Provide an example of a process that creates multiple products and/or multiple f

Question

Provide an example of a process that creates multiple products and/or multiple functions. Clearly distinguish the products and functions and note which product(s) help provide which function(s). What would be the challenges in comparing your chosen process to others that may also have multiple products or functions Provide an example of a process that creates multiple products and/or multiple functions. Clearly distinguish the products and functions and note which product(s) help provide which function(s). What would be the challenges in comparing your chosen process to others that may also have multiple products or functions

Explanation / Answer

Solution:-

Products:-

Exaple:- For instance, if your company provides both copywriting and printing, it might make sense to operate these services as separate and autonomous departments.

Function:-

Example':- If your business manufactures and distributes two different types of golf ball, it wouldn't make much sense to divide those two products into separate departments.

1) Product departmentation organizes employees based on which product line or set of services they work with. Each product line has a department of its own, and each department has specialists in all of the functions needed to produce and sell that product, such as marketing, manufacturing, accounting and human resources.

2) The departments in this type of company operate autonomously from each other and are often better at responding to changing circumstances in a flexible way. For example, the salespeople can talk to the design and manufacturing specialists in their own department to address customer satisfaction issues rather than having to go outside the department.

3) Smaller businesses would use this type of structure only if they offer distinctly different products or services.

Functions:-

1) Functional departmentation organizes employees based on function or skill set.

2) Salespeople and marketers work together in the marketing department, employees involved in making the company's products work in the manufacturing department and employees involved in designing new products work in the research and development department.

3) Specific departments vary from company to company but are always designed so employees work with others who share similar skills or functions. This type of organizational structure works best in smaller organizations without too many distinct product lines.

Challanges:-

1) Functional departmentation has the advantage of efficiency, because all of the employees in each department are specialists in the same or closely related skills. It has the potential disadvantage of inflexibility, because any issues that involve more than one skill set require communication and cooperation between departments. This is less likely to be an issue for a smaller organization, because the different departments may be in frequent contact already.

2) Product departmentation has the advantage of flexibility but the potential disadvantage that the departments may compete unintentionally. For example, because each product line operates as an autonomous department, the actions or strategies of one department may interfere with those of another department in the same company.

A COMBINED APPROACH:-  

1) Matrix departmentation combines the organizational structures of product and functional departmentation by using parallel management structures. Employees are organized into functional departments based on skill sets but also work with project managers who oversee all employees involved with a particular product line.

2) This type of organizational structure is intended to combine the advantages of product and functional departmentation, but it has the potential disadvantage that employees must report to two separate supervisors, who may give contradictory instructions. Smaller companies usually can remain flexible while using the functional departmentation structure alone, because the relatively small number of products and employees facilitates easier communication between different functions.

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