Comparison
Thotara vs the two alternatives you're weighing
Generalisations, honestly labelled: configured CRM builds and general healthcare VMS platforms both solve real problems — just not the agency-side locums desk.
| Capability | Thotara | Configured CRM | General VMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locums objects out of the box (name clear, privileging window, call coverage) | Native | Custom objects to build | Partial |
| Asymmetric pay-vs-bill rate cards with call, beeper and gratis hours | Native | Not typically | Often hourly only |
| AI-ranked shortlists per order with explained rationale | Included | Keyword search only | Not typically |
| Fill probability and stalled-stage detection | Included | Reports you build | Not typically |
| Fall-off and credentialing risk prediction | Included | Not typically | Not typically |
| Prioritized next-best-action queue per recruiter | Included | Manual task lists | Not typically |
| Automated data capture (CVs, credentials, itineraries, inbound email) | Included | Third-party add-on | Varies |
| Provider portal (intake, documents, schedule, travel, timesheets, direct deposit) | Included | Separate build | Limited |
| Client portal (jobs, candidates, credentialing, invoices, agreements, reports) | Included | Separate build | Vendor-neutral view only |
| Credentialing checklists, expirations and packet status | Native | Spreadsheet in practice | Native |
| Travel booking records tied to margin | Native | Not typically | Not typically |
| Timesheets to invoicing on one approved data set | Native | Integration project | Varies |
| Internal chat with an assistant that can act on your records | Included | Not typically | Not typically |
| Encrypted data, least-privilege roles and an immutable admin audit log | Native | Configurable | Native |
| Time to production | Weeks | Months of consulting | Months |
Differentiators
The five things we won't compromise on
Built for one placement type, deliberately
Perm recruiting software treats a placement as an event. Locums placements are recurring, credential-gated, travel-dependent and billed on composite rates. Every screen in Thotara assumes the second model.
AI measured in days off time-to-fill
Not a chat window bolted on the side: ranked shortlists, fill probability, bottleneck detection, fall-off risk and prioritized actions — aimed at turning open roles into confirmed providers sooner.
Portals as part of the product
The provider portal and client portal ship with the platform. Transparency is how coordinator email volume drops, so it shouldn't be an upsell.
One data set from hours to margin
Approved hours drive pay, bill and margin. There is no second entry point where the numbers diverge and no month-end reconciliation ritual.
No implementation industry required
You are not buying a platform plus a consulting engagement to make it resemble a locums firm. It already is one.
Switching
Migration is a reviewed import, not a leap
- 01
Export what you have
Salesforce reports, ATS exports, credentialing spreadsheets, rate sheets — whatever the current truth lives in.
- 02
AI maps the fields
Thotara proposes a mapping to its own objects, flags duplicates and shows exactly what will be created before anything lands.
- 03
Review and import
You approve the mapping, import in batches, and spot-check with a review queue rather than trusting a silent load.
- 04
Run parallel, then cut over
Keep the old system read-only during the first placements, then retire it once the desk trusts the new one.
What the first 30 days look like
Week one: organization set up, users invited, roles assigned, rate cards modelled from your live contracts. Week two: providers and clients imported and reviewed. Week three: first orders and presentations run in Thotara while the old system stays read-only. Week four: credentialing, scheduling and the first invoice cycle.
No sandbox-to-production migration project, no custom object modelling, no integration build before the desk can work.
Questions
What evaluation teams ask
We already pay for Salesforce. Why change?
Because the locums-specific parts of your workflow live in the spreadsheets around it. Thotara replaces the CRM plus those spreadsheets plus the credentialing tracker with one system that already knows the domain.
How is this different from a VMS?
A VMS is usually built for the health system's vendor management view. Thotara is built for the agency running the desk — sourcing, credentialing, coordination, pay and bill — with a client-facing portal on top.
Can we keep our accounting system?
Yes. Thotara owns the operational record and exports invoice and pay data to your ledger.
What about our historical data?
It imports with AI-assisted field mapping, duplicate detection and a human review step, so history comes with you instead of being archived.