The basis for the Swiss PMI Industry and Service indices is provided by over 300 purchasing managers who deliver their monthly data using a standardised online questionnaire. The data indicates how the current month’s performance has changed compared to the previous month. The questions are qualitative, i.e. the purchasing managers evaluate whether the level of activity is higher, the same or lower than the month before. The questionnaire covers the following topics: Business activity; New orders; Order volume (customer orders); Purchasing prices; Sales prices; and Number of employees. The service sector includes companies that generate more than half of their revenues from the provision of services. Service providers trade in goods or provide services directly to customers (consulting, management, development, etc.).