BRM and Agile Working Together
Business Relationship Management (BRM) professionals are increasingly encountering terminology related to Lean-Agile, which can often lead to confusion between the two strategies. While both methodologies share similarities, it’s important to understand the differences and how they can be used together to achieve the most success.
BRM and Agile have different purposes but share the same goal of optimizing business value.
To understand the differences, think of a ship sailing towards its destination. The captain and key decision-makers use a compass to chart the course, while the sailors adjust the sails to follow that course. In this analogy, BRM is like the compass, responsible for determining the long-term direction of the organization to ensure value is optimized and the ship arrives at port. Agile strategies are like the sails, responsible for making quick course adjustments to generate value.
BRM delivers business value by translating executive leadership strategy into a shared roadmap. A skilled BRM capability drives value at the highest level of business functions, breaking down siloes and ensuring shared ownership of both strategy and results across the organization.
Agile, on the other hand, translates business strategy into delivered value through an iterative hands-on approach. Unlike previous development models, Agile focuses on generating numerous small wins that lead to larger accomplishments.
Using both BRM and Agile together amplifies their effectiveness and leads to driving greater results. By understanding the benefits of each and properly defining them, organizations can optimize their business value and achieve their goals.
BRM plays a crucial role in setting the long-term strategy for an organization. However, without the continuous improvement mentality of Agile, progress may be slow. On the other hand, Agile can help an organization move swiftly and effectively, but without BRM to establish a road map, it may move swiftly in the wrong direction.
To achieve optimal business value, it is essential to adopt both BRM and Agile capabilities. The BRM team ensures the strategy for the organization, while Agile teams efficiently execute on that vision, rapidly responding to change as needed.
Organizations thrive on rapid evolution, executing on shared vision, and moving all individuals in unison. By using both BRM and Agile capabilities, your organization can accomplish all these factors. While these methodologies alone do not create a thriving organization, they complement each other to establish a strong foundation.