Key Terminology: organization, client, customer

An "organization" is any group of people working together to achieve a common and ongoing purpose (line of business) that benefits people outside their profession. It may be a corporation or a company, a government agency, a family working on their farm, a volunteer association, or a union. It may seek to make a profit, or it may be not-for-profit.

We use the term "client" differently from the term "customer." A client is someone outside your organization who consumes the organization's products and services. When clients buy from you, they are acting as your "customers." In addition, a group within the organization may sell its products and services to other groups within the organization. When they do, their "customers" are internal, not clients. In short, "clients" are people outside the organization. The term "customer" includes clients as well as others within the organization.