The business services sector is the backbone of many economies. From banking to shipping, from insurance to marketing, business services provide the vital link between supply and demand for products and goods. Without the services sector, firms would struggle to produce and sell their goods. In many countries, the services sector accounts for more than half of the economy’s output.
Business services are activities that help businesses but do not produce a tangible product, such as consulting, financial and accounting services, property and equipment maintenance, and advertising and graphic services. These services are a key element of the service-based economy, which is increasingly important to the world’s economic growth. They can be delivered on a local, regional, or global basis and include such areas as consulting, finance, IT, and legal services.
Services can be delivered in a variety of ways, depending on the nature of the service and the needs of the customer. For example, a company providing IT services might offer onsite support or remote assistance for an agreed fee. Other common services include warehousing, transportation and logistics, and human resources.
Unlike tangible goods, which can be stored and sold for future use, business services are consumed immediately upon production. As a result, they are more difficult to measure than goods, and the quality of business services can vary between companies. This can be due to factors such as inconsistency, a lack of standardization and intangibility.
As more and more firms move operations to emerging markets, business services providers are responding by offering services that are flexible, efficient, and competitive. The ability of these providers to adapt quickly to changing conditions is helping them win new clients and fend off competition from more established rivals.
This is especially true in the IT services market, where providers have been able to compete effectively by leveraging technology and offering flexible service models. The business-to-business ecommerce sites operated by Amazon and eBay, for example, have helped to expand the number of business customers for IT companies by making it easy for them to purchase computer equipment, software and other technology supplies.
In this type of market, successful players will continue to focus on building a strong brand image and delivering a consistent experience for customers. They will also need to develop innovative business processes and capabilities that can meet rapidly evolving consumer needs. This will require them to become multifocused and leverage best practices across the four service model elements—outsourcing, outsourcing, IT services and professional services. This will allow them to respond to changing customer needs, protect their intellectual property and reduce their risks. Ultimately, these factors will determine whether they can sustain their growth and competitive advantage.