Digital Contractor Management to Mitigate Brexit Challenges

Due to Brexit, stricter requirements have been imposed on Britons working in the Netherlands. Since January 1, 2021, they must be able to present a work or residence permit. This results in more ‘paperwork’ for companies working with British (sub)contractors. With Nsecure’s identity management platform, contractor registration is digitized and automated, helping companies remain compliant, avoid fines, reduce risks, and work more efficiently. But how do you, as a company, make this transition?

Valid residence or work permits due to Brexit

Brexit has had significant impacts on many businesses. Particularly concerning product exports, companies face various customs formalities and longer wait times for truck drivers crossing borders. However, the HR impact has also been substantial. Since January 1, 2021, Britons are no longer considered EU nationals. As a result, all 50,000 British employees and an unknown number of self-employed individuals in the Netherlands now need a valid residence permit or work permit to legally stay and work here.

British individuals working in the Netherlands must possess a residence permit, residence document, work permit (TWV), and/or a combined permit for residence and work (GVVA).

Consequences for contractor management

These additional documents impact both access and employment of British workers—leading to an increased amount of ‘paperwork.’ As a result, companies spend more time on the registration process for granting access to their locations and run a higher risk of making costly errors. Particularly in sectors such as industry, construction, and facilities management, many companies work with British contractors. If a British employee doesn’t have the right documentation, it could result in significant fines from the SZW Inspectorate or even the suspension of work following an audit. Another risk: illegally employed workers are generally not insured.

Digitalizing and optimizing access for external parties

These Brexit-related challenges highlight the urgent need to digitize, automate, and optimize access and identity management processes. According to Nsecure’s IT Manager, Alex Smaling, ‘We see many companies still have significant steps to take to professionalize their access management processes, ensuring compliance with all relevant laws and regulations. Access processes within most organizations are poorly coordinated, with numerous manual actions that are not only costly and time-consuming but also prone to errors. With our identity management platform, we simplify these complex access processes for businesses and individuals. This isn’t just relevant for British workers, but for anyone entering a location or site for a visit or to carry out work.’

Safe and efficient contractor management

Nsecure’s IT platform, YIM – which stands for Your Identity Management – acts as a comprehensive umbrella over access control, allowing companies to secure their access processes from start to finish. By integrating and streamlining various modules for accreditation, contractor registration, digital identity records, e-learning, and certification, safe and efficient access is provided for contractors.

With the YIM Contractors module, contractors’ access requests are submitted in advance, preventing complex access procedures and long wait times for both access and the start of work. Depending on the nationality and type of work, YIM requires documents and certifications such as legal work permits, safety certifications (like VCA), or a certificate of good conduct (VOG). All expiration dates are monitored: to keep the records up-to-date and valid for future work visits, notifications are sent for the renewal of documents and certifications

Only qualified individuals on your site

Contractor management via YIM can be extended with the YIM Qualifies module. This allows individuals to be qualified for specific tasks or roles, with certificates (such as welding or forklift certifications) centrally stored. Based on a qualification matrix, it is automatically determined which roles and qualifications apply to each individual. Only individuals who meet the necessary qualifications are granted access to perform specific tasks or roles.

Business developer at Nsecure, Richard Stolte: ‘In case of an audit, you can demonstrate that you have taken maximum safety measures. This helps prevent fines and, perhaps more importantly, the suspension of projects and work. You certainly don’t want to find out after an incident that you had unqualified individuals on-site.’

Automated contractor management during maintenance stops

Unique in the market – as explained by Nsecure director Hans van Driel in this article – is the automation of the access process. Companies save valuable time through this. Stolte: ‘Look at maintenance stops in the industry. Previously, a lot of time was wasted on the registration process and checking all the paperwork. Add to that the fact that you’re dealing with dozens of different nationalities. It was easy to lose half a day before anyone could get started, while hundreds or even thousands of contractors were waiting. By digitizing this process through YIM, contractors can register location- and time-independently, meaning they can submit everything, so to speak, up to six months in advance.’

An additional benefit: thanks to the insights and dashboards in YIM, companies can better predict the resource needs during maintenance stops. Especially in times of a shortage of qualified personnel, it is highly valuable for clients to identify where potential cost savings can be realized.

5 benefits of digital contractor management

By digitizing and automating processes via a contractor management platform like YIM, companies benefit from the following advantages:

1. Compliance: By centralizing all personal data and documents and ensuring everyone is checked and screened, companies comply with all applicable laws and regulations. In an audit, you can be confident that you are in control.
2. Avoid fines: Because you are always compliant, you prevent penalties.
3. Overview: Thanks to the digital file and reporting and dashboard capabilities, you have continuous insight into all safety and access processes.
4. Risk reduction: Business risks related to safety, legality, labor law, and taxation are reduced.
5. Efficiency: Automation of the access process leads to cost savings and faster workflows, especially since contractor registration can be done in advance.”