CORPORATE ORGANIZATION

Today’s companies form as a result of trends in economy; mergers or acquisitions, diversification, and alliances. With all, there are still certain functions identifiable in most corporate organizations, which command the attention of its managers. These functions are;
Strategic Planning, Guiding the corporation from the broadest perspective. Strategic planning helps upper-level managers provide the corporation’s direction, defining and refining its mission in the process, and then will help develop corporate goal. Good strategic planning seeks to anticipate change and then plan for it, its also foster a feeling of confidence about what is likely to produce success.
Marketing, This function is the closest to the customer. Its job is to identify customer needs and translate them back to the firm for its reaction. It role is therefore critical. To support its efforts, marketing works with advertising to state the company’s offering in terms that are attractive to the buyer. Sales is a part of the marketing function and is the front line, the place where information about customer needs and desires penetrates and gains the attention of the company.
Engineering, Research and Development, when marketing function had identified a new need or potential market; they feed the information to Engineering, Research and Development function, whose function is the development and refine of the product and the process that manufacture it. This function design develops, and test the product through all stages until it is ready for market launch. They interact with customers who participate in the testing of new product prior to launching, the design may change based on feed-back response, manufacturing procedures or price of material and labor. This function is most in touch with what will be available in the future. One of the important is identification and implementation of solutions, because the end result of the designers’ work will affect purchasing, shop-floor operation, capacity requirements and human resources.
Human Resources; This function must seek, attract and keep individuals having the skills, human qualities, and experience required by the operation management system. Its normally take into account the human component: educational level, work ethic, habits, and expectations of the labor pool; believing that there are no bad employees, only employees placed in wrong positions. Effective use of employees will provide a company with a valuable source of innovation and productivity gains. They work with the proverb: “Dissatisfaction unexpressed is potential trouble; ideas not presented represent lost potential.”
Purchasing; The crucial role played by this function is selecting inputs that will support the company’s orientation and vision because the performance of any operating division is ultimately dependent on goods and services supplied to it by this function.
Logistics; This function may be called inventory management as inputs arrive, scheduling while in the transformation process, and distribution when outputs are en route to the customer. Smooth or poor coordination of the flow from supplier of materials to delivery to the customer has repercussions throughout the channel. Delays in delivery to customers mean delays in payment received and that has an impact on the company’s cash flow.
Finance; This function serves as an interface between the firm’s managers and the financial community: banks, investment firms, and stockholders. These entities have a stake in the company’s success or failure, and at all times are poise to assist, advice, provides support, or withdraw it. This function must be knowledgeable about the firm’s creditworthiness. The financial community watches the impact of all decisions done, basing its ratings on the wisdom of the decision makers.
A Team Operation; In the best of all possible worlds, operations management works hand in glove with the other functions, alert to any harmful fragmentation or lack of communication (two-way street, both side must aware all needs and expectation of their colleague).