Operations
Finance
Marketing
Human Resources
HSC Verbs
100

strategic role of operations management

cost leadership OR good/service differentiation

100

Role - Objectives of financial management 

– profitability, growth, efficiency, liquidity, solvency – short-term and long-term

100

Role of Marketing - Types of markets

resource, industrial, intermediate, consumer, mass, niche

100

Role - outsourcing 

– human resource functions 

– using contractors – domestic, global

100

Outline

Sketch in general terms

200

influences

- Globalisation, technology, quality expectations, cost-based competition, government policies, legal regulation, environmental sustainability 

- corporate social responsibility – the difference between legal compliance and ethical responsibility – environmental sustainability and social responsibility

200

Influences - External sources of finance 

debt – short-term borrowing (overdraft, commercial bills, factoring), long-term borrowing (mortgage, debentures, unsecured notes, leasing) 

equity – ordinary shares (new issues, rights issues, placements, share purchase plans), private equity

200

Influences - Factors influencing customer choice

Psychological, sociocultural, economic, government

200

Influences

- stakeholders 

- legal 

- economic 

- technological 

- social 

- ethics and corporate social responsibility 

200

Discuss

Identify issues and provide points for and/or against.

300

operations processes

inputs 

transformation processes 

outputs

300

Processes - Financial Ratios

- liquidity / current ratio 

– gearing / debt to equity ratio 

 – profitability – gross profit ratio / net profit ratio / return on equity ratio

– efficiency – expense ratio / accounts receivable turnover ratio 

 – comparative ratio analysis – over different time periods, against standards, with similar businesses

300

Marketing process

situational analysis – SWOT, product life cycle

market research 

establishing market objectives 

identifying target markets 

developing marketing strategies 

implementation, monitoring and controlling – developing a financial forecast; comparing actual and planned results, revising the marketing strategy

300

Processes of human resource management

acquisition 

development 

maintenance 

separation

300

Make a judgement of value, quality, outcomes, results or size.

Assess

400

Strategies - Inventory management

advantages and disadvantages of holding stock

LIFO (last-in-first-out)

FIFO (first-in-first-out)

JIT (just-in-time)

400

Financial Strategies - Cash Flow

– cash flow statements 

– distribution of payments, discounts for early payment, factoring

400

Marketing Strategy - Pricing & Pricing Methods

cost, market, competition-based 

pricing strategies – skimming, penetration, loss leaders, price points – price and quality interaction

400

HR Strategies

leadership style 

job design 

recruitment 

training and development 

performance management 

rewards 

global 

workplace disputes

400

Analyse

  • Identify components and the relationship between them.
  • Draw out and relate implications.
500

Stratgies - Global factors 

Global sourcing, economies of scale, scanning and learning, research and development

500

Financial Strategies - Global financial management 

exchange rates 

– interest rates 

– methods of international payment

 – payment in advance, letter of credit, clean payment, bill of exchange 

– hedging 

– derivatives

500

Strategies - Global Marketing

global branding – standardisation – customisation – global pricing – competitive positioning

500

HR Indicatiors

corporate culture 

benchmarking key variables 

changes in staff turnover 

absenteeism 

accidents 

levels of disputation 

worker satisfaction

500

Recommend

Provide reasons in favour.