An Application Support Specialist is a professional who provides technical assistance and support for software applications used within an organization. They play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation and functionality of various software systems. In this blog post, we will explore the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Application Support Specialists.

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Main Responsibilities of an Application Support Specialist

The following list describes the typical responsibilities of an Application Support Specialist:

Adhere to

• Adhere to and follow the company's policies and procedures in all activities.

• Adhere to and improve change management processes.

Analyse

Analyse, troubleshoot and problem solve simple to complex software and data problems.

Answer

• Answer incoming support calls, emails, and chats.

• Answer support calls as they come in Quality Assurance testing.

Apply

Apply advanced skills to resolve complex problems independently.

Ask

Ask questions to determine nature of problem.

Assist in

• Assist in new implementations, installations, upgrades and migrations of existing customers systems.

• Assist in software license management and compliance tracking.

• Assist in software upgrade and migration projects.

• Assist in technical projects as needed.

• Assist in the evaluation and selection of software solutions.

• Assist in the maintenance and development of technical documentations.

• Assist other departments with application issues and development of the software.

• Assist QA staff with testing Avenza's applications prior to release.

• Assist the Director of Support with Internal Process Reviews and Documentation Development.

• Assist users in resolving technical issues and software errors.

• Assist with monthly and quarterly auditor request as assigned.

• Assist with QA testing of new software releases.

• Assist with systems integrations / conversions.

• Assist with the closure to all production issues raised.

Attend

• Attend all i-heal Help Desk training sessions.

• Attend troubleshooting calls.

Build

• Build and maintain close relationships with customers and sales personnel.

• Build and maintain effective relationships with colleagues, customers, and suppliers.

Collaborate with

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to address software-related challenges.

• Collaborate with developers and QA team for high quality, delivery on time.

• Collaborate with IT teams to integrate software systems with existing infrastructure.

• Collaborate with other cross functional teams to assist with account approval and maintenance.

• Collaborate with software developers and vendors to address complex issues.

Communicate

• Communicate and coordinate with internal departments when addressing software bugs or new releases.

• Communicate events such as patching of servers to stakeholders & various IT teams.

• Communicate incidents to Management and business community.

• Communicate with individuals at all levels within the organization.

Complete

• Complete additional duties as assigned.

• Complete or update your profile and submit your application online.

• Complete software project setups and modifications as required by the client.

Conduct

• Conduct regular system audits to identify potential vulnerabilities.

• Conduct research and stays updated on emerging technologies in the field.

• Conduct system testing and quality assurance to ensure software functionality.

• Conduct user acceptance testing for software enhancements and updates.

Configure

• Configure and implement new functionality in the Explorance software solutions.

• Configure system access rights, privileges for users as required.

Contribute to

Contribute to the successful deployment of information systems projects.

Coordinate with

• Coordinate with external vendors for technical support and issue resolution.

• Coordinate with internal and outsourced service provider on service request and problem resolving.

Correspond with

Correspond with clients, sales representatives and customer service representatives.

Create

• Create future friendly® possibilities.

• Create IS documentation and testing scenarios for users.

• Create support training video's.

• Create training content and provide instruction in classroom, virtual, and online video courses.

• Create, update, and ensure adherence to Operational Standards in all applications.

Cultivate

Cultivate lasting, trusted relationships with customers built on success.

Define

Define, implements and tests backup and disaster recovery plans.

Demonstrate

Demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and professional development.

Develop

• Develop and implement strategies to address complex technical challenges.

• Develop and maintain documentation, including user guides and FAQs.

• Develop and maintain documentation to ensure that all team members can support all applications.

• Develop & maintain an understanding of business procedures and organizational needs.

• Develop & maintain support documentation and knowledge base.

• Develop strong communications, reporting etc. within the team for issues and opportunities.

• Develop team management capability and assist in helping set direction and vision for the team.

Diagnose

Diagnose and resolve technical problems with xTrader and other applications used in Capital Markets.

Direct

Direct resolution of issues or escalation of incidents to engineers.

Document

• Document all support tickets in tracking tool.

• Document troubleshooting steps and resolution details.

Ensure

• Ensure application and service processes and outputs are error free and complete.

• Ensure compliance with software licensing and usage policies.

• Ensure continuity and quality by owning the resolution of issues across platforms.

• Ensure continuity of the business processes supported by one or many applications / services.

• Ensure operational readiness of all applications.

• Ensure that applications and related services are documented and kept current.

• Ensure that the Manager is always informed of workload status and details of key issues.

Escalate

Escalate issues to internal developers, external vendors, or to our infrastructure providers.

Establish

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with all stakeholders.

• Establish strong working relationships across project teams and enterprise teams.

Execute

Execute all projects and technical tasks in a timely fashion per project schedules.

Exhibit

Exhibit timely responsiveness and follows-up with customers' requests.

Follow

Follow internal and external support procedures.

Follow-up

Follow-up with customers on any ongoing support cases.

Follow

Follow various regulator requirements and internal policy and procedures.

Gain

Gain in-depth knowledge of core systems and their functional use in the business.

Gather

Gather business requirements, for example in anticipation of trading a new product.

Guide

Guide end users through hardware setup processes.

Identify

• Identify and engage in process improvement opportunities and automation.

• Identify and Evaluate Technology Solutions.

• Identify and learn appropriate software and hardware used and supported by the organization.

• Identify and resolve highly complex production problems for support of applications.

• Identify, evaluate and develop solution designs and implement them.

• Identify faults and issues and recommend appropriate paths to resolution, and fixing as appropriate.

• Identify new system upgrade features or new system implementations to be communicated to clients.

• Identify trends or problems.

Implement

• Implement backup and recovery procedures for software applications.

• Implement software monitoring tools to proactively identify issues.

• Implement software patches, updates, and enhancements.

Install

• Install and configure computer applications, monitor and maintain network infrastructure.

• Install and configure software applications according to user requirements.

Investigate

• Investigate and diagnose tickets to obtain customer satisfaction.

• Investigate and diagnose tickets to obtain resolution as quickly as possible.

• Investigate and help resolve customer issues using Avenza's applications.

Keep

Keep schedules, make tight deadlines, work timely and independently.

Lead

Lead a large project or multiple projects that are significant in scope and impact.

Liaise with

Liaise with the business analyst and project management teams.

Listen

Listen attentively to customer needs and concerns.

Load

Load testing exposure (designing, performing, evaluating load tests).

Maintain

• Maintain a knowledge base of common issues and their resolutions.

• Maintain and develop knowledge and understanding of customer and industry requirements.

• Maintain company user and project database.

• Maintain customer records by updating account information using the Salesforce.

• Maintain, manage and update technical system documentation.

• Maintain production environments relating to online services.

• Maintain solution quality in collaboration with other team members.

• Maintain system security access, to facilitate ease of information access of users.

• Maintain, troubleshoot, resolve issues / bugs as they arise and ensure timely resolution.

Make

Make improvements to improve functionality, stability, and customer satisfaction levels.

Manage

• Manage Admin level settings for property portfolio and tweak system behaviors.

• Manage and follows-up on customers' problems or inquiries in a timely manner.

• Manage business as usual operation and ensure that all client support requests comply with SLA.

• Manage customer issues and requests through our cloud based Zendesk application.

• Manage materials in the pitcher system.

• Manage QA environments (UAT, IST).

• Manage system incidents reported by users.

• Manage the administration of merchant on boarding, profile configuration and reporting.

• Manage tickets on theTicketing system and maintain SLA.

• Manage user accounts and permissions for software systems.

• Manage your workload including simultaneous incidents, requests, changes, and project tasks.

Meet

Meet with appropriate technical staff, end users, and senior management.

Monitor

• Monitor, manage, and possibly tune platforms for availability and performance.

• Monitor software systems for performance and security.

Oversee

• Oversee new customer set-up including licensing, entitlements, product installation and onboarding.

• Oversee operations team and vendors during application releases.

Participate in

• Participate in disaster recovery planning and testing.

• Participate in follow-the-sun support model with appropriate geographic handovers.

• Participate in Linux servers, Apache webserver and Cordys upgrade activities.

• Participate in on-call rotations to provide after-hours support.

• Participate in software deployment and migration projects.

• Participate in strategic and business planning processes.

• Participate in the on-call support to the 24 / 7 team.

Perform

• Perform basic system and application administration / configuration tasks.

• Perform data analysis and generates reports on software performance.

• Perform database upgrades and testing both on and off site.

• Perform maintenance, and support tasks including system monitoring, patching and upgrading.

• Perform post-resolution follow-ups to service requests.

• Perform routine application support in a 24x7 on-call production support.

• Perform Security Administration and set up for Dynamics AX.

Plan

Plan and participate in business systems maintenance work as required.

Present

Present a professional image at all times to customers and vendors.

Prioritize

Prioritize when several issues occur simultaneously.

Promote

• Promote new software releases, training and services to existing client base.

• Promote respect of BI norms and standards.

Provide

• Provide 3rd Line Technical Support.

• Provide advice and guidance to users to enable them to use systems effectively.

• Provide basic technical and web application training to new customers when required.

• Provide capacity planning, monitoring, and maintenance of designated system(s).

• Provide continuous feedback to customers.

• Provide continuous support for all AX related issues / tickets.

• Provide customers with product and service information with professionalism and clear communication.

• Provide expertise and technical knowledge about an application or suite of applications.

• Provide feedback, or reports on customer issues, to the Product Management group.

• Provide feedback to internal teams to enhance products and customer experience.

• Provide guidance and support during software implementation projects.

• Provide recommendations for process improvements and system optimizations.

• Provide semi-regular after-hours support of the IIE system as necessary.

• Provide subject matter support to programmers and developers.

• Provide support for medical director reviews of promotional materials.

• Provide support for the resolution of software issues during and after regular working hours.

• Provide support to programmers and developers.

• Provide timely updates to the affected traders and to technology managers.

• Provide training and support to end-users on software usage.

Receive

Receive customer requests, analyze their problems and propose solutions.

Recognize

Recognize, document and alert the supervisor of trends in customer calls.

Recommend

Recommend process improvements.

Release

Release Parties and Social Events.

Research

Research, design, plan, and implement new technologies into current environment.

Resolve

• Resolve complex issues in applications development.

• Resolve product or service issue by clarifying the customer' s complaint.

Respond to

Respond to application problems that occur abruptly and require immediate solutions.

Review

• Review and approval of credentials.

• Review, approval and implementation of code changes.

• Review cases for technical complexity and make recommendations for escalation if needed.

Rollout

Rollout, setup, and educate end-users on new product implementations.

Seek

Seek opportunity to teach and learn from other team members.

Set-up

• Set-up and monitor automated jobs in a central scheduler.

• Set-up new users, user maintenance, and user terminations.

Stay updated on

Stay updated on technology changes or problems.

Support

• Support and troubleshoot customer issues both hardware and software related.

• Support applications, systems and services used by staff, Centres and Customers.

• Support Development Issues.

• Support Documentation Updates and Creation.

• Support of Oracle and SAP products.

• Support service transition of new services or changes to existing services.

• Support spreadsheet-based market data and pricing processes.

• Support the development teams and the 24 / 7 group in deploying applications and solving problems.

Take

Take part in production support rotation, and responding and resolving production problems.

Test

• Test fixes to ensure problems have been adequately resolved.

• Test new application functionality before release.

Track

• Track progress and escalate as appropriate unless resolution reached.

• Track software and hardware issues for identification and resolution.

Train

Train users on specific applications and document creation.

Transfer

• Transfer customer calls to appropriate staff as necessary.

• Transfer / escalate issues to other team members as required.

Travel

Travel insurance coverage and access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Troubleshoot

• Troubleshoot and diagnoses software problems to identify root causes.

• Troubleshoot application return to service in the event of a failure.

• Troubleshoot to restore application use in the event of a failure.

Understand

Understand the behavior of software in order to deploy and troubleshoot problems.

Undertake

• Undertake advanced administration tasks as required e.g. to support problem resolution.

• Undertake maintenance and enhancement activities.

Update

Update job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities.

Upload

Upload new materials to the pitcher system.

Walk

Walk customer through problem-solving process.

Work with

• Work collaboratively across the enterprise, especially with the broader IT team.

• Work in conjunction with the maintenance and testing teams to resolve customer problems.

• Work independently within established procedures.

• Work to agreed Service Levels to ensure personal and team SLA targets are met.

• Work to ensure that the team can meet or exceed agreed Service Level Agreements.

• Work with a pristine, robust and renowned product in the cyber security space.

• Work with technical writers as the technical adviser for product documentation.

• Work with the cross functional application support team on a daily basis.

• Work with Vendors – Internet Provider, Phone Providers, Software Vendors, Network Vendors.

Most In-demand Hard Skills

The following list describes the most required technical skills of an Application Support Specialist:

1. Proficiency in software application troubleshooting and technical issue resolution.

2. Knowledge of various operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, and Linux.

3. Familiarity with relational databases and SQL query language.

4. Understanding of network protocols, configurations, and troubleshooting techniques.

5. Experience with software deployment and release management processes.

6. Knowledge of scripting languages, such as PowerShell or Python, for automation and task optimization.

7. Proficiency in application performance monitoring and diagnostic tools.

8. Ability to read and interpret code for debugging purposes.

9. Familiarity with software development methodologies, such as Agile or DevOps.

10. Experience with incident management and ticketing systems.

11. Understanding of ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) best practices.

12. Knowledge of web technologies, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

13. Familiarity with cloud computing platforms, such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.

14. Ability to analyze system logs and identify patterns or anomalies.

15. Proficiency in using remote support tools for troubleshooting and assistance.

16. Understanding of virtualization technologies, such as VMware or Hyper-V.

17. Knowledge of security protocols and practices for protecting data and applications.

18. Familiarity with mobile application support and troubleshooting.

19. Experience with enterprise software applications, such as CRM or ERP systems.

20. Proficiency in data migration and integration processes.

Most In-demand Soft Skills

The following list describes the most required soft skills of an Application Support Specialist:

1. Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, for effective interaction with end-users and team members.

2. Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities to identify and resolve complex technical issues.

3. Customer-centric approach and the ability to provide exceptional user support and satisfaction.

4. Adaptability and flexibility to work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

5. Strong organizational and time management skills to handle multiple support requests and prioritize tasks effectively.

6. Collaborative mindset and the ability to work well within cross-functional teams.

7. Patience and empathy when dealing with end-users who may be experiencing technical difficulties.

8. Detail-oriented approach to ensure accurate documentation and record-keeping.

9. Proactive attitude and the ability to anticipate potential issues or system improvements.

10. Continuous learning mindset to stay updated with evolving technologies and industry trends.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have explored the main responsibilities of an Application Support Specialist. They are responsible for providing technical assistance, troubleshooting software issues, collaborating with teams, and ensuring the smooth functioning of software applications within an organization. Additionally, we have highlighted the most in-demand hard skills, including technical competencies in troubleshooting, operating systems, databases, scripting, and software deployment. Furthermore, we have emphasized the importance of soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, customer-centricity, adaptability, and collaboration for success in this role.