Driving consistency and compliance in global contingent labor program.

Michael Tonkin faced a formidable challenge upon joining Zions Bancorporation, N.A. as the SVP and director of supply chain: The bank’s extended workforce program was grappling with audit issues and inconsistent processes. “We needed a solution to help us enforce processes and control costs,” Tonkin explains. Further, the organization needed better visibility into talent gaps so it could build a comprehensive strategy to tackle workforce challenges.

With supplier operations in Asia, South America, and North America, Zions adopted its first vendor management system to bring operational compliance and efficiency to its operations.

Flipping the switch at Zions. 

Zions chose Workday VNDLY to address the complexities of a global extended workforce. “We ran an RFP, and VNDLY scored the best on technology and ease of use, and culturally the VNDLY team fit in well with us,” Tonkin says. “It’s a really good application. It’s just solid.”

With enforceable and consistent processes running through VNDLY, the bank set out to standardize all contracts, which provided significant cost savings from day one. “We took 10% off the books the day we flipped the switch on VNDLY by standardizing and rebenchmarking all our contracts,” Tonkin says. “We also reduced our preferred supplier list by 75% , which drives stronger financial terms.” 

VNDLY enabled Zions to determine the right rates for roles and manage contingent labor spend. “It’s one thing to negotiate a contract. It’s a whole other thing to have the tools to manage it and make sure you don’t have leakage on that rate card,” Tonkin says. “Standardization drove the cost savings, and VNDLY technology enabled us to realize the cost savings.”

Simplifying processes to improve oversight. 

Beyond cost savings, the shift to Workday VNDLY gave Zions an effective way to enforce processes and build controls in a secure environment. The bank uses VNDLY background checks and onboarding functionality to properly onboard and offboard contractors within established service-level agreements and to streamline termination processes, ensuring careful shutdown and efficient asset retrieval. The intuitive interface ensures that hiring managers follow consistent procedures. “VNDLY is so intuitive that no matter what part of the organization you’re in, you can navigate. There’s no mystery about it. Everything you need is right there,” Tonkin says.

By simplifying complex project needs in a single solution, Zions can drive efficiencies across the hiring process and ensure suppliers are meeting business needs. Zions now runs most statements of work through VNDLY, allowing the organization to better identify and manage resource requirements, skills gaps, and supplier redundancies.

Unmatched efficiency across the globe.

Workday VNDLY helps Zions extend its workforce well beyond its headquarters. “As certain tech talent is in short supply, VNDLY allows Zions to source talent outside of Utah,” explains Tonkin. “We can identify and fill our own gaps much more effectively.”

Zions’ investment is already showing significant benefits. “Global labor awareness should always be top of mind. And your technologies should enable a global workforce,” Tonkin says.

By leveraging VNDLY, Zions has not only simplified its project management but also set a new standard for operational efficiency and compliance.