Business services are the activities that assist a business but do not result in the delivery of tangible products. They are a significant portion of the economy and cover all aspects of the business that goods or products cannot. Companies often outsource business services to reduce overhead costs or to access specialized expertise they may not have in-house.
There are a number of different types of business services. These include software, warehousing, marketing, customer support and more. Companies rely on these services to help them grow and remain competitive in their industry. The most important aspect of business services is that they are intangible and do not produce a physical product. Business services also do not have a storage cost, unlike tangible products that require warehouse space to store.
A company can use business services to improve efficiency, increase revenue and develop new products and services. They can also outsource noncore functions to save money and focus on their core competencies.
When a business needs to outsource a service, they must choose an external supplier carefully. They need to make sure the provider can provide the service at an affordable price and that they have the proper skills to do so. They must also determine if the service is required around the clock and whether it requires special certifications, permits or insurance. In some cases, businesses must also hire a specialist to oversee the outsourcing process.
While there are many benefits of business services, they can also present challenges. For example, a company that outsources its IT department must be sure the outside provider is capable of providing a seamless integration with its internal systems. Additionally, the company must ensure that the vendor is reliable and can respond to issues quickly.
Another challenge is the risk of losing control over an outsourced function. The company must also be sure that the supplier can maintain security and compliance with regulations. Finally, a company must be sure to communicate clearly with the service provider about expectations and requirements.
A service level agreement (SLA) is a contract between a company and its business services provider. It defines the level of service the provider will deliver, and sets out a clear set of agreed-upon metrics. A good SLA can significantly improve the performance of a business service, and help to avoid costly outages and slowdowns.
The business services model brought to us by service-orientation introduces a way to structure automated business logic that is highly responsive to change. This is because business services can be designed to encapsulate the logic associated with specific business processes, while at the same time being structured as components of orchestrations. These business services can then be used in a composition environment that is intelligently partitioned and loosely coupled. This creates an opportunity to develop highly agnostic business services that can be reused across multiple orchestrations. This type of business services can be very valuable for an organization as it enables it to be much more agile and flexible in the face of changing requirements.