Sales support and customer service teams provide their expertise and knowledge of a given market, a product range or product line to the sales teams. Depending on the company, they work closely with the technical department, clients and suppliers.
Here are some examples of careers within this sector
SALES ADMINISTRATION
Goal(s)
Managing the client’s order from signing the contract up to final invoicing, in terms of logistics and finance
Main duties
Analyzing and identifying a contract’s logistical terms (deadlines, incoterms, shipping locations, products, relationships with shipping companies, and so on)
Analyzing and identifying a contract’s financial terms (payment terms, currencies used, transfer of ownership, logbook entries, remittance notes, and so on)
Integrating data in the Blue Planet system (retrieving information (billable items, logistical items and management scope) among quotes, sales, management oversight and sales teams)
Approving technical conditions of the order (contractual elements, updates to logistics and financial statutes)
Raising the conditional terms of the contract allowing the order to be processed (account management, guarantees, credit notes (or other finance details)
Tracking equipment availability dates with respect to the dates requested by the client so as to identify any gaps
Organizing delivery (group orders, packaging and shipping; preparation of customs documents, and so on
Negotiating with supply chains and suppliers to obtain the best date if a PM has correctly planned their needs and the client cannot postpone the site)
Invoicing the client
PROJECT MANAGER
Goal(s)
Managing and guaranteeing the contract is properly carried out: coordinating and in complying with a range of actions.
Taking responsibility for commitments (costs, quality, deadlines) to the client, being the main point of contact.
Guaranteeing a project makes a profit
Main duties
Leading relations with the client from before signing the contract to final sign-off
Taking part in drafting budgets and meeting project objectives
Coordinating the contract’s progression, supporting teams involved in the project
Contributing to project reviews
Leading and monitoring project risk prevention
Ensuring the project is documented and properly valued
Identifying sales opportunities
Being the client’s technical project manager
SOLUTIONS INTEGRATION
Goal(s)
Implement the design and integration of the entire solution supplied to the client: access, core network, applications, and so on.
Main duties
Design and validate the solution within the client’s environment (including end-user services), meeting the commitments set out in the contract
Verify and validate the interoperability of products/subsystems from various suppliers
Guaranteeing the performance of a solution by validating its various functions in order to obtain the client’s final sign-off.
Leading relationships with ALU teams and third parties as part of integrating the solution within an existing network
Ensuring proper technical migration of the solution: preparing the required technical configuration, executing procedures, adjusting the new systems and managing any feedback, where necessary
Managing relationships with the client throughout the integration