A business service is a supporting activity that helps an organization meet its goals and objectives. These activities may be provided internally or externally. Examples of business services include: information technology, logistics, human resources and utilities. Unlike products, services do not have a physical form and can be delivered without the need for inventory storage. Some of the characteristics of a business service are: intangibility, involvement of customers, inseparability and replicability.
Many companies outsource certain business services to reduce costs and increase efficiency. For example, a company might hire a company to manage its IT infrastructure, such as servers, storage, applications and networks, instead of hiring in-house staff. In addition to reducing costs, outsourcing can help businesses focus on their core business and leave noncore activities to the experts.
Specialized business services can also offer scalability, allowing businesses to scale up or down the level of service that they use based on their needs. This can be particularly helpful for companies that are expanding into new markets or need to add employees quickly.
The qualifications required for a career in business services vary depending on the industry and job title. For example, to work in a role that focuses on customer service, a high school diploma or equivalent experience is usually sufficient. For more professional roles, a bachelor’s degree in the field is typically necessary. In some cases, a master’s degree in the field is preferred.
Defining business services focuses on identifying the needs of customers and other stakeholders, then translating those requirements into simple, measurable components for each service. This process is known as service design. It is often conducted through representatives of the customer, such as a survey or interviews. This approach can help a company build a compelling service offering and differentiate itself from competitors.
It is also important to understand that customer participation in a service can change the way that the service is delivered. For example, a TV repairperson can deliver a service by going to the customer’s home or they can provide a self-service option at their facility. This can have a significant impact on customer satisfaction and the cost of the service.
Managing and monitoring business services is an essential part of managing IT service delivery. Service monitoring allows a business to gain visibility into the service value chain and ensure that IT is aligned with the organization’s goals and priorities. A good starting point is to use a standard service model that defines how a set of related Device Services work together to support a business service. The service model can then be modified to include custom Service Components and Values that are specific to the organization. This approach provides a flexible model for understanding how services are created and consumed across hybrid infrastructure. It also supports a variety of business service metrics, including availability, health and risk. The Service Components and Values can be defined by the IT department or by a business stakeholder.