Ruslan Gaynanov. SkillsCloud: highly qualified specialists will come from "a cloud of data"

Ruslan Gaynanov: Actually in what we are engaged, is not revolution. In this or that type redistribution of temporarily available labor resources is reality of the personnel market, there is only it, as a rule, not quite legally and not absolutely in a civilized way. For example, cases when the specialists who are not completely loaded in the main workplace execute some non-repeat orders "on the party" are not rare at all. Let's leave out of the equation ethical aspect of a question – it is important, but not a subject of today's conversation, we will speak about efficiency of production process.

The thought of a possibility of rational use of free time of regular personnel was born from understanding of the fact that loading of project specialists is not uniform, and there will always be idle specialists for whom at the moment on site their work just there are no tasks. SmartStaffing is project redistribution of temporarily available labor resources between fair employers. In other words, employers are offered to exchange "idle" specialists with each other on mutually advantageous conditions, having supported it with written arrangements. Really "win-win" is the solution advantageous for all participants.

Started, owing to the historical reasons, in the SAP market - intention found the embodiment in the SmartSAP project. In 2013 we started the www.smartsap.com portal in work. Quickly enough connected more than 80 companies which provided us more than 114 thousand konsalto-days of available SAP examination.

TAdviser: When it became clear that SmartSAP works what your further actions were?

Ruslan Gaynanov: The successful product should be scaled. The decision to extend, in global perspective – on all personnel market was made. So there was SkillsCloud. Based on the SkillsCloud platform exchange of labor resources absolutely in any industry can be organized, the platform is universal. It is simple how it was already noted, TEAM FORCE is focused on the IT personnel, it is closer to us. Therefore the priority direction - collaboration with NP RUSSOFT in development based on SkillsCloud of the Exchange of project employment for software developers. At the same time there is a discussion of the similar platform for project managers, business consultants, etc.

Experience of SmartSAP helped to correct our movement. A number of specific projects when implementing which exchange of free labor resources was applied showed that the idea is not simply viable, but also is demanded. Such product is critically necessary for the market where idle time of narrow specialists costs much extremely, and to gather a team under a certain project, on short term - for example, two-three weeks - occasionally incredibly difficult.

We see how the relation including customers, to the idea of project redistribution of examination changes. A case from practice: some time ago we left with the request for the SAP tender of the largest Russian oil company where were going to offer SmartSAP-resources. In the beginning to us it was refused participation – the customer was just not ready "buy resources a cloud". After a while in the company the management was replaced. And based on the new tender which was also concerning modification of the software based on SAP we won the contract for the amount of tens of millions of rubles.

Still example: now we conduct negotiations with one of the Russian state corporations, regarding use of SmartSAP as the platform on the centralized market purchase of a SAP resources.

TAdviser: Whether SmartSAP and SkillsCloud are commercial products? Whether they make profit at this stage?

Ruslan Gaynanov: Certainly. SkillsCloud initially thought as the commercial platform. The means which are already earned using SmartSAP so a certain financial progress already is are invested in development.

Potentially there are several models of monetization of the platform. The first is a subscription fee for information service of the companies, the second – paid placement of profiles of specialists (which, by the way, is also an effective measure against transformation of an information resource into "mass grave" of irrelevant summaries). The third model works now: we levy a certain percent from all transactions made within the platform. Also the mixed options are also possible.

TAdviser: How will the model of exchange of free specialists in terms of legislative arrangements look, you suggest to redistribute labor resources, without taking them off the payroll? Whether it will be too difficult in respect of observance of all regulations?

Ruslan Gaynanov: Yes, I am not tired to repeat: one of the basic principles of work of SkillsCloud is providing temporarily available regular specialists. Workers remain in staff of the employer, and in any way differently. This is not about outstaffing or loan work. Especially as the labor law fairly differs from the country to the country and if to transfer a task to the usual plane of providing personnel, then the universality, so and scalability of the platform is lost. In the domestic market we make out all working questions on exchange of labor resources between the companies in an agreement type of legal entities about rendering services. Thus, specialists always have "an anchor employer" who guarantees observance of the labor law. Also "the anchor employer" is a guarantor of quality of deliverable labor resources that is of great value for the companies involving additional examination on the projects.

TAdviser: Whether you see the psychological obstacles complicating implementation of such model? Let's say in one of the companies SAP BI specialist will be released and he will be invited in other company for several months to work over the project. Whether there will be no difficulties at it, it should be rebuilt completely under the new project?

Ruslan Gaynanov: Yes, difficulties of a psychological order can be, but we speak about project activity in which certain specifics are inherent. For the same SAP consultants rotation between different projects, commands, the companies is a routine. So answer here short: difficulties are, but they are solved, and specialists are ready to them morally.

TAdviser: Whether tell, please, SkillsCloud has foreign analogs? At success of a cloud platform in the Russian market whether you are going to expand geography of its presence?

Ruslan Gananov: We plan and we already expand! In December, 2013 we opened office in the USA, in the Californian Palo Alto which will promote the platform in foreign markets. SkillsCloud is a finished technology product which has a high potential for development. But we act consistently therefore many service opportunities (the ratings of the companies and specialists, reservation, penalties, retrobonuses and many other things) will be brought into operation later. For example, start of internal SkillsCloud-currency - "smartkoin" is postponed for the indefinite period.

It is sure, the platform is waited by the big future. When I say to colleagues on the market that anything there is no similar in the USA, many do not trust. But this is true. There is a set of resources for freelancers, all of them work in logic of B2C, we go to B2B a segment, and here our offer is absolutely original.

We have in Russia in relation to the western technologies literally a consciousness of slaves: it seems to all that we cannot make anything interesting, original that destiny of the Russian programmers – "copy and paste" others ideas. But it not so. SmartStaffing and SkillsCloud are necessary to the market and there are no analogs yet.

TAdviser: So the platform can attract clients and from other countries?

Ruslan Gaynanov: Yes, we are focused on global market where the need for such product is obvious. In the IT industry around the world the qualified labor resources are limited, for them there is a serious fight. And is not enough not so much competent workers, how many data on their existence in specific timepoint. As for California – there another story. "Gold-rush" far did not end – focus was displaced from the mines in technology, moods reign former. All involved, as well as one and a half centuries ago, look for a big pot of gold, are not even really exchanged for nuggets. We, figuratively speaking came to California to provide to gold diggers of denim on superadvantageous conditions, and we suggest them to borrow unnecessary pair to the next gold miner for a certain bribe. It in a trend of "sharing economy", and it will surely work.

The solution capable to overcome a staff shortage not due to increase in quantity, a gain of new work units, and due to more rational use of working time experienced, proved the value, specialists has every chance to considerably change labor market.