The Power of Role Clarity: Why it Matters More than Ever

In many organizations today, blurred roles between Business Relationship Managers (BRMs) or Technology Business Partners and Product Owners (POs) create confusion, friction, and lost opportunity. Both roles exist to create value—but without clear boundaries and intentional design, even the best efforts can collide instead of connect.

A recent McKinsey study showed that while 92% of companies are increasing their AI investments, only 1% believe their digital transformations are mature. This gap isn’t just about technology—it’s about clarity. When it’s unclear who ensures alignment and who drives delivery, value gets lost between strategy and execution.

Why Role Clarity Drives Results

Role clarity isn’t about creating rigid boundaries—it’s about designing collaboration with purpose.

• Business Partners (BPs) focus on alignment, relationships, and strategy. They ensure technology and business move in the same direction.

• Product Owners (POs) focus on delivery, backlog, and iteration. They ensure that products meet real needs and deliver measurable value.

When these roles are clearly defined and intentionally connected, the organization gains both strategic alignment and execution excellence. Conflicts decrease, trust increases, and teams deliver faster with greater impact.

One Organization, Two Roles, One Direction

Instead of asking “Do we need both roles?”, the real question is:

“What distinct capabilities do we need to deliver value and drive strategic alignment?”

With frameworks like the BRM Capability Model and tools such as Role Clarity Tables, teams can make collaboration visible and measurable. The result is not duplication—it’s synergy.

If you’d like to explore this topic further, you can download the full article, “Two Roles, One Vision: Clarifying BRM and Product Roles in Modern IT,” here.