To better liaison with the business and bolster IT’s strategic cred, CIOs are increasingly turning to BRMs. Here’s how to locate the right talent and make the most of this hybrid leadership role.
Is your IT group overwhelmed with competing demands from different business functions for new or improved technologies they say they need to do their work efficiently? If you’re like most IT leaders, your answer is probably yes. And the solution may surprise you: Hire a business relationship manager.
A business relationship manager (BRM) — who may also be called a business-IT liaison or some similar title — is an executive-level employee whose role is to act as a bridge between business and IT, making sure the highest-level priorities are addressed, educating business leaders about the benefits new technology can provide, and making sure business value is achieved when new tools or products are deployed. And one of a business relationship manager’s most important functions is to help determine which requests and initiatives should take immediate priority, and which should wait or be set aside altogether.
When BRMs engage with business leaders, they often reduce the number of demands, not increase them. As Cassio Dreyfuss, a vice president at Gartner, explains, “The BRM can talk to the business and say, ‘This is not really important now,’ or ‘Let’s focus on this.’ As a result, the number of demands goes down, rather than up.”
Besides managing demand, BRMs offer several valuable services. Below are five reasons to consider adding a BRM to your organization and tips on how to prepare for this role.
1. Simplifying the Tech Portfolio
A BRM helps make sense of your current technology stack. If a process or system isn’t working efficiently—whether resources are being wasted or the right tools aren’t available—a BRM can step in. They assess whether a project or system is valuable at the moment or if it’s something better suited for the future.
According to Danielle Dizes, a former strategist at the Business Relationship Management Institute, a BRM looks at a process and determines if the project should keep moving forward or be held off for later. They focus on aligning tech efforts with business goals by assessing the potential value a project offers.
2. Uncovering Hidden Tech Needs
While it may seem counterintuitive, identifying unmet technology needs can benefit your organization by delaying projects that don’t deliver immediate value. BRMs can bring these hidden demands to the surface and help ensure that the business value of potential projects is clear.
BRMs play a key role in continuous improvement, helping with idea generation, planning, and finding opportunities for tech to advance business objectives. In some cases, business leaders may not even be aware of these opportunities until a BRM brings them to light.
3. Educating Leaders on What Tech Can Do
A good BRM doesn’t just act as a go-between—they help educate business leaders about what technology can (and can’t) accomplish. Tim Wenhold, CIO at Power Home Remodeling, says, “The people you use to build that bridge need to understand they are there to coach stakeholders about what’s possible.”
They live in both the tech and business worlds and understand the needs of both sides. Their consultative mindset helps leaders understand which requests are reasonable and which might need adjustment to fit technological constraints.
4. Representing Business Leaders Who Are Absent
Sometimes, after a solution has been developed for business clients, those clients fail to stay engaged. That’s where the BRM steps in. If business stakeholders don’t attend key meetings or test the solution as expected, the BRM can act as a stand-in, ensuring that projects continue moving forward.
5. Finding Tech Synergies Across Departments
BRMs are skilled at spotting opportunities to spread the benefits of technology across the organization. For instance, when working on a tech solution for one department, a BRM might see ways that it could help another department too. This allows companies to maximize the value of tech investments.
One former BRM, Meg Ramsey, recounts working on a project to create a repository for sales data. She soon realized the tool could benefit other departments like marketing, so she spread the word and made sure other functions gained from the project.
Structuring the BRM Role for Success
Where should a BRM sit in the organization? Most experts agree that a BRM should report to the IT department, typically to the CIO. The goal is for BRMs to elevate IT’s position to that of a strategic partner for the business, not just a service provider.
While BRMs help shape the strategy, project managers handle the execution. Cassio Dreyfuss stresses that a BRM’s job is to create requirements and build a business case for a solution, but project managers are the ones who lead the actual implementation. By letting project managers handle the hands-on work, BRMs can focus on maintaining the strategic alignment of the project.
The Future of BRMs and Product Managers
There’s ongoing debate about the future of the BRM role, especially with the rise of product managers, another role that involves some business relationship management tasks. While some experts think product managers might eventually replace BRMs, others believe the two roles can work together. A BRM focuses on the bigger picture for a client, while a product manager might be responsible for the details of a specific tool or product.
Real-World BRMs in Action
At Power Home Remodeling, the role of the BRM is referred to as “producteers.” These producteers work closely with business departments but report to the business technology department (essentially IT). They spend time with their business counterparts but maintain strong connections with the tech team, which helps foster day-to-day collaboration.
One key to success is giving the BRM enough authority to shape the strategic direction of the project without getting bogged down in project management details. This allows them to drive business-IT alignment effectively.
What Makes a Good BRM?
The best BRM candidates often come from business backgrounds rather than IT. This helps them understand the needs of their departments while gaining the tech knowledge needed to bridge the gap between business and IT. Analytical thinking and broad experience across different functions are key traits for success in this role.
Conclusion: The Growing Importance of BRMs
As technology continues to play a central role in business strategy, the BRM’s importance will only grow. They help businesses make the most of tech by aligning it with strategic goals and managing the demands of both business leaders and IT departments. This role isn’t just about technology—it’s about ensuring that the company’s overall strategy is well-supported and successfully implemented.
By finding the right BRM talent and structuring the role effectively, your organization can create stronger connections between business and IT, ultimately leading to greater success.