Hey! That's my job!
Actually I've been doing this kind of work for going on 12 years now so I'm not sure how much of it is "new" -- maybe just the recognition.
Here is the crux of the problem -- in order to make effective technology decisions that actually impact the business, you need to have someone who understands the details of both worlds. Some companies look for business people who have a knack for technology and some look for technology people who have a knack for business. Few actually look for someone who specialize in "bridging the gap".
However, the actual skills are taught in "Operations Research" (OR or ORSA) and the discipline has been around for about 70 years. An OR Analyst knows enough about statistics, finances, budgeting, modeling, and process flow control to be able to bridge the gap between IT and the business. With a little IT experience (programming or the like), the ORSA can quickly delve into the most complex of issues.
By looking at the world as a series of interacting processes, we are able to pick up the nuances of where a new technology is called for or just a small change in the business flow. IT people tend to err of the side of "all new problems require new technology." Business people tend to err on the side of "tweaking" their business process by changing current steps instead of ever looking for a technology solution.
I hear it all the time. Business wants to describe what they need in vague terms with the added caveat of "I'll know it when I see it." This drives IT people crazy. I love it when they say that because that means I get to be creative.
