to the industry and to Beeline’s clients, see our previous interview with CEO Doug Leeby.