Rising demand for Business Relationship Management skills in India

There has been a sea of change in the way the IT Service Industry in India has evolved from an Out-Sourcing Hub to the Digital Innovation and Transformation hub.  This enables/leads global organizations to transform the way they do their business by solving traditional business problems through the effective use of technology, best practices and Human centered design.

The shift and focus on Digital Innovation to Transformation has had a positive ripple effect on the skills needed by IT Professionals, who are ultimately one of the key drivers for Digital Transformation for Internal and external customers. Gone are the days when IT professionals were considered as Value Generators for just one skill such as a Technology Specialist for a Network/Server or for Service Delivery Skills. Where an “I” Shaped professional is referred to in Competence Semantics, the digital era now requires IT Professionals to have “T” Shaped skill metrics, demonstrating deep expertise in a functional skill and Broad General Knowledge, Skills and Boundary Crossing Competencies.

The need for “T” Shaped professionals requires developing competencies that are Silo Breaking and drives a “Convergence” mind set both horizontally Intra IT Function as well as Vertically Intra Enterprise with Business (Internal or External Customers).

The skill spread based on our numerous interactions with IT and Business Leadership (and based on Industry research) primarily are; Critical Thinking, Communication, Creative Problem Solving, Team Work & collaboration and System Thinking.

For each of the skills to be developed and professionally evaluated, there are professional qualifications that help individuals and organizations to learn, demonstrate and apply the best practices for Business Benefits.

Business Relationship Management is a key skill which IT and Business Leaders are seeking within in their teams.  Any successful IT-Business transformation journey entails business and IT converging, working closely as Business Partners with shared ownership of strategy and results . This has evolved from the traditional view of the customer-service provider relationship, based on; A strong understanding of the supply-demand equation, Value Delivery, Trust Based Communication and much deeper Value Based Agreements, rather than transactional and operational Service Level Agreements.

“We are paid to solve Business Problems not IT Problems” – CIO of a leading Banking Organization

A lot of frameworks have alluded to the skill of Business Relationship Management but at a very high and macro level, so these skills were not developed in depth with an individual. The Business Relationship Management capability needs to be developed within the IT Function or with the IT Service Provider. As a result, there was a lack of a formal road map for developing BRM Capabilities within the IT Function or formal competencies enabling an Individual to play the role of Business Relationship Manager effectively.

The need for developing Business relationship management best practice with the aim of developing a BRM skill set and capability was identified by a nonprofit organization. BRM Institute was founded in 2013, with sole purpose of “Creating a better world through globally recognized standards, certifications, research, professional development opportunities, volunteer and networking experiences by being the home for professionals who leverage our BRM community and BRM standards to satisfy purpose, evolve culture, build partnerships, and drive value” – BRM Institute mission statement

Since then the network has culminated into a “Convergence” wave, globally expanding with thousands of stakeholders spread across 60 Countries - all involved with an interactive, ever evolving community, engaged in workshops, publications and developing BRM capability within the enterprise.

The BRM qualification path has gained a lot of prominence globally with thousands of professionals undertaking the BRMP® Foundation Certification that focuses on developing Business Relationship Management skills brick by brick and enabling enterprise to co-create value for their end customers.

Since 2017 there has been ever growing interest in India from a BRM skill requirement perspective and formal BRM positions being created within Internal and External service providers. With the Digital transformation wave engulfing the globe, the requirements for BRMP® trained professionals with a Convergence Mindset, possessing necessary competencies, including those listed below, has been on the rise;

• Strategic Partnering – Moving from Order taker to Strategic Partner
• Business IQ – Strong Understanding of Business
• Portfolio Management – Business value driven investment
• Provider Domain – Strong Value Propositioning acumen and understanding of IT Capabilities
• Business Transition Management – Managing Human Dynamics of Transformation
• Powerful Communication –Ability to positively influence and communicate with internal and external customers

To an extent, The IT Functions and External Service Providers in India have leveraged and benefited by adopting/adapting and developing Service Management capabilities and are aspiring to become Strategic Partners to drive the digital transformation within the enterprise.  This is where need of the BRM capability development and BRM skilled professionals (such as BRMP® Foundation & CBRM®) are increasing on a consistent basis In India.

The majority of Certified BRMP® Foundation Professionals are currently playing the role of IT leaders, Business Relationship Managers, Account Managers, Service Delivery managers, Service owners, Project Managers, IT Managers, Business Analysts and have shown the following common needs:

• Move to a more Strategic Role from Tactical or Operational Roles
• Move up the IT value chain from a role perspective
• Be a key player in Organizations Digital Transformation initiative
• Differentiate their skill set from the crowd
• Move to a Management from a technical role
• Serve and co-create value for customers effectively

So, for professionals who are experienced, want to enhance their career progression and create more value for their enterprise, BRM competencies development are a must, and the sooner they can get on the convergence path the better it is for them.