Hi Guys,Should be a quick and easy one as I would rather get your answer rather than a generic google search:What is "body shopping"? I hear it all the time in the forums and as a newbie from Industry it would be interesting to know what you boys exactly mean by it.Thanks

selling individuals to clients to simply fill a position that is open, rather than an engagement where they wanta consultancy for their body of knowledge/approach/method/etc.e.g. client project is a PMO and three programmers short. Here, have four people who can do the job, whatever it might be.

I am afraid you are way off annon.Body shopping is put in simple terms working for an umberalla company who inturn will put you on assignments for their clients. You will be on the pay rolls of your umberella company and not on your end clients. Its like temping. Body shopping is a disgrace as you get paid pea nuts and just falls short of bonded labour

Which just goes to show, Mr Fantastic, that "bodyshoppping" clearly means more than one thing to more than one person, because I completely agree with anon's definition. I'm not saying off-shore umbrella firms don't do this, but the term is just as attributable to the habit of BiG4 partners to boost their sales from properly sold enagements, by placing one or a few consultants into generally undefined project roles were they are at the beck and call of the end-client, rather than deliverign as part of a defined consultancy engagement.Accenture for example do a fair amount of this.

I also agree with anon; this is the right usage given the target market of this forum (Fantastic's alternative is more of a solo contractor view)

Don't take notice of the above.Basically there are two types of consultants as you will see on this forum which lead to the term body shopping, they are:-1. The type who can complete a piece of work timely and head off to the golf course at the weekends and enjoy life2. The other - these are made up of consultants who work very long hours, don't see much daylight and look unhealthy and pastey as a result. The later type of consultant to hide their tired fearures partake in the use of various potions, creams, body cleansers etc - in the 80's and early 90's these items would be bought in ......yes you guessed it Body Shop. The term body shopping hence came from such consultants nipping out of their offices to partake in "Body Shopping" session.Strange as it may seem we all know such types !

Cheers boys,No worries I got it and agree with anon and Big consultant (big as in overweight? Sorry its Friday and I'm into my bad jokes)selling individuals to clients to simply fill a position that is open, rather than an engagement Mr Fantastic, cheers for the help as well but as a contractor remember your arena is different to ours.Rgds

you could also google 'Burke and Hare', who were the original bodyshoppers, often working the graveyard shift on behalf of their clients...

"Body shopping is put in simple terms working for an umberalla company who inturn will put you on assignments for their clients. You will be on the pay rolls of your umberella company and not on your end clients"oy, mr fantastic, "um-be-rella" is my thing, leave off it!

Rihanna - just for you, couldn't we make it bodyslopping?

I would add that in many cases as well as meaning selling a pair of hands, rather than a distinct consultancy engagement, it has connotations that the body in question might not be attached to a brain with the requisite experience or skill set. In PA this was also called "our business model"

http://www.kvaes.be/lesson/the-difference-between-consultancy-and-bodyshopping/http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/