Nandita Joshi, global category manager for contracted labor, enables Shell to better manage its extensive contingent workforce ensuring robust commercial strategies are in place to provide access to contingent talent across the globe. She approaches the challenge not only from the typical cost/efficiency perspective, but also by providing senior management with transparency and visibility to its external workforce.

Joshi is on the tail end of a two- year, company-wide project to bring all contractors into Shell’s VMS system; her team is responsible for examining the thousands of IT contractors working at Shell, many via purchase orders. The process involves engaging a wide array of internal stakeholders as well as contractors and suppliers.

Joshi has worked in Shell’s procurement division for more than 22 years, and in the contingent workforce space since 2007. She currently oversees contingent requirements — primarily in engineering and geosciences.

Her next projects include a full-fledged exercise to determine Shell’s commercial category strategy going forward.

“Our goal is full visibility of our entire contingent workforce across the various lines of business and across geographies, and Shell does business in 75-plus countries,” Joshi says. “It is also making sure we have the right contracts in place to have the right individuals in the right locations at the right time at the right price.”