What Does an Application Manager Do?

What exactly is an application manager and what does the position look like?

Almost all organizations need IT software to carry out their business activities. An application manager ensures, among other things, that all applications remain up and running. Curious what this looks like in practice? In this article you can read everything about the function.

What is Application Management?

Application management is the process for managing and maintaining a software solution - or application. An important process for many organizations, because a malfunctioning application significantly reduces business productivity, turnover and control. But it is also important for users to guarantee the security, privacy and control of the processes.

Application management ensures that an application fits well with the IT environment, user wishes and current work processes. After the software development process, application management always follows to keep the software up to date and to process feedback from end users.

Difference between application management and functional management

We distinguish two types of functions within application management:

• Technical application manager: an application manager who manages various applications, resolves problems and implements user wishes.
• Functional application manager: an application manager who is responsible for one specific application. Consider an ERP system or a CRM system. The focus is on the ease of use of the application.

The difference between technical application management and functional application management is - as the terms suggest - that with technical application management you need more technical knowledge. Functional application management focuses more on monitoring and facilitating applications. Technical application management is about implementing, improving and maintaining applications.

What is an application manager?

An Application Manager ensures that certain applications are operational, easy to use and well maintained, so that the user is and remains satisfied with the application. A very important part of this function is communicating with users and anticipating problems. These must be resolved as quickly as possible.

What does a System Administrator do?

An Application Manager is responsible for managing the applications within an organization. They look at which applications are needed to properly perform and improve business activities. They also supervise the installation, upgrading and daily maintenance of the software.

The duties and responsibilities of an Application Manager differ per organization. In addition, in small to medium-sized organizations you often see that application management and functional application management often fall within the same function. In large organizations, functional and technical management are often separate. The most common tasks and responsibilities are:

• Designing, developing and implementing new software.
• Managing, and maintaining applications.
• Solving, identifying, analyzing and reporting problems.
• Testing new functionalities and responding to technical developments.
• Consulting with users and software suppliers
• Providing explanations to users and compiling user manuals.
• Advising management on necessary or desired adjustments.

What do you need to be able to do in this position?

As an Application Manager, it is important that you have knowledge and experience with Application Services Library (ALS). In addition to your technical knowledge, it is also important that you can empathize with colleagues in order to properly explain the use of the applications and implement optimizations.

It is also important that you can work well together. In this position you often work together with system administrators and other IT professionals. It is also important that you are stress-resistant and can set priorities. Some incidents have more consequences for, for example, the functioning of applications than others.