Implement Business Relationship Management
Leverage knowledge of the business to become a strategic IT partner.
- Business leaders believe that IT should be a partner with the business, but many IT organizations are not viewed as partners and trusted advisors.
- The business does not view IT as a value creator.
- Third-party services have increased pressure on IT as they offer viable alternatives to the functions that an immature IT department performs.
- IT organizations that do not create business value are at risk of being outsourced or replaced.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- BRM is not just a communication conduit between IT and the business. When implemented properly, a BRM is a value creator, advocate, innovator, and influencer.
- The BRM role must be designed to match the maturity level of the IT organization and the business. Before you can create incremental business value, you must master the fundamentals of service and project delivery.
Impact and Result
- Info-Tech has developed an approach that will enable you to develop and implement a BRM program that is customized to the maturity level of your organization.
- In the short run, BRM will help to demonstrate the value of the IT organization to the business and build credibility and trust.
- In the long run, BRM will evolve with the IT organization as it transforms into a strategic partner, making IT an indispensable part of the business value chain.
- The ideal state is achieved when the BRM comes to the business with innovative solutions to drive the business forward and achieve the organization’s goals and objectives.
Implement Business Relationship Management
Start here – read the Executive Brief
Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should implement a relationship management function, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.
1. Obtain buy-in for the BRM program
Obtain buy-in for the BRM program by accurately understanding the business’ strategic objectives and pain points with IT and then presenting the BRM program as a way to eliminate those pain points and create business value.
2. Define the BRM role
Create job descriptions once the BRM role and how it should operate at each maturity level has been defined.
3. Implement the BRM role
Determine your BRM reporting structure and then develop your engagement plan before you begin to implement the BRM role.
Member Testimonials
After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.
8.8/10
Overall Impact
$30,639
Average $ Saved
23
Average Days Saved
Client
Experience
Impact
$ Saved
Days Saved
Toronto Community Housing Corporation
Workshop
10/10
$100K
90
Omya (Schweiz) AG
Guided Implementation
8/10
$8,679
5
Regional Sanitation & Sacramento Area Sewer District
Workshop
8/10
$12,399
16
Kansas City Chiefs Football Club
Workshop
10/10
$12,399
10
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Workshop
7/10
$25,000
10
Federated Co-operatives Limited
Guided Implementation
9/10
$25,000
10
Natural Resources Canada
Workshop
10/10
N/A
N/A
Distribuidora la Florida S.A
Workshop
8/10
$30,999
20
Job and Family Services
Workshop
10/10
$12,399
50
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio
Guided Implementation
8/10
N/A
N/A
Emerson Automation Solutions
Guided Implementation
4/10
N/A
N/A
Choctaw Nation Of Oklahoma
Workshop
9/10
$123K
20
OXY Inc
Workshop
8/10
$30,999
20
City of Alexandria, VA
Guided Implementation
7/10
N/A
N/A
The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited
Guided Implementation
9/10
$60,484
10
State of Montana ITSD
Workshop
10/10
N/A
N/A
Office of Information Services for Oregon Health Authority (OHA) & Department of Human Services (DHS)
Workshop
10/10
$31,833
20
The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited
Guided Implementation
1/10
N/A
N/A
Ville de Laval
Guided Implementation
8/10
$47,500
9
Historic Royal Palaces
Guided Implementation
7/10
$3,480
9
Birla Management Centre Services Ltd.
Guided Implementation
1/10
N/A
N/A
Montgomery County Board of County Commissioners
Guided Implementation
9/10
N/A
N/A
Onsite Workshop: Implement Business Relationship Management
Onsite workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost onsite delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Obtain Buy-In
The Purpose
Define the objectives of the BRM program, identify business and IT pain points, and then walk through the results of the CIO Business Vision diagnostic.
Key Benefits Achieved
Mutually agreed upon objectives between IT and the business for how BRM can add value to the organization.
Activities
Outputs
Define objectives of the BRM program.
- List of objectives for the BRM program
Identify business pain points.
- List of business pain points
Identify IT pain points.
- List of IT pain points
Understand business satisfaction with IT using the CIO Business Vision diagnostic.
- Summary of CIO Business Vision results
Module 2: Define the BRM Role
The Purpose
Understand how the BRM role operates at different levels of maturity and determine what best fits your organization. Refine BRM role descriptions to reflect that.
Key Benefits Achieved
A well-defined description of the BRM role that is customized to best fit the maturity of your organization. This will serve as an input into the next phase as well.
Activities
Outputs
Define components of the BRM role.
Define BRM maturity levels.
Define BRM candidate qualifications.
Refine BRM role descriptions.
- BRM role descriptions
Module 3: Implement BRM
The Purpose
Customize the role of the BRM with respect to each department. Decide on how to measure the value of the BRM and how to communicate the benefit to business stakeholders.
Key Benefits Achieved
An engagement plan to ensure the BRM builds and maintains relationships with key stakeholders and a communication plan to obtain buy-in from business and IT leaders.
Activities
Outputs
Determine BRM reporting structure.
- BRM reporting structure
Create BRM engagement plan.
- BRM engagement plans
Gather feedback and measure value.
Create BRM communication plan.
- BRM communication plan
Create a metrics tracking plan.
- BRM metrics tracking plan
Create an action plan.
- Action plan and next steps
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Try Our Guided Implementations
Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 5 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation #1 - Obtain buy-in
- Call #1 - Define the objectives of the BRM program and identify business and IT pain points
- Call #2 - Walk through the results from the CIO Business Vision diagnostic
Guided Implementation #2 - Define the BRM role
- Call #1 - Define components of the BRM role and the maturity levels
- Call #2 - Determine member's BRM maturity level and walk through role descriptions
Guided Implementation #3 - Implement BRM
- Call #1 - Walk through the different BRM reporting structures and create a BRM engagement and communication plan
Contributors
- Joe Topinka, Chief Information Officer, SnapAV
- Glen Notman, Associate Partner, Citihub
- Julian Vinnels, IT Business Analyst, University of Exeter
- Joseph Sgandurra, IT Service Management Consultant, Microsoft
- 3 additional anonymous contributors