The Application System Support is responsible for the maintenance and provision of technical services and information with a focus on websites. They play an integral role in ensuring the overall integrity of productions systems, as well as ensuring that any changes to functionality that affect integration between systems functions as intended.
FUNCTIONS / RESPONSIBILITIES:
Reporting:
- Ability to extract data and information in a meaningful manner in order to supply users with information required for efficiently managing the business
- Users are provided meaningful reports and extracts in order for them to execute their daily functions
- Wherever possible, standard reports or pre-existing reports are to be utilised – therefore the number of requests for new information or a new layout set is to be kept to a minimum.
System architecture and application support:
- Programs run in correct sequence and access tables accordingly.
- Understands integration of relational databases, as well as table layouts and integration of production system.
- Is able to design a basic database for a specific business application.
- Understanding of system architecture and integration – detailed understanding of application software integration, operating systems and middleware.
- Call resolution in acceptable timeframes and KPI (Key performance Indicators).
- Proper Business engagement with regards to call resolution (Verbal, written etc.)
- Detailed, clear feedback on resolved calls to the business.
- Updates on calls so that the ITSM system is up to date with progress.
Business requirements and documentation:
- Engages with Business Analyst to refine business requirements specifications and communicate (where relevant) with technical team.
- Review BRD to ensure that the functional specification requirements are met.
- Document a detailed functional spec to explain in some technical terms the requirements noted in the BRD.
Testing:
- Responsible for Unit and Integration testing (including documentation) as part of the project/enhancement implementation cycle.
- Comprehensive documentation of test packs.
- Accurate recording of issues and communication to service providers of these.
- Re-testing of resolved issues.
System Performance and Analysis:
- Detailed understanding of all integration points in production systems, and how a change in one area in one application, will impact other areas in the same or different applications
- Maintain, manage and update technical system documentation where relevant, in conjunction with the service provider.
- Information integrity is maintained at all times during data updates in conjunction with the Data Analysts, where required.
- All effort done to ensure all production systems are available and able to be used by users during trading hours or at other times as required by the business functions.
- Ensure any system issues are escalated instantly.
SLA Management / Process Management:
- SLA Management.
- Identify core processes and the measures required to optimize the business engagement model and identify optimization possibilities.
- Attend and priorities calls with the service providers in accordance with business expectations.
Customer Management:
- Review incidents and plan and coordinate delivery activities.
- Build positive and productive working relationships with customers for business growth.
- Analyze and troubleshoot delivery issues in a timely fashion.
- Manage a delivery team to ensure timely and accurate resolution
- Oversee daily activities of delivery team and provide direction and guidance as needed.
- Perform resource allocations and workload assignments according to delivery requirements.
- Ensure that team maintains high level of competence and operational excellence.
- Evaluate the performance of team members and determine training needs.
- Serve as primary contact for customer inquiries and concerns.
- Develop process improvements to achieve cost effectiveness and time saving.
- Make critical business decisions to meet customer expectations.
- Develop scope and budget for delivery projects.
- Report status to customers and develop required delivery documentations.
Continuous improvement:
- Raise RFCs to resolve problems.
- Coordinate actions as necessary to assist with the analysis and resolution for problems and known errors.
- Monitor progress on the resolution of known errors and advising the incident management staff on the best available workaround.
- Update KEDB with new or updated known errors and workarounds.
- Assist with the handling of major incidents and identifying their root causes.
- Be responsible for communicating status at all levels including Executive Leadership
- Continually analyze and report on service impact (outages and customer impact tied to critical incidents).
- Establish and maintain baseline metrics to properly show measurable improvement over time from both a Critical Incident and Problem Management perspective.
- Establish and maintain consistency in relation to Critical Incident and Problem Management processes.
- Develop new and maintain existing technical procedures, documentation, and operational instructions in our organizations knowledge base (both within scope of Critical Incident Management / Problem Management and otherwise).
- Assist / aid in the day to day operational activities of the Incident Management team.
Vendor Management:
- Ensure vendor compliance to Massmart requirements, policies, regulations & security controls.
- Ensure service providers complete work accurately and on time.
- Ensure vendors work according to contracts & SLAs.
- Review and assess work delivered & overall performance of each Service Providers.
Requirements:
Minimum Academic, Professional Qualifications:
- Management qualification, or equivalent through management experience.
- ITIL Framework Awareness.
- ITIL V4 Service Management.
- Planning and Business acumen.
- Communication and leadership ability.
- Customer relationship management.
- COBIT.
- Support experience SAP/ Database/ Applications.
- Office Suite.
- MS Windows / Windows and IE Explorer / other Browsers.
- Process/ Business Analysis.
- Minimum of 5 years’ application support experience.
Experience required for this position:
- Computer knowledge.
- Analytical thinking.
- Problem-solving skills.
- Communication skills.
- Writing skills.
- Knowledge of applications and interactions.
- Experience with Service Management concepts.
- Aptitude for logical thinking and problem solving with high customer service orientation
- Ability to handle confidential matters, set priorities and work well under pressure with attention to detail.
- Self-motivated with the ability to work with minimal supervision and within teams if so required.
- Excellent analytical problem-solving skill.
- Effective verbal, written, presentation, and listening communication skills.
- Time management skills, to be punctual for client interactions.
- Effective experience in Management of people.
Competencies and Skills:
- Strengthen Reputation and Local Involvement.
- Ensure customer / Member Centred Performance.
- Ensure Execution and Achieve Results.
- Ensure Planning and Improvement.
- Build and Influence Team.
- Adapt and Learn.
- Strengthen Reputation and Local Involvement.
- Manage and Leverage Talent.
- Train and Develop Talent.
- Network Internally and Externally.
- Ability to converse at all levels in an organization.
- Self-motivated and disciplined.
- Ability to work as an individual or as part of a team.
Desired Skills:
- Enterprise Application Support
- Process/ Business Analysis
- SAP/ Database/ Applications
- ITIL V4 Service Management
- ITIL Framework Awareness
- System architecture
- Testing
- System Performance and Analysis
- COBIT
Desired Work Experience:
- 5 to 10 years