proactive Service Mgmt vs CSM

Andrew Rowlands

In a large organisation with a product / service offerings sheet that goes on for pages and pages, when you move your Service Management team into proactive territory how do you keep clear what proactive Service Management vs CSM and almost more importantly - make it clear they are not the same? In my mind it's logically proactive SM is all things ITIL which is where a CSM generally wouldn't play. Is that to simplistic, has anyone else come across this issue?

Will Pagden

Interesting point you raise there. having been in the ITSM world for the last 18 months it’s a difficult question. 

You mention SM being all things ITIL and CSM not. Let’s go back to the core, a CSM is there to work with customers to deliver value from your product. Now in the ITSM space my team of CSMs all were ITIL trained and used the basics of ITIL to proactively look for ways to add value to their customers. 

Based on your post, I think some more detail would help. what are you targeting your SMs on vs your CSMs?

Andrew Rowlands

So the thinking is the SM's are focused on getting to proactive ITIL space where possible but the CSM's are focusing on the business outcomes and driving value for the customer. I see the SM's as delivering what is in the contract, what is just meant to work and when they get to the proactive space of capacity mgmt or problem mgmt for example that is a win for the customer but really the customer expects that kind of stuff in this day and age, what I buy should work always. We have this space where the thinking of a customer goes something like this "SM is coming in - something must be broken, sales is coming in - it's time to sell." The gap we want CSM to fill is that person who is the customer advocate, driving our business to deliver the outcomes the customer was trying to achieve when they bought the product or service and then identifying areas of growth. Not sure if that makes it clearer or less clear!

Will Pagden

Ok that makes sense, further question I would guess is what metrics are you expecting your SMs to hit and what metrics are you expecting your CSMs to hit?

From what I am understanding, SMs are there to get the customer to start showing an ROI and CSMs then come in to drive expansion and adoption?

That space is a difficult one to be fair, its generally very complex products that require a lot of technical experience upfront, one thing you need to maintain however is that the transition from salesperson to SM and then SM to CSM is seamless and ideally documented for all to see.

 

Andrew Rowlands

My thinking is the SM's are closer aligned to support metrics (think Technical Account Manager type role), the CSM's drive onboarding, adoption and eventually expansion and renewal (in a later phase). 

Will Pagden

Ahh that makes it much clearer for me, thank you. So in effect you're giving to give customer an "Account team" that comprises both. Seem sensible based on the complexity of the product/ITIL. Discipline will be key then when it comes to communication.

Scott Hopper

@Andrew Rowlands scope overlap in larger organizations is a constant challenge.  What I saw at IBM as the bigger challenge, was reorganizations continually realigning priorities.  It may have been divisional, but there seemed like, a big power struggle between Success, Support, and Professional Lab Services.  The Field Support team I was on must have changed hands 4-5 times. Probably, because it felt like we were the hot potato, unwanted stepchild, or the responsibility trade to lessen one director's headaches. 

We could logically fit into any of those masters. But, our business model in my mind was best mapped into Customer Support or Success, as we were funded by prepaid days from Enterprise contracts, some ala carte services, and support cross-charges.  When you move it to professional services, it creates a lot of friction to step in and help accounts that have real problems.  Why because they cared deeply about the revenue, which delayed helping accounts in trouble.   

 

Andrew Rowlands

I remember my days at IBM well! Very similar issue to what I am facing now due to size and silos! You touch on another point I am working through is how CS will work with PS which yes..... is a diff business unit and silo!

Scott Hopper

I'll bet Telstra is a large org.