DC Velocity - June 2011

growth. Its specialty is providing and managing Hispanic workers and serving a growing Hispanic population. Although it got into the temporary staffing business almost by accident, it now provides forklift drivers, order pickers and packers, and truck drivers.

Yet another provider sees great growth potential in temporary staffing. Ironically, many of the best workers were virtually “permanent” temps, having worked in a technically temporary role for years and years. Many of these have been upgraded to full-time status.

This company promotes “temp to hire” arrangements, and uses brand awareness as well as superior skills testing and development to distinguish itself in the marketplace.

AT THE END OF THE DAY …

Clearly, there’s no single model for temporary staffing services—no one-size-fits-all solution. There is wide variation in what customers want to do with temporary staffing and how they want to do it.

Equally clearly, temporary staffing is not for everyone, whether as a customer or as a service provider. There are genuine risks and few barriers to entry.

Speaking bluntly, it’s relatively easy to find willing temporary workers when an economy is slow. It might prove difficult to accomplish in a full-employment economy.

Then, there’s the open question of what direction government policies might go, and how far, how fast. The temporary staffing business could benefit enormously, or suffer mightily.

However those factors play out, there is little question that logistics and supply chain execution will continue to be variable, cyclical, seasonal, and unpredictable, all of which tend to keep the door open for the use of temporary workers and temporary staffing agencies. ;

Art van Bodegraven, practice leader at S4 Consulting, may be reached at (614) 336-0346 or avan@columbus.rr.com. You can read his blog at http://blogs.dcve-locity.com/the_art_of_art/. Kenneth B. Ackerman, president of The Ackerman Company, can be reached at (614) 488-3165 or ken@warehousing-forum.com.