22 May The impact of user-friendly UX and UI in a VMS
When organizations are considering a Vendor Management System (VMS) for the first time or transitioning to a new one, easy-to-use technology should not be viewed as an optional feature. Instead, it should be an essential requirement. A flexible and adaptable tool that simplifies the user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) should be the standard expectation.
No one knows what they need until they use the system they buy. Once a contract is signed, they shouldn’t worry that they’re stuck in something complicated.
Beyond the simplicity of using a VMS, the challenge of iterating and adapting to organizations’ evolving needs goes further back than many expect. As far back as 1986, the conversation around UX and flexibility was already underway. Experts understood that selecting software with built-in capabilities to grow, not simply react, was key to long-term organizational progress.
As American software engineer Fred Brooks explains in his essay “No Silver Bullet—Essence and Accidents of Software Engineering“: “It is really impossible for clients, even those working with software engineers, to specify completely, precisely, and correctly the exact requirements of a modern software product before having built and tried some versions…One of the most promising current technological efforts… Is the development of approaches and tools for rapid prototyping of systems as part of iterative specification of requirements.”
It’s telling that not much has changed since then in terms of the challenges many software users still face. Organizations are still struggling to select software with the flexibility and scalability to evolve quickly with their needs.
What are the challenges and consequences of bad UX/UI?
The challenge of low adoption: Poor user experience and user interface can be considered one of the leading causes of low adoption in enterprise technology. Fragmented and complex processes, toggling between systems, and steep learning curves lead teams and individuals to view the system as a roadblock to efficiency. As a result, organizations experience stakeholders going outside the program to manually input data, often doing so incorrectly.
THIS LEADS TO:
- Incomplete visibility and inaccurate reporting: Excessive time and resources are consumed by manual data requests and fragmented information handling. This results in incorrect reports, lost opportunities, financial and talent mismanagements, and long-term organizational struggles to fill seats and manage the contingent workforce.
- Compliance risks: Incomplete data, lack of visibility and tracking, and sporadic team use can all lead to DEI and ESG targets not being met, as well as being non-compliant with program policies, standards, and requirements.
- Lost talent and delayed hiring: Decisions made based on outdated or incomplete data result in missed opportunities and slow processes, as well as compromised supplier relationships, impacting supply chain efficiency.
- Rogue spend: Inaccurate and incomplete spend and blocked talent sourcing funnels lead to misinformed budgeting and fiscal strategies.
- Increased workload for stakeholders and PMOs/MSPs: Whether real or perceived, a lack of easy-to-use processes forces individuals to do more work, either by circumventing the software on purpose and doing the work manually or having to duplicate, copy, or transfer information between programs.
- Change resistance: On an executive level, the struggles teams and leadership experience with clunky, unintuitive programs are often heard only when the pain felt becomes unavoidable. The result is executives who are even more unwilling to test new solutions because they fear the risks associated with such changes may result in more problems than they solve.
A tailored user experience improves efficiency for all, including MSPs and PMOs
A personalized, intuitive vendor management system (VMS) doesn’t just benefit one team or a few individuals, it elevates performance across the entire organization and its long-term goals. Whether it’s a hiring manager entering a req, an MSP managing workflows, or a PMO overseeing program compliance, good UX and UI ensure a frictionless experience and enhanced productivity. Whether someone uses the program daily or only on occasion, the result is faster goal outcomes, better data, improved short-term and long-term decision-making, and a system that is actually being used, reducing spend drain and lowering the risk of compliance issues.
UX/UI improves adoption
A manager’s ability to quickly and easily enter a req and access talent is crucial. A completely tailored experience in a VMS that is aligned with familiar workflows boosts adoption across the entire organization. When users don’t have to struggle with clunky processes and manual data, they’re less likely to go outside the system and more inclined to follow best practices, improving compliance, data quality, and program consistency.
Regular automatic UX upgrades from Salesforce
A constantly updated, completely tailored, configurable system means a streamlined ability to complete projects and take workloads off the MSPs/PMOs. For Flextrack, built on the Salesforce platform, agility goes beyond just updates, it ensures continuous experience enhancements that render the software simple and powerful without disruption.
UX and UI are critical for third-party labor management
Some teams enter and use the VMS frequently, but some hiring managers do so sporadically. It is critical that when they do (log in), they can maneuver and easily use the system as intended through an intuitive and seamless experience. A streamlined interface reduces errors, guides the correct decisions and data use, and makes it easy to follow the steps required by the organization to stay compliant and engaged. This ease of use ensures that goals are met through improved visibility, reduced rogue spend, and improved decisions through features like on-demand rate analytics, AI–supported reporting, and end tracking.
Talent sourcing becomes simple and quick
Strong UX/UI doesn’t just improve how teams complete tasks, it transforms how talent is sourced and how it comes through the system. Full visibility into contingent labor reduces low-value admin work, streamlines workflows, and speeds up access to top talent. Built-in automation and powerful reporting improve control and reduce costs associated with loss of talent and slow hiring and sourcing processes.
Ready to see a next-generation VMS with U/X and U/I designed for growth and company wide-adoption?
