BMP3004: Functional Areas and Skills Report for IOM Electronics Ltd

This report analyzes the functional areas within a business, using IOM Electronics Ltd as a case study. It describes key departments such as sales, marketing, accounting, human resources, production, and distribution, highlighting their roles in driving company success. The report further identifies essential skills, including active listening, analytical thinking, creative problem-solving, effective communication, and technical proficiency, which are vital for employees to perform effectively in each functional area. The report emphasizes the importance of these skills in contributing to the overall productivity and sustained performance of a business. It concludes by summarizing the significance of each functional area and the corresponding skills in achieving business objectives.

INDIVIDUAL REPORT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
1- Describing different functional areas in business companies.................................................3
2- Defining types of skills needed by candidates to be capable to work productively in varied
functional areas...........................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
A business encompasses varied functions that support in growth and success of
companies. It includes production, marketing, research & development, HRM, accounting etc.
which provides benefit to organizations in term of increasing productivity and profitability. The
current assignment will be based on IOM Electronics Ltd, which falls under list of well-known
regional companies in Manchester. The study will explain varied functional areas in venture
companies. Lastly, the report will justify types of skills required by workers to be able to work
effectively in functional areas.
MAIN BODY
1- Describing different functional areas in business companies
The success and excellent progress of businesses depend on their varied functional areas
that are as following;
Sales department-
It is one of the most common functional areas that provide advantage to a company in
term of focusing on selling their products and services (Tettsoeva, 2018). Sales department as
functional area consist of set of venture processes and activities that support firms to run
business successfully and effectively. This section is direct connected with an organization's
goods and services and its target customers. More than making sales, it helps to build strong
bond with consumers. Sales department contributes to promote progress of ventures as well as
consumer retention, which is quite essential to boost profits margin. By building personal
connection with buyers, this functional area allow individual customer to feel valued, which in
return increase customer base.
Accounting department-
Finance department is the key element of functional areas that is accountable for
preparing accurate financial statement of a company, maintaining ledger, billing etc. By
providing accounting services and managing finances in context of IOM Electronics Ltd, this
functional area help to increase financial performance of organization (Ikechukwu Nwanji and
et.al., 2020.). It is responsible for tracking assets, managing payroll, tracking expenditures,
keeping track of important tax documents and paying bills. It is at centre of any firm and is
accountable for assuring efficient financial administration and financial controls that is essential

to support all venture activities. Accounting department plays important role in running a venture
like chosen one because it assists firms to track income and assure statutory compliance as well
as provides quantitative financial data to management which may use in context of decision-
making process.
Marketing-
In order to run a business successfully, a company may arrange a set of functional areas,
in which marketing is the main, because it helps to increase customer base, their satisfaction
level and maximize profitability (Ismailova, Abisheva and Ismailova, 2019). In form of
functional area, marketing department play crucial role in any company as it supports to promote
products and services all over the world. It helps companies like IOM Electronics Ltd to run their
businesses effectively and productively with strong brand image in market. Marketing section by
using varied tactics, techniques, methods and tools develop influencing content and promotional
plan, which contribute to generate brand as well as product awareness. It is accountable for
gaining attention of more profitable customers and retaining existing for longer period of time.
Human resource development-
Along with above departments, HRM is also included in list of functional areas in
business companies. It supports in term of managing the performance of workers which in return
increase productivity and then sales of IOM Electronics Ltd. Human resource administration is
highly accountable for running a venture smoothly and successfully by hiring and selecting
talented applicants (Jerez-Gómez, Céspedes-Lorente and Perez-Valls, 2019). It plays significant
role in companies by providing training to existing and new workers, which help to boost their
performance and productivity level even better than few months or years. Furthermore, HRM is
essential for a company because it helps to retain skilled and knowledgeable workers for longer
by providing compensation and recognizing their performance. The benefit of this functional
area in context of companies is not limited here, it categorized in varied terms.
Production department-
It defined as group of activities within a venture that is accountable for manufacturing
quality products according to target customers needs and requirements. Production department
help to run an organization by producing finished items which organizations sell to earn profits
and generate revenue. The role of this functional area is to convert raw material and other inputs
into well created services or goods. Production department is quite essential for companies in

different terms such as it help to enhance operational efficiency, which enables organizations to
meet output targets set by management. In order to meet production targets, it establishes
quantity of raw materials and forms of machinery to achieve desire outcomes. By scheduling
production procedures, it may complete daily work on time.
Distribution-
Managing and running a business is quite challenging task, which needs great
understanding in context of functional areas. Distribution department by play their role as
functional area within business companies, it makes a firm able to distribute its products and
services all over the world. Its role is to oversee movement of items from suppliers to the point
of sale. Distribution management is an overarching concept that refer to varied activities such as
packaging, warehousing, logistics, supply chain and inventory. This functional area is important
for IOM Electronics Ltd, because it helps to manage supply chain operation, from vendor &
suppliers to products manufacturer to centre of sale. By managing the supply chain activities,
distribution department provide satisfactory services or goods to customers.
Research and development-
Along with all above beneficial and useful functional areas, R&D also contribute to run a
venture like IOM Electronics Ltd within marketplace for longer period. It conducts activities that
companies undertaken to introduce and innovate new items or services, which in return increase
customer satisfactory level. Research & development department is accountable for conducting a
research, which enables firms to manufacture and sells each item according to market trend. It
collects important and helpful information that supports in context of strategic decision-making
process. It is important for any brand either small or large in term of making a venture
competitive by catering insights into market and creating new services.
2- Defining types of skills needed by candidates to be capable to work productively in varied
functional areas
An employee within a company may work productively and professionally when they
have right skills, and good knowledge relate to work as it enables them to perform specific role
within above functional areas. A person needs certain types of skills that are;
Active listening-
It is actually very important for an applicant to have active listening skill as it enables
them to work efficiently within sales department. It makes employees able to connect or

communicate with target customers. Active listening is all about staying in situation and assuring
that sellers clearly and effectively comprehends what customers are saying. It enables a
candidate to listen what consumers want and then make changes accordingly. Active listening
skill may used to work in varied functional areas, along with current.
Analytical skills-
In order to work successfully and perform role within accounting department a worker
may required analytical skill (Huerta and Jensen, 2017). Accounting work needs a meticulous,
detailed oriented focus. It may sift through hefty financial records to assure every information is
accurate and detail is appropriate. Otherwise, analytical skill make person able to yield
inconsistent outcomes and enable them to look at analysis report. With this skill, workers may
quickly identify whether facts & figures compute and make change when any issue may occur.
Creative thinking skill-
While developing plans and strategies relate to marketing activities, a person have to use
their skill like creative thinking, because it enables them to create effective and influencing
content. Creativity is the key component in marketing as it help to develop a message and
strategy which gain attention of new customer and retain them along with existing for longer.
This skill is essential and needed by applicant that make them able to work effectively in
marketing department. John may use this competence and effectively run his new venture in
market.
Effective communication skill-
Under set of varied skills, communication is also important and useful because it helps to
build a strong bond with customers, enhance the performance of workers and motivate them
(Ghotbifar, Marjani and Ramazani, 2017). It is required by a worker who is interested to perform
successfully in human resource department. Effective communication skills may also utilize to
work in any functional area, as it provides benefit in varied terms. It is used to communicate
employees, collect data about current market trends while conducting research and other
activities.
Technical skill-
A person needed this skill which allow them to perform productively in production,
marketing and other functional areas. This skill is required to work major tasks which are often
relate to production, information technology etc. While working in production department,

workers may use this skill to design a product packaging layout. John may use this skill to run
his IOM electronics Ltd, successfully.
CONCLUSION
By summing up above discussion, it has been concluded that production, marketing,
accounting, human resource, distribution and other functional areas boosted the performance of
companies and enables in context of sustaining for longer. Furthermore, it has been summarized
that technical, communication, creative thinking and other forms of skills has made individual
worker capable to work in each functional area effectively.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Ghotbifar, F., Marjani, M. and Ramazani, A., 2017. Identifying and assessing the factors
affecting skill gap in digital marketing in communication industry
companies. Independent Journal of Management & Production. 8(1). pp.1-14.
Huerta, E. and Jensen, S., 2017. An accounting information systems perspective on data
analytics and Big Data. Journal of information systems. 31(3). pp.101-114.
Ikechukwu Nwanji, T. and et.al., 2020. The Role of Accounting Information for Effective
Corporate Financial Reporting: A Case Study of Flour Mill of Nigeria. Journal of
Critical Reviews. 7(19). p.671.
Ismailova, N.T., Abisheva, G.O. and Ismailova, D.T., 2019. The role of EVENT-marketing in
management. News of the national academy of sciences of the Republic of
Kazakhstan. 6(328). pp.94-98.
Jerez-Gómez, P., Céspedes-Lorente, J. and Perez-Valls, M., 2019. Do high-performance human
resource practices work? The mediating role of organizational learning
capability. Journal of Management & Organization. 25(2). pp.189-210.
Tettsoeva, E.M., 2018. Choice of cooperation model of the logistics department with other
departments of an importing company. Управление, (1 (19)).
Online
What Are The 5 Functional Areas Of Business?. 2021. [ONLINE]. Available Through:
<https://dgstudentfinance.com/qa/what-are-the-5-functional-areas-of-business.html>
What Are the Duties of a Sales Department?. 2020. [ONLINE]. Available Through:
<https://bizfluent.com/list-6594800-duties-sales-department-.html>