2.1 The main functions within an organisation

The main departments in a business organisation are as follows:

DepartmentRoleKey concerns

Research and development§ Improving existing products

§ Developing new products§ Anticipating customer needs

§ Generating new ideas

§ Testing

§ Cost

purchasing§ Acquiring the goods and services necessary for the business§ Price and payment terms

§ Quality

§ Stock levels/delivery schedules

Production§ Converting raw materials into finished goods§ Quality (of materials and finished goods)

§ Costs

§ Wastage/efficiency

§ Stock levels/production schedules

Direct service provision§ Providing service to clients (e.g. accountancy firm)§ Quality

§ Time sheets/scheduling

marketing§ Identifying customer needs

§ Market research

§ Product design

§ Pricing

§ Promotion

§ Distribution§ Customer needs