Comprehension check. Functions within a business

FUNCTIONS WITHIN A BUSINESS

Comprehension check.

1. What are the three basic requirements for a successful company?

2. What are the primary functions within a business?

3. In what way are the three basic functions interdependent?

The operations function, also called the production function, is performed by that group of persons in a business who are responsible for producing the goods or providing the services that the business offers to the public. The operations function employs the greatest number of people and is responsible for the greatest portion of the firm’s controllable assets.

The marketing function must discover or develop a demand for the organization’s goods or services and maintain a responsive working relationship with customers or potential customers.

The financial function performs activities to obtain funds for the organization and to guide the organization to wise use of its financial resources. All organizations require the efforts of people, so some part of the organization must be concerned with personnel, a support function for the recruitment and training of employees and the distribution of benefit to members of the organization, to ensure that they share in the rewards that flow from the organization’s work. All managers should exercise good human relations and strive to provide tangible and intangible rewards to employees. Some of the personnel function, therefore, can be thought of as being a part of every manager’s job.

Functions other than operations, marketing, and finance exist within organizations. If a company produces a tangible product, some product development, design, and engineering functions must be performed. Non-manufacturing companies engage in similar activities as they decide what services to offer and the manner in which the services will be provided. Coordinating various functional efforts within the enterprise is the job of general managers at the top management level.

1. How are different functions within a business coordinated with its structure?

2. What departments within the organization perform operations, finance, marketing, personnel functions?

3. Do manufacturing and non-manufacturing businesses differ in their performance of the basic functions?

4. Whose responsibility is to coordinate the performance of various functions within a business?

MANAGERS’ ROLES IN OPERATIONS

Some companies have an executive with a title such operations manager, production manager, vice-president of operations, or director of operations. In a sizable company, many persons serve in managerial roles within the operations function, even though they may not have one of these titles. Many managers, from the top executive to the supervisors of direct workers, play vital roles in planning the right things for operations to do and in seeing that these things are done well. These people include line managers and others in such activities as planning, quality control, scheduling, and maintenance. To do so they must possess some important skills.

Дата добавления: 2014-11-29