Operations- Responsible for producing goods and services by making the best of resources. In a business providing a service, the operations manager is responsible for making sure everything runs smoothly. They are in charge of finding raw materials, equipment, like computers and office supplies and they are also in charge of finding new areas to build new stores. They obtain resources and organise them.
Marketing and Sales- Responsible for making sure customers know about the business. This may include market research, advertising and sales promotions, the creation and development of a website or web store. The sales department is responsible for selling the items to the customer and keeping sales records. Market research aims is to find out customers’ needs and views on potential new products and services and existing products and services. Advertising includes publicity campaigns, sales promotions, personal selling and promotion. Sales aim to make direct contact with the buyer to convert possible interest into a sale.
Customer Service- Provides information, advice and after-sales service, and deals with customers’ complaints. Staffs needs to know about consumer laws which are designed to customers’ rights. Customers are important because without revenue the business would eventually fail. They provide information to customers on different aspects of the business, they give advice to customers, they provide credit facilities, deliver goods and provides after-sales services.
Research and Development- This is concerned with new product developments and improvements to existing products and adding to existing lines. They may be developed because of technological or scientific advantages, changes in customer buying behaviour or because someone has a good idea. The aim is to work together with designers to develop a usable product that can be manufactured at a reasonable cost and sold at a competitive price. Sainsbury’s aim to continually improve product design and quality.
All of these key functional areas have to work together because if they don’t Sainsbury’s would not run smoothly.
Without Customer Service customers would not have a place to make complaints and receive advice and information, this in turn would not get good feedback since customers would have nowhere to ask about the business and express their concerns and if they got no feedback from customers then how can Research and Development make products even better for the customers, using their feedback.
If there was no Research and Development there would also be no need for Operations because there would be no need for materials to make new products. If there were no Operations then Sainsbury’s could not open up more stores and expand their business. Then Sainsbury’s would have no money and then there would be no Finance department which means no business.
Communications:
Communications is the sending and receiving of messages between 2 or more individuals, groups or organisations.
Internal Communication is the sending of a message sent to a person working inside a group or an organisation. They use intranet as a type of internal communication.
External communication is the sending of a message to another business or organisation outside of the company. They use other means to communicate to external influence via email or telephone calls.
It is important to communicate within the business because the business would fall apart if they do not communicate decisions made within the business. If they said that they want to do a 2 for £2 promotion but did not tell the people who would have to put the offer into the system or the people who would put the stickers onto the products then the promotion would not be followed through and then this would upset customers if they were advertising this offer but not actually following it through. Also if they didn’t communicate about one promotion to other Sainsbury’s stores then the other stores would not do the promotion which would upset customers in other areas.
If communication doesn’t happen the Sainsbury’s would not operate efficiently. There are different types of communication, which is very important for every business because if a business does not communicate with suppliers then suppliers will not deliver the different things that the business needs.
There are 4 different ways of communication.
- Graphical – a picture of a photo. This could be a financial report or a drawing.
- Oral – speaking. This could be a telephone call or a normal conversation within the workplace.
- Written - writing. This could be a letter, memo or a letter written to people within or outside of the business.
- Video – a video. This could be a video demonstrating the business or introducing the business to put their point across.
These are the types of communication commonly used:
Telephone – Is a fast and effective way to communicate within a business. This type of communication is oral. The disadvantage to this method of communication is that the person that is trying to be contacted may miss the call and not read their messages in time.
Email – Is another fast and effective way to communicate within a business. This type of communication is written but may also be graphical. The disadvantage to this method of communication is that the person receiving the message may not check their emails and not read the message in time.
Letter – Is a slower method of communication within a business. This type of communication is written but may also be graphical. The disadvantage to this method of communication is that it takes a while to receive the letter and that the royal mail is not always reliable.
Texting - Is a very fast way to communicate within a business. This type of communication is written but may also be graphical. The disadvantage to this method of communication is that it may be too informal for a business.
Sending a Parcel – Is a slow way to communicate within a business. This type of communication is written or may be graphical. The disadvantage to this method of communication is that the royal mail may not be reliable and it takes a while.
Video Message – Is an effective way to communicate within a business. This type of communication is video. The disadvantage to this method of communication is it may take long to receive the video since the video has to be uploaded.
If people communicate using the oral method then the advantages and disadvantages are:
Advantages:
- Relatively Cheap
- Quick
- Voice can be used to express feelings
- Quick feedback
Disadvantages:
- Speech being clear is essential
- Long messages may be forgotten or misunderstood
- Differences in speech and accents may prove a problem
If people communicate using the video method then the advantages and disadvantages are:
Advantages:
- Saves time and expense
- Voice and body language can show feelings
- Quick feedback
Disadvantages:
- May be costly to arrange
- Must be using high speed internet to make images clear
If people communicate using the written method then the advantages and disadvantages are:
Advantages:
- Formal authority
- Permanent record
- Can be looked at in their leisure time
- Can be copied for others to view
Disadvantages:
- Takes time to write
- Needs good writing skills to understand
- Delivery may take a lot of time
If people communicate using the graphical method then the advantages and disadvantages are:
Advantages:
- Can summarise main points effectively
- Helps understanding
- More appropriate
Disadvantages:
- Expensive software needed
- Some need a powerful processor or large memory
- Often needs specialists to create
