The Human Resources department also has a legal obligation, and that is to keep all records that they have in their possession confidential. This means that they have an obligation to stand by the data protection act. Also the records that are kept by the Human Resources department must have information on the needs and activities of the business. So as you can see that the Human Resources department, have got a lot of responsibility in terms of getting the best new employees, and making them reach their full potential and also by abiding by the laws that there are on keeping records in their possession.
They also take part in a range of activities such as:
- They focus on the needs of all the staff.
- They look after the member of staff whilst they work in the company.
- They are responsible for the working condition of each employee.
- They coordinate central services.
They are responsible for the training, development and promotion
Marketing function
The Marketing department would be responsible for: Marketing Research
This means when an organisation collects data by doing a questionnaire, and also they do presentations to tell everyone what new ideas they have come up with to make money.
Customer care and services .This means that the marketing department deals with any customer complaints and problems that they have. Sales promotion and advertising
This means that they are responsible for making sure that all the sale promotions are out so that customers can see them, and also they are responsible for making sure that advertisements are done for the organisation and their products or services.
These are the main responsibilities that the Marketing department has. In order to fulfill them, the marketing department would need to work closely with the finance, purchasing, production and transport departments. This is because if there is a breakdown anywhere in the line, whereby the marketing department has less material than they need then the other departments are there to correct the breakdown. Nearly all the information that the marketing department uses is all the computer databases; this information would be for example price lists, customer details and retail outlets. They would put the information on computer so that it is easy access for them when they need it, and also they are able to change and correct any wrong information without the database getting messy. However the information that is on the computers still paperwork, simply because for example if there is sales document about buying products on computer, then the company will have to send some sort of paperwork to the suppliers about the transaction and that would be done by hand. The marketing department is a very important to Tesco simply because each of the promotional advertisements comes from that department, so without them none of the customers would know what promotions are on. In fact, their Customer Insight Unit analyses their business, customers and competitors to allow them to determine strategies to meet needs, encourage loyalty and increase customer spend. Local and Stores Marketing ensures that each store has its optimum layout, range, prices, services and location. Brand Marketing builds their brand image and communicates initiatives to customers. Price and Promotions is the guardian of the Tesco price position. Through monitoring and analysing comparisons with competitors, they make recommendations and plan seasonal activities. Customer Services Marketing ensures that customers always have a good shopping experience through constantly evaluating Tesco’s service, reviewing competitors and recommending improvements. They are also are:
- Producing publication for customers.
- Doing the market research, advertising and promoting sales…
The marketing and sales department also includes the customer service which responsibilities are to deal with customers’ complaints.
Production
The production function is responsible for making services that are provided by Tesco. This involves the use of capital and resources including:
- Buildings and land, such as offices, factories, shops, farmland
- Equipment, such as vehicles, computer, machinery
- Materials, such retailing products
- People, such as managers, support staff etc…
They ensure that products are delivered to customers in the right qualities at the right time and to the right quality. They also make sure that there is enough stock available and that all the activities are run smoothly.
The production department is responsible for receiving details of order and meeting the customer’s demands, liaising with marketing over delivery dates, rescheduling other production as required. They are also responsible for packing, distribution and inspected the food.
This is an example of the way Tesco providing services to their customers.
www.tesco.co.uk
As an example we can take the dairy supply chain. In fact the milk extracted from the cows in the farm are sent to a dairy where the milk is transformed and put in boxes or bottles and transported to the store, where the employees checked and signed for the delivery ,and then put the new stock in the range for the customers.
However, if after purchasing any products, the customer discovers something wrong with the product, he can make a complaint and ask for a refund or an exchange to customer service desk ( which is part of the Marketing and sales function), which is a service set up to deal with and help the customers.
Tesco is helped in the ordering activity by new technology and among those technologies we can mention the EPOS. If Tesco is out-of-stock the EPOS automatically will re-order lists to be produced.
Administration function
Every business would need to have an administration system, in order to be organised. If the organisation is organised then they are able to achieve their objectives that they have set themselves. The purpose of the administration system in the organisation is to create an ordered way of working which enables the business to function smoothly. The administration system does the job of bringing together the various parts of the business so that they can all work towards achieving the same goals. The ideal administration system would be to have good communication between the management and workers, and a system, which enables the objectives to be met. For example once an order has been placed, the order has to be delivered within 48 hours of the receipt.
The other thing that would make an ideal administrative system is that all the methods and procedures should be written down. This is because everyone are able to see the way in which things should be done in order to achieve their objectives. It should be written down simply because the administration system incur problems because staff are always being changed so they wouldn't be aware of the methods and procedures. The third aspect that would make an ideal administration system would be to have proper procedures for controlling and monitoring work. This means that there would have to be a high level of supervision and well - motivated staff. This aspect would be important when the business is changing, simple because it would be important to keep workers under constant review.
The forth aspect would be to make sure that the administration department would be properly resourced to make sure that they reach the objectives. This is important because if the administration department isn't given proper resources then they won't be able to reach their deadlines, so it important that the administration department has the right amount of staff, materials and equipment to do their jobs properly. The fifth and final aspect that would create an ideal administration system would be to provide the proper controls and methods of supporting the people within the organisation. This is because another name for the administration department is the support staff; this is because the majority responsibility of administration is to support the staff within the company. So as you can see that the administration system is a very important department as well as they are the backbone of the organisation, and without them the business wouldn't be organised enough reach their objectives. If we look at Tesco again we can say that the administration department is also a very valid member of the team because they make sure that all the paperwork is in order and that whatever the other departments need they get. I think that without this department none of the other departments would be able to function properly and efficiently like they are now.
Meanwhile who are the customers of each department?
Finance
Internal
Here, the customers are the employees because the Finance department pays the wages and salaries of the employees.
External
The external customers the bank which provides loans to the organisation. Interest is charged on the loan, and this becomes an ongoing expense that the business has to pay.
Human Resource and administration
The Human Resource and administration only have internal customers who are the staff, in fact they are providing good working environment, hours of work, job security, development, equipment, promotion and training.
Production
External
Here, they are providing high quality services and products to their customers.
Marketing and sales
They only have external customer. In fact they make sure the customers receive the products they want are at a good price where they want and expect to be able to buy the products and when they want.
But, what are the employee and employer responsibilities?
All employees have the right to be paid at an agreed rate, treated fairly, and provided with a workplace that is healthy and safe. They also have the right to be provided with equipment that is safe to use, to receive appropriate training and not to be ask to do anything that is dangerous, unethical or illegal.
Employers have a responsibility to their employees to fulfil these expectations, and the degree of cooperation between employers and employees depends on their fulfilment. In return, employers have a right to expect their employees to work conscientiously in accordance with the agreed terms of their employment, maintain standards of quality, and cooperate in trying to achieve the objectives of the business. They should also follow established procedure and comply with the health and safety regulation.
In fact, Health and Safety at work is an important area that being increasingly regulated by legislation from the UK and the European Union. Health Safety at Work Act 1974(HASAW) places responsibilities on employers to provide a workplace that is safe and healthy and should carry out safety procedures such as fire drills, and to display safety notices and indicate fire exits. They should provide machinery and equipment that is safe to operate and properly guarded. However, they should also provide trained safety staff and have a written statement of health and safety policy which should be available to all the employees.
On the other hand HASAW also places responsibilities on employees to follow the health and safety procedures and use the machinery and equipment in a safe manner, including using any safety devices and guards. They should always act in the ways that will not endanger themselves or other. Finally, they should not misuse any safety equipment provided or deface safety notices.
The Control of substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 (COSHH) is another acts that employees and employers has to follow. In fact this act covers the storage, handling and use of substances that are hazardous to health, such as chemicals and cleaning materials.
All businesses have to organise themselves into different areas of activity. These areas are known as functional areas. These functional areas help the business to achieve its aims.
But what are the contributions of these functional areas to the overall business activity?
Finance
The finance department keeps track of all the money being earned and spend by Tesco PLC and knows exactly how much profit (or loss) is being made for each item or service sold. In fact business people consider finance to be the most important function of all. In fact, financial information enables critical and rapid decisions to be made about the business, which can make the difference between financial success and failure.
Most businesses, but Tesco PLC in particular control finances through a budget system. Each department is allocated a budget which identifies planned income and spending. The finance department regularly checks that managers are on target and investigates the situation if they are not.
The finance function is also very important for the staff since it is through this department that wages and salaries are paid.
Another contribution of finance is to prepare Tesco’s accounts, which is a legal requirement for most businesses. Because the Inland Revenue needs this figure to calculate how much tax the company must pay.
Expenses must be accurately recorded as this will reduce the amount of tax which is due.
Human Resources and administration
Human Resource and administration are concerned with the employees who work for the organisation and also the paperwork. In fact the Human Resource and administration contribute to the overall business by making sure that every single employee gets:
- An induction programme
- Trained
- Good working condition
- Equal opportunities
- Treated fairly
- The right equipment
And they also make sure that the company employed the best people for the job.
All this points are vital to keep the business going. In fact, if we take an employee for instance who have not got a good working condition at work, he will not be motivated and will only do the minimum work that is required, then all the money or equipment in the world will not make the business successful. However, if he is please to do his work and give the best of him, if he is well trained and committed to the aims of Tesco, then it will be successful and that mean more profit.
The Human Resource and administration make sure that the building is secured, cleaned, safe and make also sure that the offices are spacious and pleasant for the employees. They ensure that all the equipments are working properly.
Marketing and sales
The contribution of the marketing and sales to a business is vital for there is no point in producing goods or offering services that nobody wants to buy. The number of sales directly affects the profitability of a company.
The marketing is the link between the external world and the business. The marketing is crucial to the success of any business. A successful marketing result form concentrating on what is known as the ‘4 Ps’:
Product
The type or variety of product or service the customer wants, the preferred design, whether packaging is important, whether a guarantee or after-sales service is required.
Price
How much the customer is prepared to pay, whether discounts or credit terms would help sales, the price of competitors’ products, whether other price-related features would be tempting (being able to trade in an old model).
Promotion
Where it would be best to advertise the product, the type of personal selling that would be the most effective, the sales promotions and publicity to be used, how the product should be displayed in shop.
Place
Deciding on where and how the business is going to sell it product- locally or nationally, by mail order, by phone etc…
Sale is an important part of the marketing function. In fact Tesco‘s Marketing and sales department obtain databases of names and addresses so that customers can buy on the net.
Part of the marketing and sales department, the customer service function is also an important part of this department.
Customers are essential to every business because their payments are the income of the business. In fact the customer service contribution is to fulfil the customers’ expectation, make them feel important and provide a range of services which will meet their needs both now and in the future.
