5 Dimensions of Data Analytics Evolution that Drives Better MSP Outcomes

Christie has worked in the staffing industry for 25+ years, gaining experience in corporate staffing, contingent labor (MSPs), recruitment process outsourcing (RPOs) and data analytics and business intelligence within those spaces. With 15+ years of experience in data and analytics, business intelligence, and strategic leadership, Christie has led cross-functional teams to deliver data-driven solutions that inform decision-making, optimize operations, and drive business growth. Her expertise spans designing scalable BI frameworks, managing end-to-end analytics initiatives, and building high-performing teams that transform data into actionable insights. Outside of the office, Christie enjoys all things ocean-related, water sports, reading, and spending quality time with her family, friends, and her dog, Milli.

Christie Fischer said, What I find exciting about working with data analytics is taking an obscure and, seemingly, difficult notion and then watching the answer appear in the data and/ or visualization.  I love to take a question that I have no idea of the answer to and  work with the data to suddenly see the answer. This exciting work is important so that organizations are solving the right problems. All too often I’ve seen leaders implement a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist or the wrong solution to a problem that does exist based on assumptions.  

Why Actionable Insights Matter

Without actionable insights:

• Without measurement, you cannot manage
• Without a baseline, you cannot evidence progress
• Without monitoring, you cannot learn
• Without lead indicators, it’s always too late to do anything about it!
• Without predictive suggestions, you will never realize your opportunity until it’s in the rear view!
• Without RCA (root cause analytics), you implement solutions that do not solve problems

The 5 Dimensions

Insights begin with good, clean data.  This step in data analytics is usually overlooked but it is a time- consuming task that  takes a specific skill set to achieve.  Most leaders receive minimal or inaccurate insights due to the allotted time of those producing reports being spent in data cleansing instead of in analytics.  Over my career and especially the last 10 years, I have seen really cool visuals but they are based on inaccurate datasets rendering them, “cool but worthless”.

Context

Most workforce insights come from operational systems (like VMS, etc.) that only hold a portion of the necessary data to contrast and compare. Operational systems are designed to record and report what happened — they deliver raw, ‘it-is’ data. But reporting is not the same as insight. Turning those data dumps into something that drives decisions requires cleansing, calculations, mapping, and grouping. Without that transformation, operational data tells you what happened, but not what to do next

Modern workforce and hiring analytics platforms provide contextual insights, considering factors like employee demographics, past performance, and external market trends. For instance, by analyzing historical leave patterns alongside end reasons, market conditions, location, etc, organizations can predict potential spikes in leave requests during specific seasons, allowing them to proactively adjust staffing levels. One hospitality company used sentiment analysis on employee feedback to identify departments with low morale. This helped them address underlying issues and improve employee retention.

According to hirebee, 80% of organizations are projected to use AI for workforce planning with 45% already using AI in their HR functions.

Democratization

Most workforce insights are restricted to a handful of data scientists or analysts. Self-service analytics tools empower business users to access and analyze data without relying on technical expertise. Instead, the technical expertise is applied in product development.  This fosters data-driven decision-making across all levels of the organization.

A healthcare provider equipped managers with dashboards to track staff schedules, patient wait times, and bed occupancy. This enabled them to optimize staffing levels and improve patient care. In many self-service tools—including those at my past employers—the primary goal has been efficiency: automating processes and offering as many data slices as possible to minimize requests. But without a focus on visualizing actionable insights and telling clear data stories, the burden inevitably shifts back to data scientists and analysts.

At Workspend, efficiency matters, but our true priority is delivering actionable insights that drive impact. We are intentional about the content included, relentless about data integrity, accuracy, and normalization, ensuring each client receives insights that are both relevant and meaningful.

“Empowering non-technical users with data analysis tools is crucial for unlocking the full potential of workforce management. It fosters a data-driven culture and enables everyone to contribute to better decision-making.” – Karen Frenkel, EVP of Human Resources at SAP.

Visualization

Most workforce data reports are overwhelming and difficult to interpret for non-technical users. Interactive data visualizations present complex information in a clear, concise, and visually appealing way, democratizing access to insights. For example, real-time dashboards can visually track key metrics like employee engagement, absenteeism, and productivity, enabling managers to make data-driven decisions at a glance.  If done correctly and intentionally, a picture is truly worth a thousand words. 

A retail chain used heatmaps to visualize employee productivity across different store locations. This helped them identify underperforming stores and target training initiatives to improve efficiency.

The global data visualization market is expected to reach $15.8 billion by 2030, reflecting the growing demand for clear and actionable insights. 

Composability 

Data silos prevent systems from giving an holistic view of the workforce, making it almost impossible to gain meaningful insights. Composable data platforms break down data silos within one source and integrate data from various sources, providing a unified view of the workforce. This allows for more comprehensive and insightful analysis and a view into correlation.

One logistics company combined data from employee performance reviews, GPS tracking, and customer feedback to gain deeper insights into driver performance and identify areas for improvement.

The composable data market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 32.4% between 2022 and 2027, highlighting the increasing demand for unified composable data platforms.

Prediction

Reactive workforce management leads to inefficiencies and missed opportunities. Predictive analytics anticipate future needs and trends, enabling proactive decision-making. For example, by analyzing sales forecasts and employee skillsets, organizations can predict future staffing requirements and proactively upskill or recruit employees to meet those needs.

A manufacturing company used predictive analytics to identify machines at risk of failure. This allowed them to schedule preventive maintenance, minimizing downtime and production losses.

“Predictive analytics is a game-changer for workforce management. It allows us to move from simply reacting to situations to proactively shaping the future of our workforce.” – Josh Bersin, global industry analyst.

ONLY WORKSPEND CAN DO THIS TODAY!

WRAP starts with good, clean data because quality at the source determines the reliability of every insight that follows. Workspend integrates various data sources—ranging from vendor management systems and HR platforms to financial and operational data—into one cohesive, centralized database. This consolidation eliminates silos, reduces duplication, and ensures consistency across reporting. The database is intentionally structured to allow for both easy customization to meet unique client needs and standardization to enable scalable benchmarks and true like-for-like comparisons across programs, regions, and industries.

Once the data is “wrangled”—cleansed to remove errors, normalized for consistency, and validated for accuracy—it can be grouped, enriched, and mapped to create additional data points. These derived metrics enable advanced calculations and deeper analysis, revealing patterns and connections that raw data alone cannot show.

Visualization is the next step, where data is presented so that even users with little to no technical or analytical background can clearly follow the data story. This approach helps them quickly identify issues, uncover root causes, and explore potential solutions. The goal is not just to show numbers, but to tell a story that is intuitive, relevant, and actionable.

What sets WRAP apart is that it is more than a reporting tool—it delivers actionable insights and analytics designed with intention. Every chart, metric, or narrative is included because it serves a strategic purpose: to influence decisions, solve problems, or drive improvement. Content that is merely “interesting” but does not enable action is excluded. This ensures that every user interaction with WRAP leads to a better understanding of their business, supports informed decision-making, and guides them toward clear, measurable actions.

We Exist To Serve Your Non-Employee Workforce Management Needs

Workspend is a Managed Service Provider (MSP) for the non employee workforce. We’re differentiated by our commitment to relentless improvement, a focus on customer outcomes, our diversity profile, a flat management structure, our advanced workforce program analytics ecosystem, and an agnostic approach to technology.

Unlock better MSP outcomes—Book your Contingent Workforce Assessment today.

Want to get a better understanding of your contingent workforce program’s performance? Contact Workspend today for a free discovery assessment to see how robust measurement can transform your results.