15 FUNDAMENTAL MANAGEMENT TOPICS - DUDAS - 2025

Some of the most common and important management topics are marketing, production, finance, human resources, knowledge management, project management, supply chain, utsourcing, among others. The study of the administration necessarily implies an examination of the factors, both internal and external to the company that affect its operation.

Understanding the external environment of the company allows management to identify any trends, which will have an impact on the company's markets or products. Although managers do not control external changes, they can adapt companies to ensure success in a changing environment.

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The internal management of the company is more easily controlled by the manager. Entrepreneurs can personally assume responsibility for each of the functional areas of the administration.

Therefore, understanding the role of each of these managers is essential to the success of a company.

Main administration topics and what they consist of

Marketing

Promotional activities and advertising are the best ways to communicate with target customers so that they can learn about the company's products and services.

Effective marketing and promotional activities will drive long-term success, profitability, and market share growth. This department is responsible for promoting the business to generate sales and also helping the company grow.

Its role is to create various marketing strategies and plan promotional campaigns. They are also responsible for monitoring the activities of the competition.

Production

It is vital for the business that the products are of good quality and also free from defects. The production department deals with the manufacture of products, where inputs or raw materials are converted into finished products through a series of production processes.

Its role is to ensure that raw materials are turned into finished products effectively, efficiently and of good quality. This department must also maintain the optimal inventory level.

Finance

Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business. It is important to manage the cash outflows and inflows of the business. The company cannot operate without money.

If you can't handle money properly, you will lose control of the business. That's where the finance department comes in, which is part of the organization that manages the company's money.

This department is responsible for accounting, auditing, planning and organization of finances. They are also responsible for the production of the company's financial statements.

Human Resources

Human resources are the most important asset in the business. The heart of an organization is in its people. Without people, the day-to-day operation of a business would cease to function.

The success of a company depends entirely on the hands of the employees who work in it.

To achieve the goals and objectives of the company, the company's human resources department is responsible for recruiting the right people with the required skills, qualifications and experience.

They are responsible for determining the wages and salaries of the different jobs in the company. They are also involved in training employees for their development.

Knowledge management

It is the process of creating, sharing, using and managing the knowledge and information of an organization. It refers to a multidisciplinary approach to achieve organizational objectives making the best use of knowledge.

It includes courses taught in the fields of administration, information systems and archives. It is important to constantly teach employees to be successful in their work and to keep them motivated.

You can divide the things you are trying to teach employees into two groups. One is the strategy and direction of the business, the other is the skill set they need to be successful.

Ongoing communication and training are really important as both topics are moving targets.

Projects management

It is the practice of starting, planning, developing, controlling and concluding the work of a work team to achieve specific objectives and thus be able to meet specific success criteria at the specified time.

Systems engineer

It is an interdisciplinary field of engineering and management that focuses on how to design and manage complex systems projects throughout their life cycles.

industrial engineering

It is a branch of engineering that deals with the optimization of complex processes, systems or organizations. Projects are worked on to eliminate the loss of time, money, materials, labor hours, machine time, energy and other resources that do not generate value.

Supply chain

It involves the mobility and storage of raw materials, inventory of finished products and work in progress, from the place of origin to the place of consumption.

Buying is a basic function of a company. This department is responsible for the acquisition of raw materials, machinery, equipment and supplies.

It ensures that the necessary materials are in the right quantity, at the right price, available at the right time, and also from the right supplier.

On the other hand, no matter how good the product is, it is considered useless if it doesn't reach customers. The distribution department is responsible for receiving orders, delivering these orders to the customer in the right place, and at the right time.

Outsourcing

Legal outsourcing has the task of monitoring and identifying legal problems in all departments.

This advisory service can also offer training and assistance with employee manuals to ensure that the company and its employees stay up-to-date on workplace law and handle the filing of legal documents with government agencies.

They also handle customer complaints in a professional style and represent the company if sued. They act as official and formal representatives on behalf of the company or the founder.

Sales

In every business, the sales department plays the most important role in the success of any organization. The sales department is responsible for generating revenue.

The sales department is tasked with ensuring that the sale of products and services results in a profit. It coordinates with the marketing department in terms of brand recognition, product launches, and more.

From the moment the product has left the production department, this department must develop the ways to sell the product to its target users or customers.

Customer service

The customer service department is responsible for interacting with customers regarding inquiries, complaints, and orders. It also includes having a help desk / reception and contact centers.

It is important for a company to maintain and create a relationship with its customers. Customer service must be provided before, during, and after purchase. This department focuses on providing good service support, especially to potential, new and existing clients.

Part of managing a company's customer relationship is having efficient customer service. A good relationship with customers will thus create customer loyalty.

Investigation and development

Innovation is the key to the future of every business. Through innovation, a new competitive advantage will be opened for the company. Research and development acts as a catalyst in the innovation process.

They will be responsible for innovations in the product, creating your new design and style. In addition to looking for new ways to manufacture products by updating with respect to the latest technological and economic trends.

Office management

Office management can be defined as the organization of an office to achieve a specific purpose and to make the best use of personnel by using the most appropriate machines and equipment, the best possible working methods, and providing the most suitable environment.

The main topics of office management are: office design and environment, communication, handling of correspondence, transcription and copies, filing of records, forms and stationery, machines and equipment, organization and methods, reports, work measurement and office supervision.

Information technology

Computers and information systems are essential in business today. The IT department acts as the backbone of a smooth operation, involving the latest technology relevant to the business.

This department is responsible for creating the software for other departments, providing direct operational assistance in the use of the software and also data management to maintain the areas of the organization.

Strategy

All potential business operators should create vision and mission statements so that they understand what they want to do, why they want to do it, and how they will do it.

Additionally, strategists must analyze the competitive landscape and markets to determine where the opportunity for business lies and how that opportunity will be accessed.

When a strategy is formed, it is determined exactly in which market it will operate and then a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis is performed on the main competitors and on the company.

This will provide a good picture of where the company stands in the competitive landscape. It will also help determine the market access strategy.

Quality management

It ensures that a company, product or service is consistent. It has four important elements: quality assurance, quality planning, quality improvement, and quality control.

It focuses not only on product and service quality, but also on the means to achieve it. So it uses process control and quality assurance, just like products, to achieve stronger quality.

What a customer wants and is willing to pay determines quality. Therefore, it is a commitment to the consumer in the market.

References

1. Dalhousie University (2019). Introduction To Business Administration. Taken from: dal.ca.
2. Charisma Mae Sevilla (2015). Functional Areas of a Business. Founder's Guide. Taken from: foundersguide.com.
3. BDC (2019). Starting a business? Understand these 6 areas of business management. Taken from: bdc.ca.
4. Nathan Sharpe (2018). Functional Areas Of Business: Business Departments Explained. Taken from: biznas.co.uk.
5. Kalpana (2019). 5 Main Functional Areas of Management. Business Management Ideas. Taken from: businessmanagementideas.com.
6. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2019). Outline of business management. Taken from: wikipedia.org.