Aligning knowledge, skill, and opportunity is empowering. From a business perspective, the benefits of collaboration often make it logical for a company to look outside their own walls to recruit labor, expertise, and project management.  

Conducting business in a contractual way allows for specialized work to be well-managed and expertly executed.   

Primes and Subs Step in to Help

Enlisting contractual work involves a team of professionals. Prime contractors and subcontractors bring their industry skills and expertise to a specific project on behalf of a ‘host’ company. They have separate and designated roles of responsibility.  

A prime contractor, or general contractor is responsible for overall project status and performance. They coordinate aspects such as staffing, materials, training, timing, money, and management of the terms of the contract. When a project requires specific skill levels, they are responsible for filling positions appropriately. A prime contractor acts as a gatekeeper, relieving your business from the steps involved in carrying out a project or initiative, or managing a department or sector.  

Prime contractors pay attention to the big picture - the project as a whole, making sure each piece falls into place appropriately. Although they constantly have eyes and ears on things, primes oversee and rely on the subcontractors they hire to contribute specialized knowledge and skill to carry through needed tasks.   

Subcontractors serve as an agent of the prime, however manage themselves independently. Primes and subcontractors enter the project at different times and different stages.  

The Benefits of Collaboration

Historically, the prime and sub relationship is often associated with the construction industry. For example, a company plans to expand its physical location. They enlist the help of a prime contractor who steps in to determine what is needed to build and customize the new office space from start to finish. They recruit subcontractors who will step in to complete specific segments such as lighting, plumbing, dry walling, and so on. 

Such collaboration happens in many industries. For example, aligning your business processes is a valuable service for a contracted structure. Unless your company is specifically process-oriented or technology-focused, it might be difficult for your team to manage the requirements of implementation and change. The need may be for deeper advisement on process improvements such as reducing errors, analyzing data, faster processing, and even automation. Contractual partnerships work in tandem in their expertise, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business that are more pertinent to you and your team. 

Added Bonuses

Prime contractors are available to help your company flourish and grow, while your team remains focused on your core business. They will manage and oversee the work as well as any needed subcontractors.  

Because the work is contracted, the prime and subcontractors will afford the overhead for their staff. This alleviates your company from providing coverage like healthcare benefits, workers’ compensation, and PTO - saving time, effort, and expense. Contracted workers are also responsible for their own licensing, permits, and insurance as related to execution and maintenance of the project. The contractors will manage compliance and regulatory requirements as dictated by the sector. Attrition, retention, training, and scheduling are also taken care of. 

Partnering in Diversity

Enlisting the help of prime and subcontractors gives your company benefits beyond the completion of the requested project and tasks. You build relationships with companies who have or have access to different resources than your organization. Cayuse, for example, offers a full scope of talented resources to assist and support your business.  

An additional bonus is discovered within the credentials offered in a diverse partnership. As a Native American owned and operated organization, Cayuse is a Minority Owned Enterprise (MBE), which has allowed us to become a diversity supplier. Such designation provides access to resources such as:  

• Business partnership opportunities 
• Grants and contracts 
• Programs and workshops 
• Invitations to events and conferences 
• Networking opportunities 

Coupled with a state-of-the-art network and security operations center, Cayuse is a true asset in a contracted relationship.   

By employing diversity, we provide businesses with a solid partner in expertise and dependability, while supporting our Native American workforce and their ability to balance work with life, with their families, on the reservation. 

A Weight is Lifted

Collaboration is defined by Google as ‘the action of working with someone to produce or create something’. The world of prime and subcontractors offers your business a network of skills and knowledge. Engaging with a partner outside of your company to determine and initiate solid business processes streamlines your workflow while taking the burden off of your workforce. It enables you and your staff to put energy into other, more pertinent directives while allowing the outside experts to manage designated areas.  

Talent is everywhere and the utilization of contracted services is on the rise. Executives are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain the day-to-day balanced with other business responsibilities. The focus is shifting, allowing management to work on what they know best while trusting contractors to employ their expertise and skills appropriately.