After a service has been released and is operating, a consuming application (client or another service) may want to begin using the service. This activity is called, 'service consumption'. 

Consumption requests will come from various business units who are interested in using an existing service. The first questions that will be asked will deal with the fit or applicability of the service. Does it do what I need it to do? The secondary questions will deal with design and support questions such as: Does it have the right level of security? What is the uptime? Will I get charged for using the service?

If a match is found the service provider must gather additional information about the consumer.  This includes both technical and non-technical information. Technical data will include any special transformations, security concerns, auditing requirements, anticipated load, etc. Non-technical information includes names of consuming applications, people to contact in case of problems, etc. 

After the information is gathered, additional work is performed at the service intermediary to prepare for the consumer. This may include special virtualization properties, mediations, policies, or in some cases, new requirements for the services. 

Before a consumer goes live with the service, a consumption report template is agreed upon. This report shows the kind of information that the consumption team will receive once the service goes live.