VSMC and TOS Deepen Their Partnership

TOS, a staffing services provider to industries such as the offshore sector and VSMC, a leading European player in cable-laying market decided to embark on a more strategic partnership after several years of working together on a variety of projects.

Anja de Bruin, HR Manager at VSMC, revealing how their partnership developed, said:

“We work very systematically throughout the entire process, from tendering right up to delivery. Since there are so many factors in the offshore industry that affect the start date and completion time of a project, we’re also looking for a kind of flexibility, but without ever being willing to compromise on quality. HR is keeping a close eye on this process. We’re faced with the challenge of both wanting to attract and retain talented people and – at the same time, because of the nature of our organisation – needing to rely on flexible, temporary employees. That can be a real balancing act at times.

“In TOS we have found a partner that understands our needs well and consistently meets those needs, no matter how complicated our list of requirements might be. We have therefore set up a strategic partnership with TOS that offers the best of both worlds: the assurance of having access to the right people within a very short period of time, and flexibility, which is such an important part of temporary staffing. We are very pleased with this arrangement – we feel that we’re taking this partnership to a higher level while at the same time being delighted at the opportunity to continue our long-standing relationship with TOS.”

Marleen Stuurman, Executive Manager Operations at TOS, explained the dynamics of the partnership:

“TOS has been providing offshore specialists to VSMC ever since the company was founded, including riggers, deck foremen, offshore superintendents, tension operators and tower team riggers/operators. Our track record shows that we’re consistently successful in finding the right people within a short space of time and getting them on board quickly. By focusing on safety, quality and custom work in everything we do, we provide much more than just-in-time solutions alone: we ensure that our clients can focus on their core business and leave the bulk of the staff planning for their projects to us. This has led to a strategic partnership for VSMC.

“TOS currently offers VSMC exclusive access to a pool of employees selected especially for them, whom we also keep on stand-by, so they’re available when needed. This allows us to meet the demand for flexible employees that suits VSMC’s project schedules. We also eliminate some of the risk of idleness and overcapacity. On the rare occasions when VSMC is unable to schedule work for all the employees in their pool, we make sure they’re assigned to other clients instead. So you see, it’s a real win-win situation.”

April 03, 2014; Image: TOS