--- title: Define the configuration type for customers or business organizations description: Define the configuration type to provide service to customers or business organizations \(formerly business locations\) within any service organization \(SO\) using the Customer Service Management \(CSM\) application. locale: en-US canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/customer-service-management/associate-customer-criteria-to-service-organization.html release: australia topic_type: task last_updated: "2026-03-12" reading_time_minutes: 2 breadcrumb: [Configuring business organizations, Setting up inter-organization support, Configure Service Model Foundation, Data models, Set up your environment, Configure, Customer Service Management] --- # Define the configuration type for customers or business organizations Define the configuration type to provide service to customers or business organizations \(formerly business locations\) within any service organization \(SO\) using the Customer Service Management \(CSM\) application. ## Before you begin Role required: admin, sn\_customerservice\_manager, sn\_customerservice.svc\_location\_manager, sn\_customerservice.svc\_location\_manager\_contributor, and sn\_bus\_loc.location\_relationship\_manager **Important:** Some table and field labels have been changed across recent releases. For a mapping of former labels to current labels, see [Service Model Foundation renamed Entities](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/customer-service-management/renamed-entities.md). ## Procedure 1. Navigate to **All** > **Customer Service** > **Business Organizations** > **Internal or External Organizations**. 2. Select the desired internal or external organizations \(formerly internal or external business locations\) record and go to the **Configurations** tab. 3. Select the configuration type based on whether you intend to provide service to customers or business organizations \(formerly business locations\) within any service organization.

Configuration type	Description
Customers served	Customers that are served at a business organization. The customers served can be defined with two options:- All customers: Enables service organization staff to create and resolve issues for all the customers. - Criteria-based: Enables service organization staff to create and resolve issues only for customers associated with the service organization using a criteria.
Business locations served	Internal or external organizations that are served by a business organization. The business organizations served can be defined with three options:- None: Exclude support for any other business organization. - Hierarchy-based: Enables location support agents to create and resolve cases for formerly service organizations through hierarchical relationships. In other words, it’s a service organization relationship where a business organization serves every business organization within its hierarchy. For example, regional support agents. - Criteria-based: Enables location support agents to create and resolve cases for service organizations that meet the defined criteria. For example, shared services.

Configuration type

Description

**Customers served**

Customers that are served at a business organization. The customers served can be defined with two options:- **All customers**: Enables service organization staff to create and resolve issues for all the customers. - **Criteria-based**: Enables service organization staff to create and resolve issues only for customers associated with the service organization using a criteria.

**Business locations served**

Internal or external organizations that are served by a business organization. The business organizations served can be defined with three options:- **None**: Exclude support for any other business organization. - **Hierarchy-based**: Enables location support agents to create and resolve cases for formerly service organizations through hierarchical relationships. In other words, it’s a service organization relationship where a business organization serves every business organization within its hierarchy. For example, regional support agents. - **Criteria-based**: Enables location support agents to create and resolve cases for service organizations that meet the defined criteria. For example, shared services.

4. Select **Update**. ## What to do next Once the configuration is defined, you can associate your customers or business organizations to a service organization. For more information, see [Associate customers or business organizations to a service organization](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/customer-service-management/associate-customers-or-bus-loc-to-so.md).