M1 – information flows

Data Flow Diagram - High & Low
High: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3rvStNkXE4GemRqV1YzUHEyOFU/edit?usp=sharing

Low: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3rvStNkXE4GdjJJNHNJaFVBd28/edit?usp=sharing


Sales - This department deals with the customers head-on, it's the front-line within a business. Trained sales staff sell the various goods and services on offer for the business they are representing. The staff will give advice to the potential customers and even potentially encourage them to spend more so that the business is more profitable.
Some tasks and jobs involved:

1. Staff selling the goods and giving advice to the customers within a store
2. Sales representatives could even travel to their customers
3. Telesales staff tries to sell the services via a telephone
4. Merchandisers display the products strategically

Purchasing - Purchasing sector deals with the purchase of the stock from companies to sell them again afterwards for a profit. This involves companies such as H&M or online shops which buy goods from brands such as Adidas etc. and sell them.

For example: If big brands such as Ralph Lauren or Adidas don't sell their stock, companies such as TK MAXX purchase their stock for a lower price which allows them to sell the stock again at a reduced price to the consumer market.

Manufacturing - This is probably the most important sector of a business...without manufacturing and whatnot, the business wouldn't exist. The sector is responsible for the goods that a business has to offer.
Some of the tasks involved:

1. Obtaining the necessary resources in order to make the goods
2. Efficient organization of the goods/resources

For example: If Ford was to have delays within the manufacturing sector, the cars wouldn't get made in time and that would create problems for the company since they wouldn't be able to provide the cars to their customers in time.

Marketing - This particular sector deals with the way a business and their goods and services are promoted. Marketing is behind all the adverts on the TV and radio, billboards, magazine/newspaper adverts etc. This is another very important sector because if the potential customers don't know that a certain product exists, it would be hard for the business to sell their goods.                                                                    Tasks Involved:

1. Surveying the customers to see how customers feel about certain products and/or the services offered by the business and how they could be improved
2. Developing new products to meet customer "wants" and demands
3. Promoting the business, it's services and goods  to make the potential clients aware and interested in them.

For example: If Apple didn't promote their products, people around the world most likely wouldn't know they exist.

Finance - Calculates how much loss or profit a business has made by managing and recording revenue and costs of that business. It helps the business as the people in finance calculate and manage all the money flowing through the business.
Tasks involved:

1. Setting budgets
2. Obtaining resources and capital
3. Calculating and paying wages or salaries
4. Managing accounts

For example: If a university didn't have a finance sector, they wouldn't be able to or at least would have a lot of problems managing any money and it would be very difficult to do any necessary renovations or improvements on the buildings since the builders wouldn't have a way to be paid in an efficient and appropriate manner.

Administration - This section of the business makes sure that the organization runs smoothly. Without administration, other sectors within a business would fail to meet their tasks and this would create problems for the business on a whole.
Tasks involved are:

1. Clerical tasks such as answering the phone, writing memo's etc.
2. Managing the reception desk
3. Cleaning and maintenance
4. Security
5. Health and Safety assessments
6. Hardware, software and network support/management and more...

For example if Sainsbury's would fail to carry out the necessary Health and Safety assessments and if someone in work would get injured, the company could face charges for failing to meet the legal demands etc.