Any Service Account Managers out there?

[Jefferson]

Am currently contracting at a company in a support / Infrastructure role and have heard on the grapevine that there is a Service Account Manager role coming up.

The role is being point of contact for business for problems they are experiencing from service desk & support & overseeing service continuity tests (ie DR) etc etc.
Have got my ITIL foundation and although not exciting I wouldn't mind doing further studying on ITIL.
The previous person that moved into that team came from the same area that I am working in now so it would be worth applying.

Anyone else doing / done that sort of role?
Any thoughts on if it is a good thing to get into bearing in mind the trend of off-shoring / outsourcing more of the technical roles?
thanks in advance.

[lukemg]

Sounds like a similar path to me from a few years ago. I would go for it, can't guarantee you a worthwhile and long-lasting career but I can guarantee you that support is toast and anything you can do to get out of it will be the best move.
As far as the job is concerned, if you have worked in any kind of support environment then the escalation work is easy - you don't even have to fix the issue ! As far as service improvement plans, periodic service reviews and business case development are concerned, then this can be a bit harder to pick up in a pure SDM role but for the SAM role you describe, it sounds like you will have an easier introduction.
Doesn't suit everyone and in the wrong role it is a bit like being the complaints dept. Also, expect your techie skills to fade rather quickly, you get out of the mindset and the tech moves on without you.
The roles can tend to be on-going and therefore more suited to perms, which can make getting a continuous flow of contract work difficult.
Good luck...

[Jefferson]

Sounds like a similar path to me from a few years ago. I would go for it, can't guarantee you a worthwhile and long-lasting career but I can guarantee you that support is toast and anything you can do to get out of it will be the best move.
As far as the job is concerned, if you have worked in any kind of support environment then the escalation work is easy - you don't even have to fix the issue ! As far as service improvement plans, periodic service reviews and business case development are concerned, then this can be a bit harder to pick up in a pure SDM role but for the SAM role you describe, it sounds like you will have an easier introduction.
Doesn't suit everyone and in the wrong role it is a bit like being the complaints dept. Also, expect your techie skills to fade rather quickly, you get out of the mindset and the tech moves on without you.
The roles can tend to be on-going and therefore more suited to perms, which can make getting a continuous flow of contract work difficult.
Good luck...

Thanks for your advice.
I've worked here on and off a few times so they know me quite well so I reckon I would be in with a reasonable chance if I went for it.
Can I ask what sort of role you are in now?
Cheers.

[lukemg]

I do general Service Manager roles, usually with big co's who have outsourced as much as possible and need that relationship managing. Sometimes it's setting up the service for new systems, managing existing ones or interim team manager stuff. It has been a real struggle to re-invent myself from support roles and I can still see the shifting sands in this game which could swallow me up, I have no idea what my next move could be !!

[Jefferson]

I do general Service Manager roles, usually with big co's who have outsourced as much as possible and need that relationship managing. Sometimes it's setting up the service for new systems, managing existing ones or interim team manager stuff. It has been a real struggle to re-invent myself from support roles and I can still see the shifting sands in this game which could swallow me up, I have no idea what my next move could be !!

I think I will apply for this role and see what happens - I can't see a great furture in the direction I'm going in at the moment so got to be worth a go.
Thanks for your responses and good luck.

[MarillionFan]

Good luck.

Presently contracting on an ITIL MI Delivery project.

I have never been so ******* bored in my entire life on any contract. Really, if anyone thinks that ITIL Service Delivery is a worthwhile existence then bloody good luck.

Rather you, then me.

[Worzel]

Really, if anyone thinks that ITIL Service Delivery is a worthwhile existence then bloody good luck.

Rather you, then me.

Got to agree. ITIL and Prince have taken some aspects of IT to staggering new levels of dull over the last few years. Trouble is this stuff is perceived to be really important....more important than the tech who can actually create systems and fix stuff! Probably pays a whole lot better too...hmmm maybe we should all become "delivery managers"

Actually I think the OP is right to think along these lines though. It probably does make sense providing you have the temperament to get into this stuff.

[Troll]

I do general Service Manager roles, usually with big co's who have outsourced as much as possible and need that relationship managing.

Does that make you become the focal point for complaints? Or do you just describe process and have slopey shoulders?

I'm not sure I could do what you are doing, as my experience with the outsourced (offshore) Bobs has left me with a desire to throttle people - either the chief Bob or the muppet within the company who thought it was such a bright idea to hand strategic resource to a third party.

[lukemg]

Oh right, you all want work to be fun and interesting as well ? You should have said, in which case the answer is to get as far from IT as possible, turn your 'hobby' into a career - good luck with that.
I never said it was fun, I actually enjoy the responsibility, I do get frustrated with bob's progress but not so it bothers me as I leave the building, I am paid to improve things and do whatever I can to do so. It almost certainly doesn't suit any coders I have met but if you slid into IT by accident rather than it being a labour of love since santa left you a spectrum it is an option. You need a think skin and the personality to balance the needs of everyone involved and influence them to get what is needed.
Forget the ITIL process, that just provides the framework, someone still needs to turn the gears and many client co's are desperate to get back some of the control they have given away - I give them the illusion this is possible !
Most of all though - I get paid and I can get home, everything else is a bonus.

[Clippy]

Depends what level of support you are currently doing.

If you are currently Helpdesk/First Line Support then, IMHO, it may be a step too far at this stage of your career as, typically, a SAM type role benefits from breadth of IT experience.

Also, SAM type roles can vary greatly in content with some being little more than an outlet for users to vent at IT whereas other roles can be more fully developed by working closely with the business.

Do you know anymore about the content of the role? What about the individuals currently doing it? What kind of activities are they currently performing in the role? What do they do on a day to day basis?