1. Functional areas
Tracey Murray

2. Job functions
Most Organisations have staff who have particular responsibilities, such as those dealing with sales, creating products or services, or undertaking research and development. These tasks are often known as job functions.

3. Candidates need to learn that organisations are often structured into departments for these functions and that there will be a manager for each department.
Candidates need to learn what these departments do and with whom they need to communicate

4. Being the teacher!
You are required to prepare a 20 minute lesson which aims to teach what a business function is with a specific focus on a given business function. The students need to:
Understand what a job function is
What the given function does
Who they communicate with
The lesson needs to include an activity and cannot just be you talking. It may help to use a range of multimedia. You also need to provide a handout for the students to put in their folders
You can use all the resources around the room and in the shared area.

5. Finance Deals with all aspects of the company’s monetary activities
Accounting department
Purchase invoices
Sales invoices
Monitor creditors (who the organisation owes money to)
Monitor debtors (who owes the organisation money)
VAT payments
Manage budgets to other areas
Payroll
National Insurance
Tax deductions
Pension contributions

6. Finance Internal information Invoices Debtors and Creditors lists
VAT returns
Purchase and sales ledgers
Budget information
Wage records
National insurance contributions
Tax returns

7. Personnel (HR) Recruitment and selection of employees
Write Job Specifications
Organise interviews
Write to employees
Administer employee records
Plan the people needs within the organisation
Assist with the long-term goals of the organisation at a strategic level
Suggesting training scheme to meet the needs of the organisation

8. Personnel (HR) Internal information Job specifications Interview lists
Training records
Sickness records
Holiday records
Disciplinary records

9. Marketing - Advertising
Devising a strategy to make customers aware of the organisation and products
Researching the market
Gather information about customers and their buying habits
Planning how and when to advertise
Maybe some product design
Advertising
The physical promotion of the service or product
Design posters, leaflets, radio jingles ect.
Look for the best deals
Organise space in newspapers and magazines
Organise slots on radio, TV

10. Marketing - Advertising
Internal information
Market research information
Strategic plans
Advertising costs

11. Purchasing Responsible for buying goods
Responsible for buying services
Negotiate contracts with distributors
Raise a purchase order
Set delivery deadlines

12. Purchasing Internal information Purchase orders
Manufacturing schedules
Bulk buying deals information

13. Sales and Customer Service
Not all organisations have both
The face or voice of the organisation
Good product knowledge
Good understanding of the customer
Usually the first contact with the customer
Secure business for the organisation
Expand the organisations customer base
Handle enquires
Offer advise
Deal with complaints or compliments

14. Sales and Customer Service
Internal information
Product lists
Price lists
Brochures
Customer questionnaires
Sales targets

15. Manufacturing (Production Department)
Only companies that make a product will have a manufacturing department
Companies that turn a raw material into a product
Internal Information
Product plans/recipes/designs
Production schedules
Staff rotas
Machine maintenance records
Production records

16. Distribution – Dispatch - Warehouse
Responsible for getting the product to the customers
Organise transport
Organise couriers
Responsible for export
Storing the product
Stock control
Delivery notes

17. Distribution – Dispatch - Warehouse
Internal information
Hazard information that will affect transportation
Emergency details for alternative transport
Stock lists
Delivery notes

18. Research and development (R&D)
Develop new products
Improve existing products
Work with customer feedback
Try to estimate what the consumer wants
Works closely with marketing and sales
Internal information
Strategic plans
Product design information
Customer feedback

19. Administration This is not really a functional area
Administration is undertaken by clerical staff within functional areas
Or it may be centralised
The administration can have responsibility for the building, car-park or security
It depends on the organisational needs of the company

20. EXTERNAL INFORMATION Government VAT information Tax and NI information
Most organisation will receive and provide information to external organisation
Government
Organisations provide
VAT information
Tax and NI information
Pension information
Company turnover

21. EXTERNAL INFORMATION Government Legislation How to pay VAT ect.
Organisations receive
Legislation
How to pay VAT ect.

22. EXTERNAL INFORMATION Trade Groupings
Companies operating in the same sector come together to raise standards, set prices and develop policies
Some EU trade groups
CIAA – Food and drink
EFPIA - Pharmaceutical 
PLASA - lighting And Sound
EUROMAT - Gaming & Amusement
EUBINGO - European Bingo 

23. EXTERNAL INFORMATION Commercially provided Companies buy information
Customer feedback
Marketing information
Research
Companies can buy and sell research
QUIZ – 2 teams – No shouting out