Andrew Karpie is a true thought leader in the field of labor and services procurement. He writes extensively for Spend Matters on the future of work, and the impact that work intermediation platforms will have both on the people-based services that organizations consume and buy. In fact, just a few days after we recorded our interview, Andrew was featured by Forbes Magazine discussing The Workplace in 2025. I was delighted to welcome Andrew to the show.
In my day job, I advise clients on the opportunities and risks of coming procurement-as-a-service delivery models. Andrew and I both share a belief that “people-as-a-service” – or the shift to buying activities, tasks and outcomes rather than FTE’s – has the potential to be transformative for procurement, and for organizational design in general. I was eager to explore this in more detail, and whether or not the impact of this shift will be job specific, focusing on administration and transactional jobs, or if everything is on the table.
From a personal perspective, I believe all procurement professionals should be aware of these trends, and should take a step back to consider how these may impact their job and career plans. The as-a-service trend has the potential to be a game changer, and procurement professionals are a great position to guide and lead their organizations to take advantage of this shift.
In this episode, you will learn:
Andrew’s journey to become a leading research analyst and prolific writer covering the changing face of the independent workforce and the impact it will have on both enterprises and careers.
What is a work intermediation platform?
Andrew’s perspective of how work intermediation platforms will evolve and grow.
An overview of Freelancer Management Systems and how they can be used to manage independent talent pools
Factors driving the growth of the independent workforce.
Why integration of independent worker technology solutions will be a key driver in the adoption of intermediation platforms.
The shift from consuming independent workers on an FTE basis to an activity/task basis and the impact this has both on organizational design, and the procurement function.
Why Andrew believes that there will a growth in intermediary service providers who will take responsibility for the performance / outcomes of the workers accessed through their platform.
Andrew’s view on the transformative potential of work intermediation platforms, and how they will enable greater organizational efficiencies and a move to flexible cost structures.
How procurement professionals should have an open mind on this shift and consider the implications and how they can best position themselves because the change is coming.
