The Strategic Account Management Program was introduced in 2002 as a means to provide customers with a more personalized level of service.  In essence, a strategic account manager is retained on a customer’s account for a certain amount of time.  The length of time is dependent upon the client’s business needs, and and is determined during your inital evaluation and planning.

A big question is “What does the Strategic Account Manager do for me?”
Generally there are four basic areas that a Strategic Account Manager can assist you with. Listed below are details of each area.

1. Account/Project Management
2. Enhanced VOS Support
3. Special Projects
4. Staff Augmentation           

Account/Project Management
Business Application Management

1. Manage status and delivery of all open issues and prioritize accordingly.
2. Act as liaison between customer and VOS to ensure issues are addressed and resolved in
1. a timely fashion.
3. Research and provide information needed by VOS to resolve issues.
4. Perform periodic review of system configuration such as review of business rules.
5. Develop all SOWs for approval by customer which shall include mutually agreed upon
1. deliverables and acceptance criteria for each deliverable.
6. Provide a monthly status report (samples can be provided)
7. Perform project management

User Enhancements

1. Work with customer to develop technical and business specifications for new enhancements.
2. Work with customer on the deployment of the new enhancement which may involve workflow changes and system configuration
3. Perform testing of the enhancements in client’s test environment

Enhanced VOS Support (over and above VOS standard support)

1. Act as the liaison between customer and VOS support.
2. Research iVOS system questions from the customer users
3. Preliminary test of all changes to iVOS software prior to turning over to customer users
4. Assist in everyday issues in which customers can’t resolve or are not available to resolve.
5. Provide weekly progress report of outstanding support activities

Special Projects - (examples)

1. Implementation of New Modules (e.g. Document Imaging)
2. Transitioning Bill Review Companies
3. iVOS Upgrade Management
4. Any Other Special Request/Needs/Questions

Staff Augmentation

1. Provide additional resources when staff leaves or to fill a resource gap on a more permanent basis. E.g.
2. Maternity leave of your iVOS administrator or business analyst
3. Key resource resignation
4. Assist with production tasks (e.g. administration, EDI, business analyst, running/validating interfaces)

In addition to being assigned a Strategic Account Manager, you will also have the following benefits based on the full calendar year you are a particpant of the Strategic Account Management Program:

1. Priority preference within the development queues
2. Priority on available opening when scheduling upgrades within support
3. Lower Rates: SOWs will be estimated at your strategic account rate rather than the standard $187.50/hour rate (only applicable while in the Strategic Account Program)
4. Complimentary  8 hours of web-ex training a year (3 months or longer engagement)
5. Complimentary 2 day Claims Business Process Review (Client must use this item with 12 months of signing up for SAMP.  After 12 months it expires)
6. Complementary tickets to Annual User Conference - number of tickets is based on .
7. 1/2 FTE = 1 Pass
8. 1 FTE = 2 Passes
9. 2 FTE = 4 Passes
10. Exclusive one day pre-user conference session with Product Management Team. This session provides a preview of new product features & discussion on future features  ( 3 months or longer engagement)

The customer selects how many hours a week the strategic account manager will be working on their account, AND for how long (which determines the rate that will be applied).From the example above, participation in the program is customizable.  Typically, more hours are required initally during the beginning of the program, and as your organization assimilates to the improved processes and efficiencies, less time is required.