Q - Sourcing Limited

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the HR business partner of a telecommunications company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Q - Sourcing Limited?

I needed help with contract management.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They took over all the HR management tasks for contract work. They manage the whole employee cycle and handle everything from recruitment to contract management.

What is the team composition?

I work with four people.

How did you come to work with Q - Sourcing Limited?

We put our expectations and they were the ones that seemed to fit and would be able to manage what we wanted them to do.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2015 and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They created a better process to give us a better variety. They go above and beyond to get us what we actually want. We renewed our contract with them because we are very happy with their work.

How did Q - Sourcing Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Since they manage the contracts, we’re able to concentrate more on our core employees.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could use other project management tools so we could interact outside of email.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Set the expectations of what you want from your relationship with them. Establish your parameters at the beginning of the engagement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of logistics at a brewery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Q - Sourcing Limited?

We needed help with logistics management. We had challenges with previous suppliers; they only looked at headcount and manpower, and the output didn’t make sense. We decided to look for another provider and we hired Q - Sourcing Limited.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we started, we specified what we were looking for from their team. They first started providing cost management services. We send our product to manufacturers, who package the products and send them back to us. Q - Sourcing Limited handles it for us, dealing with returnable packaging and bringing products back for production. 

They provide manpower and a metrics-driven service of logistics management. They’ve expanded our deliverables in logistics. They also provide other services like customer interfacing, inventory management, and stock reconciliations. Recently, they’ve extended into being part of the manufacturing process. 

What is the team composition?

There are 45 people for the people-power work. On the service end, they have 28 people. They’ve now brought on about 25 people for manufacturing services. The project manager is my main point of contact — he’s here on site. I’m also in touch with their account manager and managing partner.

How did you come to work with Q - Sourcing Limited?

We came up with specifications and sent out tenders to a couple of providers. We went into evaluations and chose Q - Sourcing Limited.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2018 and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We measure their output and specific KPIs, judging them against our targets. Each quarter, we look at the metrics we agreed to in our contract and we rate them. They deliver every single day of every week and are always on time — they deliver very well.

Due to their work, we’ve seen almost over a 100% cost reduction for each case. We also measure the accuracy of their reporting, inventory Excel sheets, real-time processing, and overall quality — everything is always highly accurate. 

How did Q - Sourcing Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve tested them on project management, asking them to do a few things. We give them the scope of work but if you give them something new, there’s always a little bit of an initial struggle. I haven’t seen them demonstrate a high level of capability in timelines or consistency, but with a few guidelines, they take off. We have weekly reviews, but we also review monthly and quarterly. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve seen a very robust human resource management and selection from their team. They really give us quality people. They’re a metrics-driven team and they manage the performance very well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

From a project management perspective, getting it right the first time is an area they need to improve. They need to expand their knowledge base and scope as far as manufacturing is concerned so they can employ the right capabilities for every project. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Set the specifications right, since the expectations are important. Make your expectations clear and know the outcome you’re looking for — that will be key. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of supply chain at American Tower, a telecommunications company. We provide infrastructure for the telecom sector. Our organization builds towers and power and then leases it to telecommunications companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Q - Sourcing Limited?

We needed help with hiring and recruitment.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Q - Sourcing Limited provides manpower management. They do all our recruiting and hiring for us. They’re our preferred partner with regard to the position of manpower management. We give them a contract and they handle the whole recruitment and hiring process. Our team provides them with briefs of preferred candidates.

They have a very elaborate manpower management software they utilize to manage resources. Q - Sourcing Limited monitors performance and the deliverables of those resources. They work for a fixed management fee per month. Additionally, they make sure all taxes and legal requirements are met.

What is the team composition?

There are at least three people. There’s a manpower manager who’s our main point of contact and helps with the day-to-day issues. There’s a finance person who follows up on the payment side. Additionally, there’s a manager who sometimes comes to the office to discuss our needs.

How did you come to work with Q - Sourcing Limited?

We found them through a tender process based on processes, value, and type of deliverables. Their value was better compared to their competition.

How much have you invested with them?

We invest $30,000 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2018 and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We have metrics we assess every quarter. The metrics have to do with how well they report on the issues that happen that we discuss. Another metric is compliance because in our contract we agree on how much they’re paying their employees. We measure how compliant they are. Another metric is how well they’re able to provide employees. They score high on all of them. That’s why we’re able to renew the contract.

How did Q - Sourcing Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

We have very effective communication with the manpower manager. Our teams have a call every month to review progress and address any issues. There’s a clear line of communication. We use Microsoft Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very responsive and adaptable to each of our needs. Sometimes, we give them very unique requirements and they’re able to go out there and find what we’re looking for.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Initially, their prices were quite high but we’ve come to agree on how to optimize that cost.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re very professional in what they do. I recommend working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a leading innovator and manufacturer of home hygiene products. I’m the general manager for Africa.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Q - Sourcing Limited?

We're expanding into new territories and need HR support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Q - Sourcing is providing assistance for us in countries where we want to be light on our feet. They’re providing HR services, including legal consultation, recruitment, and day-to-day operations requirements for employees. They’ve also recruited permanent employees and resources for temporary projects.

They manage expenses on the ground and take care of logistics and transportation when needed. Their team also handles disciplinary issues — we take care of performance reports ourselves.

What is the team composition?

We have two main points of contact from their team, including an account manager.

How did you come to work with Q - Sourcing Limited?

We received referrals from other organizations and searched online; we then compared a few providers. We looked at their past histories and online profiles. We started out with Q - Sourcing in one country and found their services to be satisfactory, so we've extended their services into another country.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re paying them between $160,000–$200,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Q - Sourcing Limited around January 2017 and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Q - Sourcing understands the needs of each market across different countries. Beyond just providing recruitment services, they've acted as good consultants. They go above and beyond the scope of work, and they advise us on how to be more efficient as a business.

How did Q - Sourcing Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re timely, organized, and they provide clear documentation. Q - Sourcing manages employees in line with our core values. They've been able to adapt to our organizational style. We use email and Zoom for communication. They’re flexible in putting certain tools in place if we request it, too.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Flexibility is the biggest challenge in our landscape — Africa isn’t a one-size-fits-all, and Q - Sourcing understands that. They’re able to be very effective as a partner. In terms of their professionalism, I'd rate them very highly. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their rates aren’t the most competitive out there, but the value is there. They could also focus on more innovation around people management.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I’d just recommend working with them, especially for the East-African landscape. Q - Sourcing is a good mid-sized operation — they’ve outdone their larger HR competitors.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a tech company focused on cellular implements and related services, including colocation, home fiber connections, and wholesale carrier services. I’m an HR assistant, providing services for our Kenya and South Sudan locations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Q - Sourcing Limited?

We’re a fairly new company; we’ve been around for about one year. We hired Q - Sourcing Limited to support us with staffing our South Sudan office.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Q - Sourcing has helped us recruit engineers and related positions in South Sudan. First, we gave them job descriptions for the roles we wanted and Q - Sourcing now refers candidates to us for review. We’re looking for people with previous experience, given that they’ll be managing the network in South Sudan by themselves with occasional support from their counterparts in Kenya. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve dealt with Emmanuel (Head of Business, South Sudan).

How did you come to work with Q - Sourcing Limited?

We researched available providers in the industry. Beyond just recruitment information, Q - Sourcing gave us insights around the laws in South Sudan — we’re operating in two different markets, so what applies in Kenya doesn’t necessarily apply in South Sudan. We settled on them based largely on the value add we’d be getting.

How much have you invested with them?

The first invoice they gave us was for $12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Q - Sourcing in March  2019 and our partnership is ongoing. We’re seeking to expand the business in South Sudan, and Q -Sourcing will assist us with recruitment.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We measure their success based on the quality of candidates they give us and the time they take to implement the recruitment process, from advertising to background checks. We also measure the impact based on how long their candidates stay with our organization. Since they’re the ones who source the candidate for us, they’re in a good position to understand if salary expectations aren’t met or other related things — they do a good job advising us about what’s currently being offered in the market. 

Q - Sourcing goes out of their way to find candidates that meet our desired qualifications. They gave us a hard time in a good way, in that they spoil us with many choices. All of the people they’ve presented to us meet our expectations. We’ve hired a total of 10 employees, five of which came through Q - Sourcing. 

How did Q - Sourcing Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done very well in terms of meeting deadlines — they go above and beyond the call of duty. At times, we’ve had to get candidates on short notice and Q - Sourcing met those demands. We communicate through email, phone calls, and tools like Microsoft Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve done as much as possible to involve us in the process. They’re the ones on the ground working on our behalf, and they keep us up to date on what candidates are saying. Our constant communication is a major positive factor for me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The billing frequency could be improved — they don’t send invoices on a monthly basis or when they occur. They clump all the recruitment in one invoice. We successfully filled our positions in March 2020, but we only got the invoice in August of that year.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Given that my praises for their resourcing services are bigger than my pain points, I’d definitely vouch for Q - Sourcing. Clients should come with an understanding of what they need, and ask all the questions that are relevant to the particular job market.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief accountant at Fortum, an energy company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Q - Sourcing Limited?

We have 65 employees across different offices. We needed someone to manage our human resources, so we hired Q - Sourcing Limited.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Q - Sourcing Limited supplies payroll management, staff recruitment, and contract maintenance on our behalf. They essentially maintain and manage all of our HR needs for us.

The first deliverable they worked on was staff recruitment. We came up with a job description, shared it with them, and they shortlisted staff and conducted interviews. We then had the last phase of interviews before we recommended staff to join us. When we do recruitment, they handle the entire process based on the job description we give them. 

We have three categories of staff in our company. For the category of outsourced staff, they manage the contracts on our behalf — these employees aren’t employed by us directly. They will hold contracts with those who work for us, but those staff members answer to Q – Sourcing Limited.

Their team populates and computes our payrolls. They give me proof of payment for the tax obligations, too. They also maintain the personnel files and handle any audit query we get regarding payroll, taxes, etc.

What is the team composition?

I interact with five people regularly, including the business development manager, senior accountant, assistant accountant, HR specialist, and a recruitment specialist.

How did you come to work with Q - Sourcing Limited?

Rwanda is a really small country and that impacts our options when dealing with audit firms and consultancy companies. We found Q – Sourcing Limited through a referral. After engaging with them, we brought them on board.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $2.1 million on their services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2019 and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They’re exemplary and are doing a good job. They’ve exceeded our expectations. We haven’t had any complaints about the quality of personnel they provide for us.

How did Q - Sourcing Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is good. We engage every other day — their team will always contact us if something comes up. We have meetings about objectives and communicate via email, calls, messages, and all other accessible forms of communication. We haven’t had any problems during the COVID-19 pandemic either. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have good knowledge of the business environment in our location.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wish they’d automate the entire payroll system.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Maintain a relationship with them. Get to know the personnel and the specific staff you’re going to be working with. Create a rapport so if you have any issues or want anything addressed, you can easily approach them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the area sales manager for a shareholder for an East African brewery. We control the market for scotch products and the brewery operates in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, and the Great Lakes region — we also export to duty-free entities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Q – Sourcing Limited?

We only have a sales and marketing office in Rwanda, and, for HR matters, we have a head office in Kampala and Nairobi. Since it would have been an extra cost to have an HR office in Rwanda, we hired Q - Sourcing Limited for this small market. I joined the company in 2010, and we started working with them in the same year.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Q – Sourcing Limited is providing the HR role for our offices in Rwanda and Burundi. They manage our payroll, taking care of pension and maternity deductions, taxes, salaries, and allowances. They provide us with monthly reports with the payments made per employee, and they send us payrolls to sign and file.

They also take care of recruitment for Rwanda. We’ll let them know 1–2 months in advance, and Q – Sourcing will run a preselection. They invite us to go through CVs, and we’re part of the panel for the final selection.The employees have contracts with Q – Sourcing Limited, but we are the ones paying their salaries. They follow each employee’s performance day by day, and then give us reports.  

We have induction meetings with all the employees to go through their deductions and other payroll matters and Q – Sourcing manages our allowances for car fuel and everything else.

How did you come to work with Q – Sourcing Limited?

There are many firms in Rwanda offering this kind of service, so we had a few of them submit tenders. We went through those with our HR head office. We felt Q – Sourcing Limited was very flexible, and they offered services that answered our challenges.

How much have you invested with them?

As a rough estimate, we’ve spent around 8 million RF (approximately $8,100 USD) per month. This covers all the services they’re providing.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Q – Sourcing Limited around January 2010, and our engagement is ongoing. We review their contract periodically and get quotes from other firms.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We’ve worked with Q – Sourcing Limited for over 10 years now, and we evaluate them periodically. Whenever they see an opportunity, such as a telecom company running promotions, they will negotiate the engagement on our behalf. They’re constantly monitoring the space, and they don’t let opportunities go, which is great. The extra services they’ve provided have eased our operations.

How did Q – Sourcing Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always ahead in meeting deadlines. If we forget to make a payment into their account, they’ll use their own money in order to meet a deadline.  

Official communication is done through email, and we have phone calls for smaller things. They’re available at any time of day, and they always send us reminders about pending matters. They’re very good at communicating. We operate in a dynamic market, and they always communicate challenges ahead of time.

We’re busy driving sales and adjusting numbers, so they’ve taken it as their responsibility to remind us of what we’re supposed to do. They handle all the filing, too. Q – Sourcing Limited gives us space to concentrate on our primary responsibilities, and they give us timely reports, so we can’t miss any points.

 What did you find most impressive about them?

Q – Sourcing Limited truly values our business. They have excellent communication, and they’ve given us some extra services for free.

When we needed to send money ahead of time for salaries and allowances, we were late but they used their own money and we refunded them later. They did this for us, whereas other providers were unwilling to use their own money. During those tough periods, they’ve worked with us and don’t let us down in any way. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The pandemic has changed almost everything globally, but Q - Sourcing Limited doesn’t need to change anything, even with people working remotely. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a large tobacco organization producing and selling cigarettes in East and Central Africa. We work with tobacco farmers in seven counties in Kenya. I’m a lead sustainability manager for the operation and the contract manager for the collaboration with Q – Sourcing Limited.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Q – Sourcing Limited?

We contracted them for agronomy extension services, dealing with the farmers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Q – Sourcing Limited trains farmers and performs quality checks on their crops from the start to the end of the season. We have around 4,000 farmers and seven agronomists who handle this. We do farmer reviews on a quarterly or monthly basis, during critical stages. We grade them on the stability of their prices, the quality of service they give to employees, any innovations they’re making that may save costs on our end, and environmental aspects.

The other service Q – Sourcing Limited is offering is buying the tobacco. The tobacco in Kenya has 17 gradings, and Q – Sourcing Limited has experts who can identify those. They’re also providing data capture and analytics services. We’ve outsourced parts of our factory operations to Q – Sourcing Limited. They handle crewing and running shifts, ensuring that we’re delivering set KPIs for those aspects.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with 13 people from Q – Sourcing Limited for the agronomy part. They have a manager and logistics person. The entire team is using motorbikes to visit farmers. For factory operations, they’re giving us 100–130 people, depending on the demand.

How did you come to work with Q – Sourcing Limited?

We made a request on the market, and they applied. We looked at their expertise and offer, in terms of competitiveness and innovation. Q – Sourcing Limited had quite a good experience across Africa, and they’d provided the same agronomic services in Uganda.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost so far is around $5 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Q – Sourcing Limited in May 2018, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

On the agronomic side, we’re tracking the number of incidents and accidents involving the people on the move. Then, we’re measuring the quality of work they do based on improved farmer yields.

We’re looking at the stability of their resources and their adherence to the budget. We’ve never had any issues with price adjustments or wrong calculations with Q – Sourcing Limited. They’ve always delivered on time and in full.

How did Q – Sourcing Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been very good in terms of project management. We were starting from zero, and they managed to onboard the team within three months. Their performance has been quite impressive from my observations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been able to learn and adapt quickly. They have that strength.

Are there any areas they could improve?

One of the things they had an opportunity to improve upon was personnel, and they have. Given the speed of onboarding, some of the people they brought on weren’t the best at the start, but they learned and made changes along the way.

One challenge for us, in particular, was finding people who actually understood our industry. It took a bit of time, but Q – Sourcing Limited got the right people to do the right job. They now have a pool of people that they’ve interviewed, which they can call on an as-needed basis.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Q – Sourcing Limited is a good organization for service provision. From my experience, from the moment we give them a good brief, they’re able to execute. They’ve expanded into quite a few industries in Kenya, which is a positive.