Business relationship management
The Practical Adoption of Agile Methodologies, APM Volunteer Research report, published by the Association for Project Management (APM) in May 2015, defines business relationship management as: ‘A formal approach to understanding, defining and supporting a broad range of inter-business activities and relationships over time.’
It is important to cultivate and maintain a positive relationship with vendors, suppliers, distributors, subcontractors, and all other stakeholders on a project.
Networking is a central part of building solid and lasting business relationships. The ability to ask good questions and listen well is an essential networking skill. Strong bonds often form out of mutual interests and common ground happened upon through conversation.
A vital part of this is ensuring all contractual agreements, including payment terms etc., conform to the parties’ expectations. However, both internally and externally, business relationship management relies on interest being shown towards people, in a business and personal sense. If the layers of formality can be reduced, with personal information forming part of business interaction, then the relationship is more likely to result in mutually beneficial results.
Developing a healthy and friendly project ‘culture’, in which everyone feels like their work and point-of-view is valued, can be key to the success of a project. Such culture can also be an attraction in terms of new employees and clients.
Good business relationship management can lead to loyalty, which is important in terms of finding suppliers and subcontractors that can be trusted, with regard to bids and project delivery. Professionalism should be demonstrated at all times, as well as open and honest communication, efficiency and consideration when dealing with their needs and requirements.
See also: Stakeholder management.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Can relationships in and between organisations make tangible differences to business performance?
- Client & architect, developing the essential relationship.
- Collaborative practices.
- Collaboration: a quality management perspective.
- Human resource management in construction.
- Integrated project team.
- Joint venture.
- Leadership.
- Leadership styles.
- Partnering.
- Partnership.
- Performance management plan.
- Relationship management.
- Stakeholder management.
- Supply chain management.
- Team management.
Featured articles and news
Practice costs for architectural technologists
Salary standards and working out what you’re worth.
The Health and Safety Executive at 50
And over 200 years of Operational Safety and Health.
Thermal imaging surveys a brief intro
Thermal Imaging of Buildings; a pocket guide BG 72/2017.
Internally insulating a historical building
An experimental DIY approach using mineral thermal lime plaster.
Tree species selection for green infrastructure: A guide for specifiers.
50 million new trees over 25 years.
Art of Building CIOB photographic competition public vote
The last week to vote for a winner until 10 January 2025.
The future of the Grenfell Tower site
Principles, promises, recommendations and a decision expected in February 2025.
20 years of the Chartered Environmentalist
If not now, when?
Journeys in Industrious England
Thomas Baskerville’s expeditions in the 1600s.
Top 25 Building Safety Wiki articles of 2024
Take a look what most people have been reading about.
Life and death at Highgate Cemetery
Balancing burials and tourism.
The 25 most read articles on DB for 2024
Design portion to procurement route and all between.
The act of preservation may sometimes be futile.
Twas the site before Christmas...
A rhyme for the industry and a thankyou to our supporters.
Plumbing and heating systems in schools
New apprentice pay rates coming into effect in the new year
Addressing the impact of recent national minimum wage changes.