Companies generate mountains of data, but turning it into useful insights? That’s another story. Business teams often struggle to get the right reports, and IT teams wrestle with making sense of ever-changing requests. That’s where Business Relationship Managers (BRMs) step in.
BRMs act as the bridge between business teams and IT, ensuring that analytics efforts focus on real business problems rather than just churning out dashboards. By using Business Analysis (BA) skills, BRMs can define better questions, improve data literacy, and ensure that analytics delivers real value.
Step 1: Understand What the Business Actually Needs
Too often, business teams ask for more reports when what they really need is better insights. BRMs can help by digging deeper into the real business challenge.
How BRMs Can Help:
a. Talk to the right people. Meet with finance, sales, marketing, and operations leaders to find out what decisions they’re trying to make.
b. Ask better questions. Instead of “What reports do you need?”, ask “What decisions are you struggling to make?”
c. Reframe requests. A business leader might say, “I need a weekly sales report.” But what they really mean is, “I need to know why our revenue dipped last quarter.”
By focusing on business problems instead of just data requests, BRMs help analytics teams build solutions that actually make an impact.
Step 2: Help Business Teams Use Data More Effectively
Even the best analytics tools won’t help if business users don’t trust the data or know how to use it. That’s where BRMs play a crucial role in building data literacy.
Ways to Improve Data Adoption:
a. Run quick “data tips” sessions. Show teams how to interpret reports and avoid common mistakes.
b. Encourage self-service analytics. Help business users get comfortable with tools like Power BI so they don’t have to rely on IT for every request.
c. Work on data quality issues. If teams complain that reports don’t match reality, BRMs can work with IT to clean up the data and improve trust.
A simple shift — from just delivering reports to enabling smarter decision-making — can make a huge difference.
Step 3: Make Sure Analytics Aligns with Business Goals
Not all data projects create value. Some dashboards look great but don’t actually help the business. BRMs ensure that analytics efforts stay focused on what matters.
Key BRM Strategies:
a. Prioritize based on impact. If a dashboard won’t help leaders make decisions, it might not be worth building.
b. Test early with users. Instead of spending months creating a complex report, start with a simple version and get feedback.
c. Check if the insights are being used. A report sitting in a folder doesn’t help anyone. BRMs can follow up to see if business leaders are actually using the data.
By keeping analytics efforts aligned with business priorities, BRMs help avoid wasted effort.
Step 4: Drive Innovation with AI & Predictive Analytics
Once a company has mastered basic analytics, the next step is predictive analytics and AI. But these technologies often fail when business teams don’t understand how to use them.
How BRMs Can Support AI Adoption:
a. Translate AI insights into business language. Help teams understand how AI-driven forecasts can guide decision-making.
b. Ensure AI solves real problems. No one needs an AI model just for the sake of it. Make sure predictive analytics ties back to a clear business need.
c. Bridge the gap between data scientists and business leaders. Many AI projects fail because the two groups don’t speak the same language. BRMs can connect the dots.
When done right, AI and advanced analytics can help predict risks, spot opportunities, and automate decision-making — but only if business teams trust and understand the insights.
Step 5: The BRM’s Superpower: Relationships & Trust
Data analytics is as much about people as it is about numbers. Business teams hesitate to rely on analytics when they’ve had bad experiences — unusable dashboards, outdated data, or insights that don’t match reality. And IT teams often feel frustrated when they build reports that no one uses.
That’s where BRMs shine. They build trust between business and IT by:
a. Making sure business teams feel heard before analytics projects start
b. Helping IT teams understand real business challenges instead of just fulfilling report requests
c. Encouraging a culture where data is trusted and used in decision-making
A great BRM doesn’t just facilitate meetings — they foster partnerships that make data a true asset.
Step 6: Measure Success & Keep Improving
Analytics isn’t a one-time project. BRMs should ensure continuous improvement by tracking whether reports and dashboards are actually being used to make better decisions.
Ways to Measure Success:
a. Usage Data: Are people accessing the reports? If not, why?
b. Decision Impact: Are analytics helping teams make faster, more confident decisions?
c. Feedback Loops: Regularly check in with business leaders to refine and improve analytics capabilities.
By focusing on real-world usage and impact, BRMs ensure that analytics isn’t just a fancy IT project — it’s a game-changer for the business.
BRMs as Data & Analytics Champions!
In an era where data is one of the most valuable business assets, BRMs play a crucial role in making sure it’s used effectively. By leveraging Business Analysis skills — such as requirements gathering, stakeholder engagement, and data interpretation — they ensure that analytics aligns with real business needs. The best analytics tools in the world won’t help if no one knows how to use them. That’s why BRMs need to step up as data champions — applying critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills to ensure that data isn’t just collected, but actually drives smarter business decisions.
