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Welcome to the first in a series of four blogs in which we will introduce you to the world of Business Relationship Management, the role of the Business Relationship Manager, its corresponding certification, the value BRMs bring to the organization, and how to move into a BRM role as the next step of your career journey. In today’s blog, we will take a few minutes to introduce you to BRM, look at some key terms that surround the BRM world, and some suggested next steps.
What is Business Relationship Management?
BRM stands for Business Relationship Management or Business Relationship Manager. BRM can be a role or an organizational capability. As a role, the BRM acts as a liaison between the business (the customer) and the service provider (internal departments providing the business a service; for example, IT, HR, or accounting) to facilitate and improve communication and alignment between both parties. Because IT is often the service provider represented by BRMs, we will use an IT example for the remainder of blogs.
BRM’s help the service provider (e.g., IT) demonstrate their value and relevance to the business. They also help the business prioritize projects, ensure the business maximizes its return on investment from technology, and makes sure that the IT strategy supports the business strategy. To meet these needs, BRMs must have substantial knowledge about the business and technology to provide maximum benefit.
As an organizational capability, anyone working in a service provider role to the business should be skilled in core Business Relationship Management competencies (knowledge, skills, and behaviors) to foster effective value-producing relationships between the service provider and its business partners.
Experienced business analysts and program/project managers may move to a BRM role or utilize the BRM competencies in their work. PMs and BAs often need to create productive connections between the business and the service provider. They also help orchestrate key resources and capabilities needed to drive business value through projects and programs, facilitate working relationship between parties, get the business to understand and value the technology to maximize its use, and get the service provider to understand the business needs. Really good senior BAs and PMs take a strategic view of the organization to maximize value and realize benefits. These are the exact same skills needed by a BRM.
What is BRMP®?
Just like the other professional certifications, the BRM also has a professional certification from the BRM Institute. The BRMP is one of the newest certifications to hit the market. The BRMP stands for Business Relationship Management Professional. It is the first level of certification for Business Relationship Managers. This certification is designed to provide those in a BRM role or those looking to move into a BRM role with the foundational knowledge they need to be successful. The foundational knowledge is captured in the BRMBOK (BRM Body of Knowledge). The BRMBOK can be downloaded for free as a member of BRM Institute (Business Relationship Management Institute) or ordered on Amazon in paperback or eBook.
What is BRM Institute®?
To further promote and develop Business Relationship Managers around the world, the Business Relationship Management Institute (BRM Institute) was created. BRM Institute is a non-profit corporation that serves the Business Relationship Management professional community by providing membership, certification, and professional development to help maximize Business Relationship Management capability in organizations. BRM Institute is the go-to source of up-to-date BRM knowledge and leading practices and the forum to exchange ideas with other practitioners in the field.
BRM Institute partnered with APMG International (an organization that provides accreditation and certification services to organizations) to facilitate the delivery of Business Relationship Management Professional (BRMP®) accreditation, training, and certification.
Our upcoming blogs will go into depth on what a BRM is and does, provide more information about the BRMP, how to become a BRM, and the value the BRM brings to an organization. In the meantime, check out the following sites for more information:
- Business Relationship Management Institute’s (BRM Institute) website to become a member: https://brm.institute
- Download a copy of the BRMBOK for free as a member of BRM Institute or order a paper copy off Amazon.
BRMP® is a registered trademark of Business Relationship Management Institute.
Dr. Susan Heidorn, PMP, CBAP, HSDP, CSM, BRMP is the Director of Business Solutions for Watermark Learning in Minneapolis. Susan is an experienced consultant, facilitator, speaker, and trainer, with over 25 years of business experience. Susan directs programs in business analysis, business relationship management, and leadership, including developing and delivering courses and providing consulting. She has been a speaker at a number of IIBA® and PMI® conferences as well as local and regional organizations, boards, and private clients. She is a lifelong learner whose passion it is to guide people into achieving excellence in their personal and professional lives and works on creating positive impacts to the organization.
New Horizons
Project Management Academy
Velopi
Six Sigma Online
Watermark Learning