Business services are activities that facilitate or support other businesses in achieving their goals and earning profits. They include a wide range of activities from marketing and human resources to supply chain management and financial services. This sector is growing fast due to increasing global demand, digitalization and new communication technologies. It also offers scalability and customization, which is essential for companies to remain competitive. Major companies in the industry include ADP, Allegis Group and ManpowerGroup (US), Adecco, Randstad and Waste Management (Europe) and TUI Group (Germany).
Unlike physical goods, business services are intangible but provide value to the customer. These activities can be delivered remotely or on a contractual basis and are typically not part of a firm’s core product offerings. Examples of business services include security services, office administration and cleaning services. They are often outsourced because of the low barriers to entry. However, the industry has a high degree of competition, particularly in local markets. Small business service providers compete with each other, as well as larger, established firms that have a significant cost advantage.
In addition to enhancing the efficiency of internal processes, business services can be used to improve the quality of products and services. They can also help companies to comply with regulations and manage risks. Moreover, they enable companies to expand their business operations internationally and increase revenue.
The Business Services Center provides New York State agencies with centralized processing of transactional Human Resources and Finance services that are common across agencies. We work to increase efficiencies and reduce costs, while allowing agencies to focus on their mission.
A service model defines how a set of IT devices work together to deliver a business service. A device is a collection of devices that delivers a specific function, such as a DNS plus a Collector Group.
The service model identifies how a service is delivered, whether it’s on-premises or in the cloud. It also defines which IT services are required to deliver the service and how they should be grouped. For example, a data service might require a database and a network gateway to function, but it might not need a firewall or VPN.
The business services model also includes details of the business value that is provided by each service. This enables IT to understand the value of each service and make decisions accordingly. For example, IT might decide to deploy a new application or replace an existing one to enhance the productivity of a particular department. In such cases, IT needs to know how much value the new application will add before implementing it. Similarly, IT might need to know how much it will cost to deploy a new service. This information can be captured in the service model and used to drive budgeting and planning decisions.