Relationship Management Methodology
Define goals, objectives, and targets for the relationship management function/role. Design the relationship management approach to be taken; this includes details of roles and responsibilities, governance, policies, processes, and tools, and also any required support mechanisms such as skills development.
Improvement Planning
Practices-Outcomes-Metrics (POM)
Representative POMs are described for Relationship Management Methodology at each level of maturity.
- 1Initial
- Outcome
- Goals, objectives, targets, and priorities for relationships with the business are undefined, creating a reactive environment, only undertaking activity when issues arise.
- Practices
- Prioritization may occur on a project-by-project basis.
- There tends to be little or now continuity between projects.
- Outcomes
- Priorities for relationships with the business are undefined, creating a reactive environment, only undertaking activity when issues arise.
- IT is constantly in fire-fighting mode, creating a reactionary and defensive atmosphere.
- Outcomes
- There is no defined relationship management role.
- Activity is undertaken only when issues arise.
- 2Basic
- Practice
- Establish tactical relationship management goals, objectives, and targets for key clients or partners on key projects, at discretion of senior IT managers.
- Outcome
- Creates initial basis for identifying what IT hopes to achieve with its relationship management initiatives.
- Metric
- # relationships with defined objectives
- Practice
- IT prioritizes relationship building activities with specific areas of the business on the basis of existing issues, workload, or the concerns of senior managers.
- Outcome
- Relationships are managed in pockets, but not sustained over time.
- Metrics
- # interventions requested by senior managers.
- % customer satisfaction (internal customers).
- Practice
- Assign responsibility for relationship management to senior managers and a limited number of delegated staff.
- Outcome
- IT managers begin to realize the importance of managing relationships with their business counterparts.
- Metrics
- # IT staff with relationship management responsibilities.
- # relationships with defined objectives.
- 3Intermediate
- Practice
- IT management set relationship management goals, objectives, and targets for all key IT relationships; these are agreed with the relevant areas of the business.
- Outcome
- IT and business share common goals for relationship management.
- Metrics
- # relationships with defined objectives.
- % business satisfaction with relationship managers.
- Practices
- Prioritize IT/business relationships based on a systematic review of all key IT relationships.
- Build a representation of these key relationships.
- Outcome
- IT has basis for prioritized decision-making and plans activities to develop relationships.
- Metrics
- # key relationships covered in detailed representation.
- % customer satisfaction (internal customers).
- Practice
- Assign responsibility for relationship management to designated staff within the IT organization.
- Outcome
- Relationship management becomes a concern for a much greater number of employees and is therefore given more attention.
- Metrics
- # IT staff with formal relationship management responsibilities.
- # relationships with defined objectives.
- 4Advanced
- Practice
- Develop relationship management goals, objectives, and targets jointly between IT and the relevant areas of the business.
- Outcomes
- IT and business share common goals for relationship management.
- Relevant key areas of the business and activities are prioritized effectively.
- Metrics
- # relationship management goals, objectives, and targets defined jointly with business.
- % business satisfaction with relationship managers.
- Practice
- Align prioritization of IT/business relationships with business management.
- Outcome
- Business provides IT function with input on key relationships and triggers collaboration.
- Metrics
- # key relationships aligned with business management.
- % customer satisfaction (internal customers).
- Practices
- Establish dedicated group responsible for managing relationships with the business.
- They have defined roles, policies and practices, and strong involvement from the business.
- Outcome
- Subset of IT staff is responsible for managing relationships with clearly defined roles, accepted policies, practices and formal expectations of IT management.
- Metrics
- # IT staff with defined relationship management responsibilities.
- # objectives agreed with the business.
- 5Optimized
- Practice
- Develop relationship management goals, objectives, and targets jointly between IT, individual areas of the business, and overarching business management.
- Outcomes
- IT and business share common goals for relationship management.
- Relevant key areas of the business and activities are prioritized.
- Metrics
- # relationship management goals, objectives, and targets defined jointly with business.
- % business satisfaction with IT/business relationship.
- Practices
- Review regularly and optimize processes and tools for designing and executing relationship management initiatives.
- Prioritize relationships based on current and upcoming business initiatives.
- Outcome
- Enables continuous improvements in the design and execution of relationship management initiatives.
- Metrics
- # key relationships aligned with business management.
- % customer satisfaction (internal customers).
- # reviews jointly signed off by business and IT.
- % reviews overdue.
- Practice
- Establish joint IT/business community of staff who are responsible for optimizing the long-term relationship between IT and the rest of the business, enabling information sharing and alignment with business structures and governance systems.
- Outcomes
- Reduces “them and us” culture.
- Enables knowledge sharing, and ultimately shared objectives, between IT and the rest of the business.
- Metrics
- # business staff assigned to joint community.
- # shared objectives.