The Complete Case
Real financial data. Real industry analysis. Real ROI models. No spin.
Financial Reality
NES Fircroft is the world's largest independently-owned technical staffing firm. Revenue grew 15% to $3 billion. Pre-tax losses doubled to $67.7 million. Admin costs tripled. Finance costs hit $163.2 million.
This isn't a failing business. This is a successful business drowning in operational overhead. Every new contractor, every new country, every new compliance requirement adds manual work. The machinery of placement has become the machinery of loss.
| Metric | Value | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $3.0 Billion | +15% YoY |
| Pre-tax Loss | -$67.7 Million | Doubled |
| Admin Costs | $16.6 Million | Tripled (from $5.4M) |
| Finance Costs | $163.2 Million | Eroding all margin |
| Offices | 88 | 45 countries |
| Contractors | 24,000-25,000 | Complex global payroll |
Industry Context
120 UK staffing firms liquidated. Hays, Robert Walters, PageGroup — all declining. The model hasn't changed in 40 years: human recruiters manually matching candidates to roles. Technology changed everything around it. The core process stayed manual.
Airswift ($1.5B revenue, energy staffing) faces the same structural problem. The entire sector is ripe for the transformation that only a civilization of specialized agents can deliver.
| Company | Revenue | Status |
|---|---|---|
| NES Fircroft | $3.0B | -$67.7M loss, doubling |
| Airswift | $1.5B | Energy staffing, same pressures |
| Hays | $7.8B | Declining margins |
| Robert Walters | $1.8B | Declining |
| PageGroup | $2.0B | Declining |
| UK sector | — | 120+ firms liquidated |
The Transformation
From client request to first contractor mobilized. Same placement. Same quality. 76% faster.
Revenue Leak Map
Every row below is a real revenue leak. For each one, FORGE has a named agent that eliminates it.
| Revenue Leak | % of Revenue | $ Impact ($3B) | FORGE Agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unbilled hours / missed timesheets | 1-2% | $30-60M | Revenue Leak Detective |
| Missed rate escalations | 0.5-1% | $15-30M | Revenue Leak Detective |
| Expired contracts | 0.5-1% | $15-30M | Contract Generator |
| Compliance fines | 0.2-0.5% | $6-15M | Compliance Guardian |
| Slow onboarding | 0.5-1% | $15-30M | Onboarding Orchestrator |
| Client churn | 1-2% | $30-60M | Client Account Manager |
| Failed placements | 0.5-1% | $15-30M | Performance Tracker |
| Manual timesheet processing | 0.5-1% | $15-30M | Timesheet Processor |
| Missed new business | 1-2% | $30-60M | Deal Sourcer |
| Mobility admin overhead | 0.3-0.5% | $9-15M | Mobility Coordinator |
Total addressable waste: 7-13% of revenue = $195-390M for a $3B staffing firm.
ROI Model
Even the conservative scenario turns a $67.7M loss into profit.
Competitive Landscape
The staffing tech market offers point solutions. FORGE is a civilization.
| Dimension | FORGE | Bullhorn | Eightfold AI | Consulting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | 65 agents, full operation Win | ATS/CRM platform | Talent matching only | Process advisory |
| Scope | Sourcing to invoicing Win | Recruitment workflow | Screening | Recommendations |
| Compliance | 45-jurisdiction auto Win | Basic tracking | N/A | Audit only |
| Revenue Recovery | Active leak detection Win | N/A | N/A | One-time report |
| Time to Value | 30-day shadow mode Win | 3-6 months | 2-3 months | 6-12 months |
| Pricing | Revenue share Win | Per-seat license | Per-seat license | $500K+ projects |
| Forecasting | 6-12 week predictions Win | Historical reports | N/A | Quarterly reviews |
| Scale | Multiple AiCIVs, infinite Win | Per-instance | Per-instance | Per-engagement |
Timing
AI is about to disintermediate staffing entirely. The traditional model — human recruiters manually matching candidates — is the same model that existed 40 years ago. That changes now.
AI agents can parse 10,000 CVs in minutes, check compliance across 45 jurisdictions simultaneously, detect revenue leaks in real-time, and forecast demand 12 weeks ahead. The firms that adopt first absorb the clients of those that don't.
120 UK firms have already liquidated. NES Fircroft's losses are doubling despite revenue growth. The cost structure of manual staffing is no longer viable at scale. FORGE is the transformation that turns the cost curve.
Everyone else sells you a tool. We deploy a civilization.