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Unit 1B - Functional Areas and Internal and External Communications.
For this piece of coursework I shall be investigating the functional areas and communications within my chosen company of Marks and Spencer. There are at least eight functional areas within my organisation.
Functional Areas – Functional areas are departments within Marks and Spencer, e.g. Sales and marketing.
Communication – The process of exchanging information or ideas between two or more individuals or groups.
Oral communication (the spoken word) can be by several methods:
A telephone conversation involving placing an order with another business.
Telephoning conferencing, allowing several people to hold a conversation without needing to travel to a meeting.
Meetings, a common form of oral communication; for example a meeting of the board directors of a large company or sales representatives to decide how to deal with a difficult customer.
An example within my company of oral communication is Administration issuing instructions to other departments, such as marketing and sales.
Audio-visual communication relies on information technology. It is of a particular value to businesses whose employees do not work near each other. Techniques such as video conferencing and video links on the Internet allow people to see and hear one another. Many people can speak together and seeing each other improves the quality of communication. An example of audio-visual within my company is a video conference with the Head office from various stores.
Written communication is still used in all type of businesses, despite the use of information technology. It can take several forms.
A memorandum (memo) is used within Marks and Spencer for many communication purposes, for example, to inform employees of the appointment of a new member of staff.
Letters are generally used to communicate with people and organisations outside of the business. Marks and Spencer may write to its customers announcing a new product.
Marks and Spencer are required by law to publish financial details in their annual report.
Advertisements in magazines and newspapers are further examples of written communication.
Emails often contain attachments that include written communications. These can be lengthy documents, such as the records from recent meetings.
A written communication example from Marks and Spencer is the annual report, which tells you the financial position of the company.
Internal communication is the exchange of information with other people or groups within Marks and Spencer. An example internal communications within M&S are the instructions issued through the departments or employees.
Within functional areas employees may use memos. This would be to pass on information quickly and efficiently, as well as in the form of a legal document. By doing this Marks and Spencer are ensuring good communication skills, which then helps employee satisfaction, therefore M&S will grow as a company, this in turn will then increase the company’s profits. As well as memorandums other forms of internal communication include emails, face-to-face communication.
External communication is the exchange of information with individuals or groups outside Marks and Spencer. An example of external communication is the pamphlets and catalogue, which is available to customers advertising their goods.
External communication within Marks and Spencer includes meetings with suppliers via email, telephone conversations, video communication, face to face and infomercial. By using these forms of communication Marks and Spencer are ensuring that their business will be as successful as it possibly can be. Telephone conversation is the quickest and efficient way of communication. This allows Marks and Spencer to communicate all the necessary information to their suppliers, while ensuring that they have been understood.
THEORY
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My first chosen area is the Customer Service department.
The department deals with the before, during and after aspects of sales, making sure that their customers are happy throughout the sale process.
On their website Marks and Spencer provide a page with useful information that shows their terms and conditions. This helps customers to see where they stand and what rights they have concerning the three different stages of sales. Below is and overview of terms and conditions from their website which can be found at
The terms and conditions that have a pink dot either side represent directly the customer service department and their assistance throughout the sale period, though all of the terms are connected to the customer service department in one way or another.
WELL DONE, CHANEL. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO EXPLAIN IN DETAIL WHEN AND HOW SOME OF THESE EXAMPLES HELP CUSTOMERS. PICK A COUPLE FROM ‘BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER SALES’ PLEASE.
Furthermore this is an example of how Marks and Spencer uses its IT department in order to help its customers use their services efficiently. The IT department is one functional area with whom the customer service department work closely with in order to make sure their customers are satisfied throughout the sales process.
WHICH METHODS OF COMMUMNICATION DO THEY USE TO COMMUNICATE WITH Each OTHER? HOW DOES THE SUPPORT AND HELP PROVIDED BY IT HELP THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT COMPLETE ITS ACTIVITES?
IS THERE AN ONLINE ‘COMMENTS AND COMPLAINTS’ FORM OR AN ‘ENQUIRY’ FORM THAT CUSTOMERS CAN USE? OBVIOUSLY IT DEPARTMENT HAS HELPED THEM WITH THIS. HOW DO THESE FORMS HELP THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN COMPLETING ITS ACTIVITIES?
Using the link below I have found a case study concerning their customer service
On the Internet there are many sites, which have reviews of Marks and Spencer’s customer service. Below is a print screen of one such site and it explains how Marks and Spencer’s high customer service is enhanced by new plans. I found at this website
ANNONTATE THIS ONE PLEASE.
ALL THES WEBSITES, ETC ARE EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION. DO YOU AGREE? EXPLAIN.
I.T
The IT department are responsible for looking after the company’s website. By being responsible for the website, they have to make sure that the information is up to date and that the website is to the standards of the head office. They are involved in the concept behind the advertisements for the television and magazines.
The IT department supports marketing, because they create the advertisements that are shown through out the nation (I DON’T THINK THIS IS TRUE CHANEL. THEY HIRE TOP ADVERTISING AGENCIES TO CREATE TEHIR SUPERB ADVERTS………..NOT HTEIR IT DEPARTMENT). IT also helps the other functional areas, by updating and controlling the website.
In order to successfully maintain the website they have to make it easily accessible to their customers
Furthermore they help the administration department to carry out their daily tasks by making sure that the computers are properly maintained and that all the appropriate programs are accessible to admin. As well as helping admin in this way, IT are responsible for making sure the computers work efficiently for all the departments. This is because without the proper communication maintenance then the computers will cease to work and the company will be in trouble, because they are required to store everything on the computers in order to keep it safe. It also helps the functional areas by making sure that the departments are using the programs to their full potential. By doing this are ensuring that the company is functioning correctly as the computers which store all the information are operating. This allows to Marks and Spencer to get closer to achieving their aims that they have set throughout the year, because they have technology available for their disposal.
Also the IT department work extremely closely with all departments, as they are in charge of the businesses IT. For example if something was to go wrong with one computer and a document was lost then they are in charge of recovering this document, especially if it extremely important like a financial document that they are required to have by law.
Marks and Spencer’s use many different ways to communicate with each other, the easiest and most efficient being email and the intranet. This is by the far the most effective way of communication as it is the quickest way of communicating with other departments, head office and other stores. Using the intranet means that they are able to communicate reliably internally, without the interference that comes with depending on outside companies to help them communicate. Another way of communicating is through written communication such as letters. They would use letters to communicate with clients and external communication who do not have access to the company’s intranet.
The above link takes you to the page, which I have print screened below. This page is their accessibility statement, which helps make it easy for customers to use the website.
This is an example of how Marks and Spencer successfully uses its IT department in order to advance itself with its customers. By making it easy to understand its website, they are widening their opportunities allowing them to make more profit allowing customers to purchase goods online.
Allowing customers to purchase goods online is an example of the IT department working in conjunction with the sales department. This is because they are generating more profit by making it easy for customers to get hold of their goods that are for sale.
GOOD INFORMATION SO FAR.
PLEASE SELECT A COUPLE OF DEPARTMENTS AND GIVE ME REAL EXAMPLES OF IT IN ACTION IN THOSE DEPRTMENTNS. FOR EG: HOW DOES IT HELP SALES? CAN YOU USE CREDIT CARDS IN THE STORES? AR THERE SWIPE MACHINES? DO THEY HAVE INTERNAL ANNOUNCEMENT SYSTEM?
CAN YOU BROWSE , RESERVE AND BUY GOODS ON LINE? IS THE ONLINE PAYMENT SYSSTEM EASY AND SECURE?
HOW DOES ALL THIS HELP INCREASE THE SALES?
How is human resource department helped by it?
I think you’lll find the following link useful for both it and human resources.
Sales
The sales department deals with the actual selling of the goods such as food, clothing and home wares. They make sure that everything runs smoothly on the floors where their goods are sold.
Sales supports the other functional areas by making sure the other departments are aware of the needs and successes(?) of their department, because their functional area is the area in which the business makes its profit, without the sales department, their would be no profit made, as the customers cannot purchase them. Furthermore by communicating successfully, they are making sure that there are no gaps in between production and the warehouse so that all goods can be sold seamlessly. This will allow the company to keep generating revenue and in turn generate more profit.
Sales helps the marketing department by selling what the marketing sector are advertising. In helping marketing in this way, they are also helping production as the products that are being sold were created by the production team and then advertised by marketing (chanel, isn’t it the other way round? Marketing helps sales by advertising the wares. Sales has to make sure that stocks are kept up-to date for allthe old and new marketing campaigns.) Sales also supports the administration department, because they produce charts and graphs which show how much revenue has been made by doing this they are helping the company to grow.
Working closely with the marketing department is very important as it means that the goods that are being sold by the sales department are being marketed by the marketing department enabling them to generate revenue for Marks and Spencer at each and every one of its stores.
Sales are supported by the IT department through them making sure that anything to do with technology, for example their tills are in complete working order so that the vital sales can be made.
They communicate internally via intranet, notice boards, memos and through written communication.
My final chosen department is Marketing.
Marketing is one of the main functional areas, because it is the majority of their business. Marketing deals with the suppliers and keeps in contact with advertisement, and reports back to administration that then relays the information, back to head office. Head office then issues new instructions to be followed. Marks and Spencer spend a lot of money making sure that their products are advertised properly. Recently they had the legendary Twiggy as the face of their company. Twiggy draws attention to television screens, billboards, and magazine pages, which she appears on. This means that by using Twiggy more attention is being drawn to their products, which in turn, may think that they need or want the products that are being advertised, because Twiggy is using or showing them. Currently however they have just signed a deal with Shilpa Shetty to become the face of their company, which will help them appeal to a wider range of market because most people will have watched her on television programme Big Brother and she represents her home country which will recognise her easier then they may recognise Twiggy.
More recently for their 2007 Christmas campaign they used Antonio Banderas as their face and he worked with Twiggy and other famous models to advertise Marks and Spencer’s Christmas clothes range. This deal was very successful and generated vast revenue for them. (NOT REALLY CHANEL. IN FACT M&S SALES AFTER THIS ADVERT I.E, DURING XMAS AND JANUARY SALE WERE THE LOWEST IN A LONG TIME.)
Marketing support the sales and production departments by advertising products created by the production department and the products that are going to be sold by sales. In doing this they are helping the company to increase profit as well as ensuring growth, employee satisfaction and possibly customer satisfaction. By helping increase profit marketing are in constant contact with the administration department.
Marketing works very closely with the sales department, as without marketing, nobody would know what goods Marks and Spencer had to sell and therefore Marks and Spencer would not generate the amount of revenue that they now generate each year. Additionally they work with the finance department so that they know how big their budget is, and how much they have left to spend on marketing the goods of Marks and Spencer.
The ICT department supports the marketing department by keeping their technology updated so that it becomes easier for them to market their goods.
They also communicate with the other departments through notice boards, intranet and email.
In conclusion I think that the functional areas are using their communication skills very effectively especially seeing that they have an annual turnover in excess of £8 million. Therefore they have been very successful in their communication techniques. Furthermore their internal communication is based mainly on the local intranet and memos, while their external communication is mainly through emails and letters to certain customers who are members of their various policies and who hold a store card.
GOOD INFORMATION OVERALL.
YOU ARE IN MB2 COMFORTABLY……..BUT IT WILL HAVE TO BE LOWER MB2, INSPITE OF ALL THE EXTENSIVE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE DEPARTMENTS DUTIES ARE. THIS IS BECAUSE THERE’S VERY LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TECHNIQUES OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION USED BY THESE DEPARTMENTS. (CHECK THE SPEC, PLEASE)
PLEASE ADD THE INFORMATION.
IF YOU’RE NOT SURE, ASK ME IMMEDIATELY
1B - functional areas and internal and external communication