An Intro into the World of Business Relationship Management, Part 1: What is a BRM, a BRMP, and BRMI?

Welcome to our first blog on BRM. This is the first in a series of four blogs in which we will introduce you to the new 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.

Are you a senior business analyst or senior program or project manager who is trying to figure out what is next? A BRM might be the next stop on your career journey.

So what is BRM?

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 the communication between both parties. They help the service provider (IT) demonstrate their value and relevance to the business and help the business prioritize projects, ensure projects align with the technology that maximizes return on investment, and ensure that the IT strategy supports the business strategy. To meet these needs, BRMs must have substantial knowledge both about the business and the 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) in order to foster effective value-producing relationships between the service provider and its business partners.

Experienced senior business analysts and program/project managers are in a prime position to fulfill this new BRM role. PMs and BAs often need to create productive connections between the business and the service provider departments. They also help orchestrate key resources and capabilities needed to drive business value, facilitate a working relationship between parties, get the business to understand and value the technology in order to maximize their 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 PMP, PMI-PBA, and CBAP/CCBA, the BRM also has a professional certification. The BRMP is the newest, hottest certification 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 BRMI (Business Relationship Management Institute) or ordered on Amazon in paperback or eBook.

What is BRMI^®?

To further promote and develop Business Relationship Managers around the world, the Business Relationship Management Institute (BRMI) was created. BRMI 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. BRMI 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.

BRMI 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.