A great part of our software engagement. The people.
A Day in the Life of a Client Decision Manager
What do client decision managers do?
We are the primary point of contact for Decision Lens’ clients, from the point of sale onward. We provide high-level customer support – everything from getting the software, to establishing the web hosting, to coordinating with IT departments, to helping with decision support.
Decision support includes teaching clients how to use the tool, helping them build their models, develop their criteria, and facilitating stakeholder meetings. The degree of service we provide depends on the sophistication of the client – that is, how self-sufficient they are, and how self-sufficient they would like to be.
What’s a day in the life of a client decision manager?
For a new client, we start by providing them with the training they need. That may mean delivering a formal training class or doing just-in-time training at each step in the process. It all depends on the client and what they need.
The first step of the decision–making process is building the decision model. Often, that involves working one-on-one with the main client contact to identify the attributes factoring into making the right decision for the organization. We may work with one or two people to build the preliminary model, and then take it to a larger group for a review session with stakeholders.
Typically the criteria are not equally important for each stakeholder. We derive the relative importance of the criteria through a facilitated process of pairwise comparison. Beyond that, we go into the evaluation of requirements against criteria.
Clients with more experience in using the software may already be at a point where they can take on the facilitation roles themselves. In that case we would help them understand how to move their group through the decision process.
What are the hallmarks of a successful client decision manager?
Many organizations have never been involved in this level of rigorous decision-making. Client decision managers have to have equal strength in analysis as well as communication.
They have to be able to help clients through what can be a somewhat contentious process in its early stages. Helping clients understand the process, get the right people to the table, and facilitating the process will create an environment where everyone is happy at the end.
What do you like most about the job?
Initially I was drawn to the group facilitation. The interactions and helping people during the course of meetings were particularly interesting. In helping an organization get up and running, and helping them understand the tools – as well as working through various stakeholder issues – you begin to encounter many of the same kinds of concerns and issues.
Where all companies differ, however, is in the nature of the decisions they make. As I have gotten more involved as a client decision manager, I realize that the analytical portion actually keeps me interested. Helping companies solve their unique problems is the most interesting part of my job.
