diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b82a813
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# Service config manager
+
+The service config manager provides a D-Bus interface to manage BMC services
+as described by the [service management D-Bus interfaces][].
+
+The configuration settings are intended to persist across BMC reboots.
+
+An example use case for this service is BMCWeb's implementation of the Redfish
+NetworkProtocol schema.
+
+[service management D-Bus interfaces]: https://github.com/openbmc/phosphor-dbus-interfaces/tree/master/yaml/xyz/openbmc_project/Control/Service
+[BMCWeb's implementation of the Redfish NetworkProtocol schema]: https://github.com/openbmc/bmcweb/blob/master/redfish-core/lib/network_protocol.hpp
+
+## Design
+
+Implementation details are described in the [D-Bus interface README].
+
+The service config manager generally makes configuration changes to `systemd` units via D-Bus interfaces.
+
+The design pattern to add new services or controls is:
+- Determine if the service you want to control is socket activated.
+- To control the `Running` and `Enabled` properties of a service:
+   - For a service which uses socket activation, control the socket.
+   - For other services, control the service unit itself.
+
+[D-Bus interface README]: https://github.com/openbmc/phosphor-dbus-interfaces/blob/master/yaml/xyz/openbmc_project/Control/Service/README.md