How Can BRM Have a Positive Impact on Your Organization?
Image credit: Tayloright
Lee Reiff of the BRM Contributor Network sat down with his CIO and two business partners to discuss the impact of business relationship management on their organization so far.
How it all began
It sure felt like a tumultuous and troubling time. One leader in the organization, Isaac, summed it up in one word: “frustrating.” Valerie and Julia, who oversee another business function within the organization, both felt entirely disconnected from the capabilities offered by IT. Even worse, there was little to no trust between business functions.
Each of these leaders faced operational pain points and inefficiency, yet had few resources in IT on which they could rely. Meanwhile, IT had only a basic understanding of the these business functions’ goals or strategies, meaning it bore no empathy for the impact of those pain points.
Isaac and his business function relied almost exclusively on the support of one individual because he was “the only one we had any confidence in.” Valerie and Julia would ask their own business function to find potential solutions to problems and present them to IT for implementation. The intent was to be a proactive, ‘good’ business partner, but the results almost always fell short. Solutions felt more like workarounds and sometimes caused as many problems as they solved.
In short, things could’ve been better.
What to do?
Ross, the CIO, had a vision: he wanted to extend awareness of IT to become more empathetic to the needs of its business partners. These needs could be used to help each organization define value, which could then inform IT of the strategic plans of different business functions. IT could then begin its journey to becoming a strategic partner to business.
Ross also knew he couldn’t do this on his own. The BRM team was born.
While the BRM team is currently only two people strong, the changes are already apparent.
According to Ross, the BRM team has provided greater awareness of the people and processes required to deliver business value; things are no longer just about the technology. According to Ross, “Technology solutions in themselves don’t equal successful implementations.”
This awareness is seeping into the entire IT organization. All IT colleagues have a broader and deeper understanding of IT’s business partners within the organization—specifically, empathy for the complex work our business partners accomplish every day.
The tangible outcome…is the beginning of a business capability roadmap for his organization, made possible only by IT’s stronger understanding of the goals and strategy of the business function.
Ross also fostered an initiative to document and communicate the catalog of IT capabilities to the whole of the organization. This is still a work in progress, but what is complete thus far sets a solid foundation for discussions with business functions around customizable capabilities to enable them to achieve their goals and ultimately, their strategy.
The results
Things are looking up. According to Isaac, BRM experiential learning has been integral to bridging the gap that existed previously. The tangible outcome of building this bridge is the beginning of a business capability roadmap for his organization, made possible only by IT’s stronger understanding of the goals and strategy of the business function.
While there are still some operational pain points that need to be addressed, having a BRM engaged has “brought the frustration level way down.”
Julia echoed this assessment of where things are today. While there are still some difficulties surrounding day-to-day operations, there is a real opportunity to begin transitioning discussions to the organization’s broader strategy—a process that is now in its infancy, but would have been nearly impossible otherwise.
Valerie is also encouraged by where things are headed. She realized during the early stages of establishing the BRM capability that while she’d believed both organizations were already doing all of the things BRM talked about in some capacity, it became clear very quickly that this was not the case.
The [business capability roadmap] will make strategic partnering a reality, ensuring that IT delivers solutions that provide the greatest value for the entire organization.
Relationships require active cultivation, and empowering the BRM to be successful in this regard is a critical component to value optimization for both partners. Valerie is energized by the prospect of a business capability roadmap and is excited for both organizations to reap the benefits of this process.
Ross, the CIO, is ecstatic to see his fellow leaders diving into the business capability roadmap exercises. These roadmaps will make strategic partnering a reality, ensuring that IT delivers solutions that provide the greatest value for the entire organization.
There’s a hidden gem in this process for Ross: the understanding that selecting the right technology isn’t the yardstick by which success is measured. The journey is just as important as the destination, and what makes for the most rewarding experience is the process of building and strengthening relationships, enabling strategy, and optimizing value for business partners.
Looking ahead
A BRM’s work is never done. While great strides have been made, there is much to do.
Ross aims to see BRMs working towards strategic partnership with more departments in the organization as the year goes on. He would also like to formalize a process whereby IT can complete proof of concept (POC) or rapid application development (RAD) efforts to allow business partners to realize value for a small investment. Additionally, he anticipates the completion of the first investment that began with value in mind.
Julia is encouraged that the beginnings of this partnership are clearing the path to achieving her vision and strategy, and is looking forward to a converged business partner experience and fostering a trust-based relationship to produce value.
Isaac indicated that he is confident that IT can help his organization achieve their vision and strategy, and has identified communication and strategic engagement as the tools to get there.
When business partner relationships are fostered with trust and value in mind, it turns out that the result is moving from frustration to confidence—a win-win for all business peers involved.
Lee Reiff is a Business Relationship Manager for the Information Technology Division of Larimer County, working to drive business and IT convergence to realize business value that benefits not only employees, but the county’s citizens as well. Lee received a Master’s in Computer Information Systems from Colorado State University in 2013. In his spare time, he plays tuba in ensembles in Fort Collins and Cheyenne, WY and has also been on a bowling team for the last several years, with three championships to prove it!
