Aya Healthcare launched the next generation of its LotusOne VMS, and Beeline and Upwork (NASDAQ: UPWK) announced a strategic partnership. In addition, Trusted Health posted an update about its Works VMS.

The news comes as vendor management systems continue to be popular among staffing clients. A majority of large staffing buyers, 81%, already use a VMS today, and 16% plan to do so within the next two years, according to SIA research. The VMS industry is meeting the demand with new developments.

Aya Healthcare

Aya Healthcare, the largest US healthcare staffing firm, on July 25 announced the next generation of its VMS called LotusOne. The product uses AI to forecast future staffing needs and define optimal schedules. It includes float pool management  as well among other functionality

Cindy Chunn, workforce solutions technology analyst at SIA, noted that industry-focused products are arriving in areas such as healthcare.

“As the extended workforce continues to evolve, we are seeing industry-focused platforms emerge,” Chunn said. “Healthcare is a perfect example: By leveraging their industry knowledge, it allows the platforms to address the industry’s unique needs, such as managing shift and pay differentials as well as compliance and credentialing.”

It’s likely we will see more specialized VMS in different segments, especially in the healthcare space, Chunn said.

Beeline and Upwork

VMS provider Beeline and talent platform Upwork on Aug. 1 announced a strategic partnership.

“Companies worldwide face a critical shortage of skilled workers,” Doug Leeby, CEO of Beeline, said in a press release. “So, we are constantly expanding our clients’ access to exceptional external talent.”

The partnership enables Upwork talent to surface in Beeline’s VMS. The companies have also created unique workflows aimed at client and MSP needs.

“Our collaboration allows Upwork Enterprise customers to centralize and streamline their workforce management into a single system,” Zoë Diamadi, general manager of enterprise at Upwork, said in a press release.

Upwork had previously launched partnerships with VMS and MSP providers, Diamadi wrote in a blog post. Other VMSs and MSPs that Upwork has partnered with include SAP Fieldglass, Workday Vndly, Flextrack and KellyOCG.

“The key is access to talent with enhanced speed and efficiency,” Chunn said. “This partnership allows their clients to have access to a larger, more diverse pool of talent. Talent engagement tools will also provide stronger candidate engagement, which leads to retention.”

Trusted Health

Last year, Trusted Health’s Works VMS launched a dynamic pricing algorithm that adjusts and sets hourly shift rates based on market demand and nurse availability. On Aug. 1, Trusted Health, the 19^th-largest US healthcare staffing provider, said its Works VMS was granted early access to Google DeepMind’s Gemini 1.5 Pro AI model.

“Works AI already employed a multilayer perceptron model to determine the likelihood a clinician would pick up an extra shift,” Hrair Simonian, general manager and VP of enterprise growth, said in a statement to SIA. “We use our proprietary model to predict patterns of staff behavior and then incorporate demand signals, like how short staffed the unit is, to balance fill rate and incentive spend.”

Gemini has improved the speed and accuracy of predictions, Simonian said.

Works launched in 2021.

More Discussion on VMS

VMS will be one of the topics under discussion during SIA’s Collaboration in the Gig Economy Conference on Sept. 17 through Sept. 19 in Dallas.

A panel titled “Collaboration and Convergence in the World of VMS, ATS, Platforms and Beyond” is scheduled for Sept. 19. The panel will include Chunn; Sunil Bagai, founder and CEO of Prosperix; Ray Grady, CEO of Worksuite; Rishabh Mehrotra, CEO of Avionté; and Vinda Souza, chief marketing officer of RefAssured.