Functional areas

Look at the table below. It shows the different functional areas that might be found in a typical business. Explain what each of these functional areas do… include any responsibilities they may have to other areas – although we will look at this in more detail later

Finance |Marketing |Production |Customer service |Sales |Human resources | |In finance they are concerned with money and future plans.

They prepare accounts, e.g. invoices, management accounts, financial accounts for shareholders and inland revenue

Preparing wages and salaries

Obtaining capital and resources, e.g. money for expansion or to pay for such as equipment and materials.

|Marketing professionals determine the products that their companies introduce to the marketplace, often using marketing research surveys to determine what consumers need and want. The marketing department determines the right distribution channels for the company's products. For example, a consumer products company may sell its products in grocery stores and mass-merchandise outlets. |Production is the functional area responsible for turning inputs into finished outputs through a series of production processes. The Production Manager is responsible for making sure that raw materials are provided and made into finished goods effectively. He or she must make sure that work is carried out smoothly, and must supervise procedures for making work more efficient and more enjoyable.

|Customer-service representatives answer calls or in-person requests from customers. Some customers may want additional information about a product or service; others have problems related to the products they purchased. Part of a customer-service representative's job is to determine where to route calls or inquiries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. |The sales department is responsible for