Business services are industries that do not produce tangible products but support the operations and productivity of a company. They include everything from design services, logistics (including freight handling and waste management) and financial and accounting services to IT and consulting. Most companies require some business services to operate and succeed, so this is a very large industry.
As a result, job opportunities are available in all of the different sectors of this industry. Some of the most popular are IT, legal services and architecture. These industries are responsible for a significant amount of the business services sector’s revenue, which is why they are among the fastest growing careers.
There are many different types of business services, but some common ones include IT, financial and accounting services, property and equipment maintenance and marketing. Often, businesses will hire one of these industries to handle their operational processes, which can range from day-to-day management to top level strategic decisions like mergers.
Another key characteristic of business services is their intangibility. Unlike goods, which can be stored for future use, services must be consumed as soon as they are produced. This also means that customer involvement is essential to a business service, because they directly impact the quality of the product delivered. For example, a customer who dithers while waiting at a fast-food counter makes the experience less efficient for everyone behind them.
In SL1, business services can be monitored in combination with IT services to provide a more holistic view of the overall infrastructure that supports a given function. This is called a Service Model.