Customer Portfolio (CP): A starter tool for BRM

The purpose of Business Relationship Management (BRM) is to establish and maintain a business relationship between the IT service provider (SP) and the customer. This relationship needs to be based on an understanding of the customer and their business needs (what services the customer needs now and in the future). BRM must also help to establish an understanding of the requirements (utility & warranty) a customer is going to expect and to insure the service providers ability to meet those expectations.

The customer portfolio is a database used to record all customers of the IT service provider. It is used by many processes but is defined and maintained in the business relation management process. It provides insight into the customer and is developed from the point of view of the business relationship manger. It allows the service provider to understand who the customers are and make the distinction between customers and users. This enables the BRM to be able to define who the customer is and who in that organization has the authority to make decisions about which services are needed and their respective requirements.

The CP is a powerful tool that gives the service provider the insight to be able to outline the commitments, investments, and risks relative to each individual customer. This in turn makes it much easier to quantify the value and use of each service by the individual customers and how the investment by the SP is related to each customer. This allows us to be able to very effectively show the customer the value they are receiving for their money and the ROI that the service provider is realizing from their investment.

Some key examples of the data that would be contained in the customer portfolio might include:

· Customer Name

· Authorized customer representative

· Description of the customer’s business and key business outcomes

· List of services provided to the customer along with which service are key (VBF) and specific requirements that may be unique to that customer

· Historic and projected revenue streams. Essential in determining who your strategic partners may be.

· List of meetings with descriptions of what are reviewed and any specific reports or data that is generated.

· Overview of past performance, major events or breaches.

· Outline of future services

· Schedule of contract or agreement review.

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