What does a business services manager do?

1 Roles and responsibilities

A business services manager's main role is to ensure that the services they provide meet the needs and expectations of their customers, whether they are external clients or internal stakeholders. This involves analyzing the demand and supply of services, setting service standards and policies, monitoring and evaluating service performance, and implementing improvements and innovations. A business services manager also has to manage the resources and staff involved in service delivery, such as hiring, training, motivating, and supervising service providers, allocating budgets and schedules, and resolving issues and complaints.

2 Skills and qualifications

To become a business services manager, you need to have a combination of technical, managerial, and interpersonal skills. Depending on the type of service you manage, you may need to have a degree or certification in a relevant field, such as accounting, marketing, or IT. You also need to have strong knowledge of the industry and the market trends, as well as the regulations and best practices that affect your service area. Additionally, you need to have excellent communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills, as you will have to interact with different types of customers and service providers, and handle complex and dynamic situations. You also need to have good leadership, organizational, and strategic skills, as you will have to plan, coordinate, and oversee multiple service projects and processes.

3 Challenges and opportunities

A business services manager faces many challenges in their job, such as managing customer expectations and satisfaction, dealing with changing demands and requirements, ensuring service quality and consistency, and coping with limited resources and tight deadlines. However, a business services manager also has many opportunities to grow and advance their career, such as developing new and innovative service solutions, expanding their service portfolio and customer base, enhancing their professional reputation and network, and increasing their income and recognition.

5 Tips and advice

If you are interested in becoming a business services manager, or want to improve your performance as one, here are some tips and advice that can help you. To stay current with the latest trends and developments in your service area, and to improve service quality and efficiency, it is important to build strong relationships with customers and service providers. Additionally, managing time and resources effectively is key for delivering services on time and within budget. Seeking feedback and learning from mistakes is also beneficial, as well as using data and metrics to measure service outcomes and impact. Finally, expanding skills and knowledge, as well as networking with other professionals in your field, can enhance career prospects and opportunities.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?