Recently, we talked about how you can Use Your Staffing Software to Ensure Candidates Meet Client Requirements during the placement process.  Similarly, you should be able to customize your staffing software system to automate the application of either contractual or target client-specific markup percentages when calculating pay and bill rates.  Here is what one Florida-based staffing firm had us do for them in their fully integrated front and back office staffing software system.

First, we created additional data fields in their client database to store contractual and suggested markup percentages.

With some of their clients, this staffing company had agreed on a contractual markup percent. For other clients, this staffing company wanted to define a target or suggested markup for staffing coordinators to shoot for.  Therefore, we added field 10, Contractual Markup % and field 11, Suggested Markup % to the client database.  For each client, staffing coordinators can choose to leave these fields blank, or define either a contractual or suggested markup percent.

Suggested and contractual client-specific markup fields defined in AST's staffing software.

To create these additional data fields, we are able to use the customization tools that come with our staffing software and avoid the high expenses of custom development work. 

Secondly, we modified the placement process to account for client-specific suggested and/or contractual markup percentages.

During the placement process, if a suggested markup is defined for the client, the staffing coordinator is prompted by a message displaying the suggested markup percent.

Message staffing coordinator sees when suggested markup is defined for a client during placement.

 After acknowledging the message, the system calculates the appropriate bill rate based on the pay rate and the client’s suggested markup.  Since the markup is only “suggested” the staffing coordinator can modify the bill rate or continue on. 

If instead of a suggested markup a contractual markup is defined for the client, the process is similar, except the operator is not given the option to change the bill rate since it is contractual.
Anytime you can improve certain processes like calculating and applying client-specific markup percentages within your staffing software, you usually end up saving a good deal of time and money while improving the service provided to your clients and candidates.

Contact us if you have questions on streamlining your placement process and the application of client-specific bill rates and markup percentages, and would like to see other ways we’re helping staffing companies make and save money through our fully integrated front and back office staffing software.

Everett Reiss
Director of Marketing and Communications
Applied Systems Technology
845-534-7100 X1102
ev@astusa.com
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