What are we talking about when we talk about service delivery?
How many times a day do we see search posts for Service Delivery Managers? How many people have this experience described in their professional profiles? But, do we know what it is about? Do we know what areas it covers? And what knowledge should Service Delivery Manager have?
If we search the web, we will see that Service Delivery is a framework that encompasses a set of principles, standards, policies, and restrictions that will be used to guide designs, development, implementation, operation, and withdrawal of services provided by a specific company or provider.
These tasks are developed by a Service Delivery Manager who, depending on the industry and/or company in which they work, will fulfill these or different types of tasks.
SDMs play an important role in any organization as they are in charge of keeping customers happy with the services of the company they work for. And you may ask yourself: how do we keep a customer happy?
The SDM is responsible for the results of a project for the client. They must maintain fluid contact and provide the status of the progress of the project. That is why many times the Service Delivery Manager acts at the same time as the Project Manager.
Within the responsibilities of a Service Delivery Manager, we can find the management of SLA, KPI's, contract negotiation, improvement proposals, etc., and be an interlocutor between customer and supplier.
Why is Service Delivery Manager considered an added value?
Centralizing information is essential to carry out a successful project. And if we talk about communication, the Service Delivery Manager is an essential piece for the management of a project, acting as a facilitator between client and supplier.
The Service Delivery Manager will be in charge of maintaining fluid communication with as many clients as projects in charge. Through reports providing visibility, the client will be able to see the progress of their project on a daily basis without taking time away from IT specialists.
As manager of each project, the SDM will be a fundamental collaborator for the technical team, analyzing the needs of the clients and translating them into deliverables that will be monitored daily to facilitate communication later.
Personalized treatment exponentially improves the customer experience and internal coordination with those who will be in charge of providing the service. The focus will be on improving business results and customer satisfaction, meeting both expectations.
What are Service Delivery Manager’s responsibilities?
SDM tasks may vary or differ depending on the type of company they work for.
In the case of the SDM of an IT company, tasks may include:
Be a communicator and facilitator between client and service provider.
Lead work team defining the scope and needs of the project together with the client and transfer them into a plan to the internal team
Guarantee established processes
Agree on objectives, deliveries (SLAs), and continuous improvement projects with the client
Conflict management and negotiations