Commercial management. What does the commercial department do: structure, functions and tasks

The activity of a commercial enterprise does not proceed independently. It is directed by people, regulated and controlled by them.

Enterprise business management system is a market-oriented system, which means not only the organization of an interconnected structure of the enterprise processes involved in it, but also their combination with all external factors.

The management of commercial activity sets as its immediate task the introduction of a certain order in commercial and trade processes, the organization of joint actions of the employees participating in these processes, and the achievement of coherence and coordination of actions. At the same time, management is aimed at optimizing the work of employees in order to increase the efficiency of commercial processes and achieve the ultimate goals of the enterprise.

The commercial activities of various trading enterprises have much in common. However, specific management solutions developed and implemented by some trading enterprises cannot always be used by other enterprises. This is due to changes in environmental factors. In addition, the conditions for the functioning of the trading enterprise itself are rapidly changing. Therefore, the management process must be determined by the environmental parameters and their variables within the trade enterprise.

Business management is based on general principles and methods of management.

The fundamental principles of building the management of commercial activities of a trading enterprise are presented in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Basic principles for building the management of commercial activities of a trading enterprise

Ensuring consistency between departments (services). Each division (service) of a commercial enterprise has a specific purpose and functions, i.e., they have autonomy to one degree or another. At the same time, their actions must be coordinated and coordinated in time, which determines the unity of the management system of a trade enterprise.

Ensuring the interaction between business activities and the goals of the trading enterprise. Commercial activity is formed and changed in accordance with the interests and needs of production. Consequently, the functions of commerce management are implemented taking into account the goals of the trading enterprise.

Ensuring the hierarchy of the management structure. A characteristic feature of management is the hierarchical rank. The organization of business management should be focused on vertical and horizontal communications.

Ensuring an integrated approach to management. From the position of complexity, all factors influencing the management decisions of commercial activities are taken into account. It also provides for the connection of the commercial processes of a trading enterprise with the subjects of the external environment.

Ensuring low links in the management structure. Under small link a simple control structure is understood. But at the same time, stability and reliability of business management must be achieved.

Ensuring the adaptability of the management structure. The internal and external environment is subject to constant changes. This is especially evident in the period of the emergence of the consumer market. Therefore, the flexibility and adaptability of the business management structure to changes and environmental conditions is essential.

Providing executive information. The development and adoption of managerial decisions are based on executive information. It includes obtaining the initial information, processing, analyzing and issuing the results of the control action. This task is performed using modern technical means that allow you to automate the process of information support.

Management of commercial activities cannot be separated from the management system of a trading enterprise, which also performs functions related to technological, economic and financial activities. Therefore, when building a business management structure, it is necessary to take into account the interaction and subordination of all the constituent elements that form an integral management system for a commercial enterprise.

Management methods are ways of influencing the management of commercial processes and activities. They are divided into administrative, organizational, economic and legal.

Administrative Methods are determined by the field of activity and the specific conditions of the trading enterprise. It is also necessary to take into account alternative management options, the choice and implementation of which is determined by the foresight of the target results of the enterprise. It should be noted that the hierarchical construction of the management system and the content of management functions largely depend on the positions held by the management of a trading enterprise. Various compromise solutions are possible here.

Organizational Methods are based on organizational, organizational-administrative, organizational-methodical and regulatory support. They contain regulatory requirements of an organizational and methodological nature, administrative, instructive and regulatory materials, which are prerequisites for the formation of management decisions. As market relations develop, the role of organizational methods that regulate the impact on the management of commercial activities will increase.

Economic Methods in their definition, they rely on the course taken and the economic strategy of the trading enterprise, its potential resources, and the economic situation of the market. The totality of economic elements is the starting position in the management of the commercial activities of the enterprise. The impact of economic methods is predetermined by the surrounding economic environment.

Legal Methods focused on the use of the legal mechanism, which is based on the adopted legal and legislative acts, relevant standards and regulations. Legal methods consist in the legal regulation of commercial processes, taking into account the target tasks of a commercial enterprise.

These management methods do not exclude each other and are implemented in interaction. Their combination depends on the specific conditions of the functioning of the trading enterprise and the market environment. In addition, the organization of commercial activities includes methods such as planning, analysis of the enterprise.

In market conditions, there is a need to expand management tasks, develop new management techniques and methods suitable for various forms of ownership and the development of commercial activities of trading enterprises. In other words, a constant search for ways to improve management is expected. The process of managing a commercial enterprise should be based on market principles and modern management methodology. Foreign management science has come a long way in its development. The prerequisites for this were:

• - economic laws of the market;
• - dynamism of the consumer market;
• - hierarchical construction of the management structure with a focus on the strategic course in the activities of the enterprise;
• - the organization of the enterprise, determined by its integration and adaptability to changes in the external environment;
• - initial and resulting parameters.

A. Fayol created the theory of social production management, which formulated the principles of management based on the use of the potential resources of the enterprise. He singled out five initial functions in management: planning, organization, direction, coordination and control. The objective necessity of creating a control system consisting of interacting processes was revealed by M.Kh. Mescon in his work "Fundamentals of Management": "Management is a process, because the work to achieve goals is not some kind of one-time action, but a series of interrelated continuous actions. These activities, each of which is a process in itself, are essential to the success of the enterprise. They are called managerial functions. Each management function is also a process, because it also consists of a series of interrelated actions. The management process is the total sum of all functions.

The above theoretical provisions give an idea of ​​the approaches to managing the commercial activities of an enterprise in market conditions. A market-oriented management system means not only the organization of the structure and the interconnected set of involved processes of the enterprise, but also their combination with all external factors. The management of commercial activity sets as its immediate task the introduction of a certain order in commercial and trade processes, the organization of joint actions of the employees participating in these processes, and the achievement of coherence and coordination of actions. At the same time, management is aimed at optimizing the work of employees in order to increase the efficiency of commercial processes and achieve the ultimate goals of the enterprise.

In modern conditions, the activity of a trading enterprise is associated with entrepreneurship, commerce, econometrics, economic cybernetics and informatics. This determines a new qualitative level and economic growth of the market. The organizational structure of the management of a commercial enterprise should be built accordingly.

Many executives and senior managers have come to believe

about the need to introduce a fundamentally new approach to managing commercial activities. This can be achieved by introducing marketing services (or at least their main elements) in each enterprise. Since marketing is a purely market concept for managing the commercial activities of an enterprise, it will allow the most harmonious combination of the market interests of the enterprise and the consumer. Practical marketing will bring real benefits to the enterprise only if its application is carried out by qualified specialists with knowledge in the field of market strategy and tactics.

A marketing service that adequately meets the requirements of the market is still

is just being born. Its development is constrained by the lack of funds from enterprises, specially trained personnel and methodological developments adapted to local conditions. Marketing is one of the most important functions of enterprise management, along with such as finance, accounting of business transactions, selection and placement of personnel (personnel management).

Economic content, variety of organizational and legal forms, multifunctionality and multi-subject nature of the structure, complexity and consistency of the organization, multi-sectoral nature of coverage, global focus on the development and growth of commercial activities in a dynamic external environment and the current trend towards specialization and integration of economic activities of entities based on the exchange of created values ​​determine and require an appropriate approach - logistics in all its manifestations: as thinking, a concept, as a general strategic goal-setting, as an integrative organization, as a functional management, as a resource-saving algorithm - as a systemic factor in increasing competitiveness and economic development not only of individual business entities, but and the entire national economy.

Competent, professional management of the commercial processes described above is of key importance for the successful functioning and development of the organization as a whole. It is successful work directly with the market that gives meaning to all other processes of production and economic activity.

Commercial activity as a system consists of managed and control subsystems interconnected by communication channels.

As managed subsystem speaks a set of commercial processes, the implementation of which ensures the sale of products, goods, and the provision of services. This circumstance requires the division of the managed system in accordance with the nature of the commercial operations taking place at the enterprise.

Control subsystem represents a set of interrelated methods of managing business activities implemented by people with the help of technical means to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. Management activities include: planning, regulation, control, accounting, stimulation (motivation). Management functions are carried out by a special body - the commercial department of the enterprise.

The organization of business management is carried out by organizational design, reorganization or liquidation of existing systems, rationalization of management.

Elements of commercial activity in the prescribed manner are united by certain links that ensure their systemic integrity, through their organization they acquire order and are organized into a commercial system. The complete orderliness of the commercial activity management system can be achieved by the complex application of organizational management methods: regulation, standardization, instruction, control.

Improving the organization of the business management system involves:

• - clear statement of the purposes of commercial activity;
• - establishing the consistency of criteria for evaluating the results obtained, increasing the effectiveness of incentives that encourage coordinated actions;
• - choice of rational forms of management, improvement of the structure of the commercial system, distribution of duties, rights and responsibilities in it;
• - development of effective methods that provide high quality commercial solutions;
• - introduction of commercial information processing, document management processes based on the use of modern computer and office equipment;
• - the establishment of a scientifically based work regime for the administrative and managerial apparatus, improving the culture of management.

Commercial property management

Audit of the effectiveness of the use of the object

Today, commercial real estate management is one of the most demanded services, since well-placed management guarantees a stable income, and this is the key to the company's prosperity.

Under the management of commercial real estate, experts mean a certain sequence of actions aimed at the rational use of a commercial facility, thanks to which the owner receives the maximum profit.

Commercial real estate management is a service that, according to most experts, modern business cannot do without! It is for this reason that the role of professionals capable of providing an expanded package of comprehensive trust management services is growing. The MOST company meets all the criteria of a professional market operator and competes worthily for the right to be called the best among other players.

We help to save the owner money and time, help in solving any problems with tenants, deal with legal issues, search and control of contractors - also falls on the shoulders of the management company.

It is also important to note that the competent management of commercial real estate affects the level of rent for the tenant, i.е. for rental rates. Just think how much time and effort you will save by giving your object to the trust management of a management company.

You will get rid of a number of problems associated with solving legal issues, finding tenants, suppliers, contractors. You do not have to understand the features and intricacies of technical operation.

It is necessary to distinguish between two types of services provided within the framework of management. This is the technical operation of the facility and commercial management.

Technical operation- the process is laborious, but it does not have any special differences, whether it is the operation of a residential building or a shopping and entertainment center. Only the size and "quality" of the object matters.

Commercial Management on the contrary, it has serious differences for different segments of real estate. For example, the commercial management of a shopping center is different from the management of residential real estate.

How to correctly calculate the cost of commercial management services in your area?

The cost of management services depends on many factors: on the professional level of specialists (marketers, engineers, managers), on the geography and complexity of the object, as well as on the tasks to be solved and the goals set.

The main task of MOST is to provide an open and transparent facility management system for the customer. The accumulated knowledge and experience will contribute to the adoption of prompt and professionally correct decisions. It is these factors that will contribute to the establishment of a trusting relationship "owner - management company". For many management companies, the customer's trust is an important indicator of their professionalism.

The management company "MOST" provides services for the commercial management of real estate in Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Kemerovo, Kurgan and other cities of the Russian Federation. By this time, we manage about 200 thousand square meters. meters of commercial real estate.

Property management

Tasks to be solved

Determining the capabilities of an object

Checking the optimality of current costs

Work structure

1. Analysis of the current activity of the facility

How: we analyze the expenditure and revenue components of the budget, study the staffing table, the features of the location and environment of the facility, the existing pool of tenants.

Why: to understand problems and their solutions.

2. Coordination of the strategy of work with the customer

How: Based on the information obtained at the first stage, a work plan is drawn up, which is presented to the client.

Why: the customer knows what and how we will do.

3. Approval of the annual financial plan

How: we predict the change in the financial result of the facility over the next year, after which we form the final vision of the planned income and expenses.

Why: the customer understands what costs he will incur and what impact they will have on the revenue side, and also receives a document with specific figures that the object managed by MOST must show.

4. Signing an agency agreement

How: we coordinate the agency agreement with the client and sign it.

Why: from that moment we get legal grounds to carry out activities at the facility.

5. Departure of specialists

How: site visit of heads of MOST asset management and operation departments

Why: on-site setup

6. Formation of the state

How: we analyze the staff list in detail, carry out personnel certification for compliance with the positions held, after which we make a decision on the necessary personnel changes.

Why: to match the level of personnel to the new tasks.

7. Approval and training of the project manager

How: we place a vacancy, we conduct interviews, we approve the candidacy. After that, the new employee gets acquainted with the features of the object, their tasks and functionality.

Why: a local employee appears on the site, taking responsibility for the project.

8. Statement of business processes of the company

How: we introduce the corporate system "Bitrix 24", developed templates and methods of communication.

Why: embed the project in the company's contours, ensure the proper level of quality and control.

9. Development of a medium-term development strategy

How: set goals for the next three years and describe ways to achieve them

Why: the project manager must have a comprehensive understanding of development directions

10. Solving complex issues that require high qualifications

How: if necessary, the head of the direction is involved in solving complex issues that often arise at the initial stage of the project.

Why: concentration of competencies at the start will help to avoid mistakes, laying the foundation for further development

11. Certification of the project manager, transfer of authority

How: we conduct a final certification with the project manager to assess his understanding of the tasks, ways to solve them and knowledge of corporate standards.

Why: make sure that the hired employee meets the requirements of the company.

12. Setting goals and objectives for all performers / service organizations

How: we draw up a preventive work plan for technical staff, set tasks for employees who will look for tenants, etc.

Why: from this moment begins the full implementation of the plan.

13. Filling the object with new tenants, rotation of old

How: we prepare presentation materials, communicate with potential tenants, negotiate commercial terms, and conclude lease agreements.

Why: fill empty areas, increase the income of the object.

14. Planned implementation of the development strategy and maintenance of operations:

Organization of the management structure

SOLVED TASKS

PURCHASE OF A READY MANAGEMENT COMPANY WITH BUILT-IN BUSINESS PROCESSES ORIENTED TO A SPECIFIC OBJECT.

STRUCTURE OF WORK

1. Analysis of the goals of the owner and his financial preferences

How: we form a list of goals and indicators that the customer wants to receive from the object.

Why: based on this list, a strategy for working with the object is developed, aimed at achieving the specified financial indicators.

2. Drawing up and approval of the proposed management and operation staff

How: we determine the amount of staff, based on the basic characteristics of the object (area, number of storeys, technical equipment, etc.).

Why: for payroll planning.

3. Formation of the state

How: we place vacancies, we conduct interviews, we employ specialists.

Why: to provide the project with qualified personnel to ensure the smooth operation of the facility.

4. Statement of business processes

How: we train personnel, implement internal standards of work of the MOST company.

Why: the customer receives clear and well-functioning algorithms for project management and interaction with the management company.

5. Preparation of a short-term action plan

How: we describe the list of priority measures for the next six months.

Why: the control team receives the first detailed settings.

6. Implementation of budgeting

How: we form a budget of income and expenses, a cash flow forecast.

Why: for financial control of the object's activities.

7. Introduction of monthly reporting for the owner

Without delving into the essence of the work, one might think that sales department completely follows the line-staff principle. The commercial department is not a single whole: its functions and sales are divided into autonomous components, but at the same time they have the same value and are equivalent to the work of the entire department. Their only common goal is to get the buyer to buy this or that product. The fact that each component works independently in the commercial department should not negatively affect the work, each of the activities brings its own small contribution to the activities of the entire enterprise.

What does the commercial department in the company do?

Distinctive features of any activity are the presence of its direction and the organization of tasks to achieve the desired heights. The purpose of the commercial department is the acquisition by individuals or legal entities of goods and services offered on the market, or their exchange for other goods for mutual benefit. Interestingly, the elements operated by marketing are also operated by the commercial department. The organization of the commercial department is complex, but at the same time allows it to perform many tasks.

The main goal of the commercial department is the creation of a certain system of measures aimed at regulating the processes of sale and purchase, meeting demand and making a profit.

All processes regulated by the commercial department of the enterprise are divided into two types: technological and commercial.

Technological processes are connected with logistics. This concept refers to all operations performed during the transportation of goods (transportation, unloading, storage, packing, packaging). These operations are the continuation of the production process, and the direct movement of transport.

Commercial transactions are all processes, one way or another connected with the purchase and sale. This list also includes organizational and economic processes. It cannot be said that they are directly related to the purchase and sale, but these processes definitely affect the systematization of the trade flow.

Commercial operations are also functions of the commercial department:

• study of demand for goods, its forecast. Research of consumer demand for certain groups of goods;
• search and identification of suppliers;
• all actions related to the formation of an assortment of goods;
• assortment management;
• economic justification for choosing a particular supplier;
• organization of relations with suppliers;
• organization of service maintenance;
• conclusion and termination of contracts, all work with documentation;
• the choice of marketing techniques for the sale of goods;
• the use of marketing in social networks, advertising on the Internet, etc.
• evaluation and study of their own activities.

Examples of standards for the commercial department

The basis for the application of any techniques and actions in commercial activities should be the conditions currently prevailing in the market.

The correct and productive work of the commercial department of the enterprise will develop only with the full understanding of all the staff, what are the tasks of the commercial department:

• implementation;
• sales forecast;
• implementation policy - sales and service;
• studying the situation on the market;
• advertising, marketing, trade development;
• setting prices for the entire range of goods;
• packaging and distribution;
• commercial footage.

Responsibilities of the commercial department

Many firms still transfer advertising responsibilities to specialized agencies. The management of the enterprise determines only the policy of conducting advertising campaigns. But it's time to understand that advertising largely determines the policy of the company itself, the perception of the company by customers directly depends on it. The best solution in this case would be to introduce the post of administrator of the commercial department.

This person is needed in order to ensure that advertising reinforces the company's policy, but does not establish it. Good advertising is one of the important conditions for the sale and purchase of goods. Companies need to scale their efforts according to sales, production and distribution capabilities.

Market research

It does not matter where the information about the current state of the market comes from (advertising agencies, personal observations, using general information as a source), it is an essential component for marketing campaigns. Responsibility for finding information placed on top management will turn any knowledge gained into useless and unnecessary. It would be much better to assign it to the "working layer", then any information received will become a powerful planning tool for you. This market research technique helps to organize the activities of all layers of employees in the sales department, and also predicts sales. Market research is not yet so widely used in the work of enterprises.

Product range planning and pricing

Price setting in commercial departments by administrators has not yet taken root in domestic companies. The fact that prices should be fixed in commercial departments is considered heresy. But the fact that employees of the commercial department should have influence on the range of goods is clear to everyone. The compromise with which to get out of this situation will be the creation of a new price-setting headquarters, which will be supervised by commercial administrators.

Forecasting and planning income and salaries

The planning of future sales volumes and incomes depends on the planned profit. This duty is usually assigned to all levels of management. However, in order to calculate the planned profit, you need to make a sales forecast. This is what the commercial department does, where the current market situation and past sales are studied. This is the only way to get the most accurate forecast.

Sales organization in general business activities

One of the advantages of this concept is the ability to coordinate the work of the personnel services of the commercial department. Also, an undoubted advantage is that the use of this concept implies the coordination of commercial operations with the rest of the components of the work (production, administrative work and finance). But the most significant contribution made by this concept is that marketing becomes closely connected with other types of commercial activities. Thus, the head of the department gets more freedom of action and a lot of new tools for managing the commercial department. The head of the department establishes links with the management of advertising, research work, planning and development of operations. By joint efforts, guided by the general policy of the company, they achieve their goals.

What does the structure of the commercial department of the enterprise look like?

When a new organization arises, the commercial department appears by itself, it develops spontaneously, its work is not coordinated. The commercial department in such companies does not have clearly defined boundaries of responsibility, and the levels of subordination are established using the organizational structure. However, this does not prevent the department from continuing its work.

Usually the blame for the unproductive work of the department is placed on the sellers. But the responsibility also lies with the entire commercial department. Each mistake of the subject affects the entire sales system as a whole.

Many different types of structures have been created, each of which is designed to perform certain tasks and achieve its goals. It is extremely important to match the commercial structure and distribution policy of the company, only in this way it will be possible to effectively implement strategic tasks for business development.

Among the many sales departments, the following principles for organizing the work of the commercial department are most often used.

Geographical. To use this type of organization, it is necessary to place a sales unit in each region in the form of an official representative or branch.

Grocery. It implies competition between teams, each of which is responsible for the sale of a certain product, in the same markets.

Client. This type of organization subdivides departments into categories that specialize in a particular client level. Typically, departments are divided into a department for working with corporate clients and a department for retail sales. But there are departments of commercial service with a large number of divisions.

Functional. The case when the sales process consists of the sequential implementation of the following steps:

• search and selection of the client base;
• discussion of working conditions and trial sale;
• subsequent cooperation and service;

This type of specialization considers the division of departments into sales stages. Often used is a division between commercial department specialists who work with the client base and direct sales, and back-specialists involved in subsequent sales and service provision.

Matrix. It is most advantageously used by organizations that sell complex goods, both intellectual and technical. Sales of such companies are formed in the form of projects. Typically, such enterprises recruit leading specialists in each of the areas used in the production, and they all work in turn with the client. A good example of companies using this structure would be consulting agencies, IT companies, etc.

Key principles for the productive work of the organizational structure of the commercial department:

1. Full compliance of the structure with the goals and priorities of the enterprise.
2. Building structure around certain functions.
3. Fixing the rights, duties, and powers in the structure.
4. Set the degree of control depending on the volume of sales and the independence of sellers during transactions.
5. Develop structural flexibility. It must adapt to market conditions, the availability of certain products, price fluctuations.
6. The structure should be balanced and take into account the interests of other departments: supply department, financial department, marketing department.

A well-designed structure is one of the most necessary aspects of a company's development, but not all enterprises can boast of having it and a commercial department. Most consider it a formality, but the absence of these components leads to widespread confusion. If more experienced employees fully understand the "hierarchy" of the enterprise, then for beginners this can be a problem. Creating a certain structure will help them adapt faster. Systems without structure are beneficial to middle managers, in such situations they try to gain undeserved authority.

Each company remains unique, so it cannot be said that the processes in them are the same. The structure created for a large company can be very different from the structure created for a small office. In order to draw up the correct structure, it is necessary to draw up a diagram of possible departments of commercial activity.

Description of the key structural elements of the commercial department

Composition of the commercial department

In some commercial companies, the Board of Directors meets to solve important problems. This is the name of the meeting of leading specialists of the commercial department. Open discussions help them jointly achieve their goals, find the best options for solving production and commercial problems, and avoid fragmentation of departmental interests.

The following variant of building an organizational structure is also possible. Marketing director becomes direct manager commercial director or indirectly controls it.

Another option for the development of the organizational structure is the introduction of the position of executive (commercial) director of departments. Such a scheme is useful for those enterprises that need to reduce the number of duties of the CEO and give him the opportunity to deal with more urgent and important tasks. For example, he may spend his time establishing business relationships with companies or suppliers. The executive director may also take over the security or commercial department.

Sales department

Not only the sales department is responsible for commercial success, but also other components of production. However, this department brings the main profit to the enterprise. The system of the sales department must be clearly debugged, and the employees must be motivated, only then the income of the enterprise will be as high as possible.

For convenience, the heads of each division are referred to as senior commercial managers. In simple words, each department has its own leader, who fully controls its work. Various variations of the names of these positions are possible, but the essence of this does not change.

The statement that the sales department is the heart of the company is confirmed by the numerous flows of finance and information that connect it and other departments.

Operational commercial groups

Operational groups are divided according to certain criteria and their number depends on market segmentation, but there are other factors that affect this. With a small assortment and volume of supplied goods, commercial groups are divided according to the region. Otherwise, commercial groups are divided into groups of goods supplied to the interested regions. It is more profitable for organizations that sell or receive goods from a wholesale company to collect groups in relation to these counterparties. The same scheme is used for sales organizations to other enterprises.

Such a group consists of 2-4 people, there is no definite leader in it, and all decisions are made collectively. Accordingly, the entire team is responsible for the miss of one participant. This way of organizing leads to an acceleration of the work process, the full dedication of each employee, an increase in the efficiency and quality of work in general, simplification of the training of new employees and creates a certain competition between groups. The group also performs some analysis of the commercial department.

Work in the commercial department is productive if these immutable rules are followed:

1. During the working day it is forbidden to miss phone calls.
2. Each employee must be "savvy" in the area where his group works and cannot afford to have gaps in knowledge.
3. If the group is not competent in the client's question, he is redirected to service to a group with the necessary knowledge.
4. Team members must choose their own lunch time, as well as mutually replace each other while one of the employees is on vacation. If the issue cannot be resolved amicably, it is referred to senior management for consideration.

The ideal placement of commercial groups looks like this: all groups are in the same room, separated by screens. Each employee has his own phone and personal monitor connected to the public network.

Coordination and Procurement Department

The organization of commercial activities is almost entirely dependent on the work of this department. He works closely both with other specialized departments and with commercial groups.

The tasks of the Coordination and Procurement Department are as follows:

• distribution and control of incoming goods;
• control over the fulfillment of tasks by departments;
• monitoring the promptness of deliveries and providing guarantees to customers;
• maintaining a reserve of demanded goods in warehouses;
• control of the unity of the enterprise policy;
• creation of proposals for changing the range of goods in relation to their demand;
• creation of commercial groups to work with suppliers.

Department of Transport and Customs Operations

The department is headed by a commercial director. The main tasks of the Department of Transport and Customs Services are as follows:

1. Search for the most profitable modes of transportation.
2. Control of customs documents, registration of transaction passports.
3. Arrangement of goods escort at the request of the customer.
4. Creation of new warehouses or zones for transshipment for justified reasons.
5. Provision of vehicles, including shipping.
6. Monitoring the timeliness of deliveries and the receipt by the customer of the necessary documents.
7. Providing cargo with insurance documents.

The Marketing Director manages multiple departments. Let's take a closer look at the functions and tasks of some of them.

Marketing and Pricing Department

This department is responsible for the continuous study of the buyer's market and the enterprise market. The information received gives them the opportunity to offer the marketing director many options for promoting a particular product, among which you can find:

1. Changes in the assortment of goods in relation to the forecast and the situation on the market.
2. Proposals to replace suppliers with more competitive ones (offering goods cheaper or better than the existing one).
3. Market improvement.
4. Entry of the company to more developed levels of the market.

This department keeps records of all materials purchased and sold by competitors, collects all existing information about the pricing policy in the market, competing sellers and current indices. At the same time, the department collects data on those firms with which they have ever been in contact.

The price group of the department advises the sales groups on the prices that exist in the market at the moment, checks the reports they have completed and sends them to the head of the commercial department for review. Also, the price group issues new proposals for changing the range of goods.

Before large meetings, the department justifies the reason for discussing new pricing policy, market changes and other important issues that are within their competence.

Required for the following tasks:

1. Monitoring the effectiveness of advertising a particular product, as well as the company as a whole, compiling the characteristics of the commercial department.
2. Organization of promotions and calculation of the costs of their implementation, justification of the reasons for their decisions.
3. Implementation of the approved plan of events by concluding deals with advertising companies.
4. Distribution of trial or promotional versions of products.
5. Sending the company's products to participate in various exhibitions and fairs.

Smaller companies can afford to combine the above two departments.

Department of work with intermediaries

Engaged in the development of sales schemes. For high-quality work, the department needs the support of other components of the company: the marketing and pricing department, the customs (transport) department, the maintenance organization department, the department for coordinating purchases and sales. All commercial groups interested in promoting the goods being sold are also involved.

Having developed a proposal, the intermediary department submits it to the Board of Directors for consideration. And after its approval, the proposal turns into a target plan.

Now the department needs to find promising commercial intermediaries, prepare all documents for signing and start cooperation with them. After signing the contract, the department monitors compliance with the conditions specified in the document, as well as the work of the departments. Negotiations on the conclusion of the contract are conducted by the marketing director.

CEO speaking

Sergey Miroshnichenko, General Director of Srednevolzhskaya Gas Company LLC, Samara

We are among the natural monopolies, we are a service company, so we do not have sales and purchase departments in the standard sense. Deputies, heads of branches and structural departments are subordinate to the General Director of the company. Each department is a fairly independent structural unit that has financial isolation, a work plan, the procedure for carrying out work and payments. Each purchase is aimed at providing financial means for the construction and transformation of networks. The purchase of the main part of the necessary goods is carried out by the Production and Technological Completion Department (UPTK), which is part of the parent company, it reports to the deputy general director of the commercial department of the enterprise. Over the course of several years of work, the company has a list of trusted partners, the structure of work has been debugged, and therefore, I consider it inappropriate to form a procurement department and provide a position for the head of this department.

UPTK employees and employees responsible for conducting tenders (carrying out activities under the supervision of the First Deputy General Director) select a supplier. After that, the bidding department analyzes the correctness of the purchase procedure, the selection of a supplier, either by request for quotations, or by tender. The final selection takes place in the bidding department, a protocol is drawn up. As a rule, this process is carried out when signing serious and large contracts. A unique product is purchased, as a rule, from a specific supplier, since here attention is primarily paid to quality. The department delivers products to the main warehouse at the request of other departments.

How to organize competent management of the commercial department

The financial component of the activities of companies is not carried out by itself, it needs to be properly managed.

The management system of the commercial department is a complex of components, the relationship between them, as well as the manipulations that carry out the commercial activities of the enterprise.

To systematize the management of the commercial department, you must:

1. Prepare goals for the implementation of commercial activities.
2. Distribute the functions of production and management of commercial activities.
3. Distribute tasks among the employees of the commercial department.
4. To streamline the interaction of employees of the commercial department and the order of their functions.
5. Acquire a new technology for manufacturing a product or reconstruct it.
6. Optimize the system of incentives, supply and marketing.
7. To carry out the manufacture of products and the trade and technological process.

The management structure is based on several subsystems: methodology, process, structure and management technique.

The process of managing the commercial department of a company is a component of the management sphere, which includes the development of a communications structure, the creation and implementation of management decisions, and the creation of a management information support structure.

The management organization of the commercial department is based on the following elements:

1. Development.
2. Formation.
3. Establishment of properties of isolated parts, based on tasks.
4. Creating a coordination scheme that guarantees the ability to adapt to changing business circumstances.
5. Separation of duties for commercial activities.
6. Formation of a scheme for providing data that will help in decision making.

The goals of the commercial activity of the company are divided into certain tasks, united by the scope of activity:

• purchase of goods;
• storage system;
• distribution routes, etc.

These principles are considered the basis for creating the organizational structure of the commercial department and its management:

1. Determination of a clear and precise goal of the organization of the commercial department.
2. Formation of installation for the commercial department to achieve the overall goals of the organization.
3. Formation of mutual work among departments.
4. Formation of a clear apparatus and management system with a single subordination, the correct hierarchy in the enterprise. Accurate division of responsibilities among different management participants.
5. Building a diversified approach for leadership work.
6. Striving for the minimum number of links in the chain of command.
7. Formation of orientation of the management system.
8. Providing executive information.
9. Flexibility and adaptability to fluid market conditions.

Business management is inextricably linked with the management of the entire enterprise. Thus, when creating the structure of the commercial department and choosing the way to manage it and its activities, you need to remember the relationship of each element that makes up the management system.

Management practices are a means of influencing the management and processes associated with the business department. They consist of administrative, organizational, economic and legal. These methods of leadership imply a fruitful combination. Their interaction depends on any operating conditions of the trade organization and the market environment.

• Sales department: 4 steps to organize effective work of managers

Key positions of the commercial department for the effective functioning of the company

For the competent management of the commercial service department, the participation of people and the systematization of work are necessary. It is necessary to select specialists of the commercial department and provide them with high-quality training, to systematize and manage the activities of commercial departments, and to establish fruitful cooperation between departments involved in customer service. We have already found out, referring to the functional connection of the sales department, that most of the departments are involved in these processes. In this regard, the main task of the organization and management of sales is the availability of professional staff, on which everything depends.

Head of commercial department

At the very first stage of organizing a commercial department, it is necessary to find a responsible head of the commercial department, allocate a position to him and define powers, then orient him in order to work.

The job title is not a formality. Don't treat a job title without the necessary responsibility. Behind the position of an employee who works in the commercial department, the essence should be seen: the duties of the employee, his responsibility to the enterprise, opportunities and powers, as well as the requirements for him.

The commercial department, in most cases, is led by a commercial director. Departments associated with the circulation of money in the company must make manipulations, referring specifically to him. Sometimes, depending on the size of production, a similar workplace has a different name: sales director, sales and marketing director, or head of the sales department.

Primary tasks of the commercial department and its director. Firstly, he must stimulate and in every possible way monitor the process of selling goods, its increase. Second, improve distribution links and develop the regional network. The head of the enterprise must clearly articulate job responsibilities that can be understood and performed by the commercial director.

Another form of interaction is possible - the director himself analyzes the organization of the commercial department, finds new ways of their development and progress of the entire enterprise. At the end of the formation of ideas, an employee of the commercial department puts them forward to the CEO or presents them to the board of directors. Only after such events, the main goals are set and further prospects are formed.

The job description or regulation on the commercial department provides an example of behavior for such cases. It addresses the above issues related to the definition of the goals and objectives of the commercial director, the construction of the production hierarchy, the system of employee interaction, methods for evaluating work activities and the list of main tasks.

Business Specialists

Specialists of the commercial department participate in the organization and implementation of the processes of logistics and sales of products, the sale of services, conduct marketing research and advise on these issues.

Their responsibilities include:

1. Participation in the planning and organization of logistics, control over the fulfillment of contractual obligations, receipt and sale of funds for raw materials, materials, fuel, energy and equipment.
2. Determination of requirements for material resources and finished products and compliance of their quality with standards, technical specifications, contracts and other regulatory documents, preparation of claims for delivered low-quality inventory items and preparation of responses to customer claims.
3. Carrying out a comprehensive study and analysis of markets for goods and services in order to actively influence consumer demand in order to expand sales of products.
4. Preparation of proposals for planning the production of specific goods (services) and prices for them in accordance with changes in market conditions.
5. Participation in planning and organization of sales of products (transportation, storage, bringing to the consumer).
6. Participation in the planning and organization of the service.
7. Development and participation in promotional events.
8. Advising on marketing, other aspects of organizing the work of commercial activities.
9. Fulfillment of related duties.
10. Management of other employees.

Examples of professions included in this basic group:

1. The manager of the commercial department is a specialist directly involved in trading operations: purchases and sales. The scope of duties of the manager of the commercial department depends on the specifics and size of a particular enterprise, on the niche it occupies in the market, etc.
2. Marketing specialist (market research and analysis).
3. Advertising Specialist.
4. Merchandiser.
5. Economist for contract and claims work.

CEO speaking

Ilya Mazin, General Director of ZAO Office Premier, Erich Krause Group of Companies, Moscow

The head of the commercial department is needed to organize the work of the commercial department. If it is necessary to link two components: obtaining favorable commercial conditions at the entrance, that is, the terms of delivery (either components or finished products), and achieving favorable sales conditions. In the absence of one of these functions, there is no need for the head of the commercial department.

Very small and very large companies do not need to manage the commercial department. Small because, most often, it is difficult for them to pay for a large administrative apparatus. Usually in such situations, the functions of the head of the commercial department are performed by the owner, if there are several of them, then usually the management areas are divided between them: someone can deal with administrative and economic issues, someone controls financial turnover and profit (and in fact is a commercial director). In a large business, on the contrary, the duties of a commercial director are often distributed among directors of areas.

But for medium-sized businesses, this is a key figure. The head of the commercial department is a top manager who ensures the most important thing in the company - this is the creation of a profitable part.

How to analyze the performance of the commercial department and the sales department

It doesn't matter where your position in the hierarchy of the enterprise is, if your responsibility is to work in the sales department and strategically plan its activities, or, let's say in other words, market and marketing strategy, then you are responsible for generating a certain number of sales and economic growth of the company.

Often the expected sales turnover is not achieved due to the overpricing of the sale, or the high price of raw materials, insufficient funding for advertising or low motivation of employees. If at least one of the listed or similar problems is well known to you, then when organizing the work of the commercial department of the enterprise, you miscalculated in planning. This means that you did not conduct an in-depth study of the previous stages, did not find the real factors that affect the increase and decrease in sales.

If it was not possible to make your area of ​​responsibility for the commercial department accessible and understandable; if you have no way to timely determine the position of the commercial activities of the enterprise, then it is worth waiting for the real financial results. But this does not apply to companies that have a competent CEO.

A good CEO will usually be interested not only in how much you aim to sell next year and how many hot customers you have, he will also be interested in the facts on which your confidence is based. He will not be satisfied with the information that the company has doubled sales for several years, and now there is a need to hire more highly paid specialists in the commercial department in the field of sales, which needs an 80% increase in income. He will also analyze the growth of the market in the industry, which can be equal to just 50%. The conclusion suggests itself, doesn't it? The answer is obvious: the company has stopped in its development, but exists because of previous successes.
Suppose you are a manufacturing company or, for example, a professional services firm. With any chosen method of effective promotion, among the employees of the organization there must be employees whose main duties will be interaction with customers. These methods include active sales, advertising, marketing programs, client recommendations, etc. How deep did you analyze the commercial department? Have you given an accurate description of the commercial department? Does your analysis system answer the questions: why is our turnover the way it is, how to act to sell more, and how much sales do we need? The proposed analysis system, which we will consider, can solve such problems of the commercial department.

What should be analyzed in the activities of your managers?

1. The result of the work:

• turnover;
• the established number of active clients and the percentage of clients recently introduced into the process;
• average number of customer purchases;
• further prospects in working with the client and our possibilities in working with him;
• the number of lost customers among those with whom interactions have already been conducted and those who were only a potential client;
• the number of lost customers in the past.

Entering this information into an Excel worksheet, calculating the necessary indicators, you can get data on the result of the work of each specific manager who works in the commercial department:

• turnover will notify you of all financial profits brought by the manager for the company;
• the number of active clients and the number of new active clients will tell you how purposeful the employee is in terms of attracting;
• the average number of sales per client will indicate the quality of the clients that the manager of the commercial department works with;
• the customer's ability to purchase your product will inform you how deeply the employee analyzed the customer, in addition, you will receive data for further monitoring of sales;
• the rest of the data will indicate the development of the manager's abilities in the field of working with clients.
  All individual indicators of managers, individually and in total, are compared with each other, plus there will be an average indicator for the entire department, this will help you objectively look at and evaluate the results of the annual financial turnover.

A start. It is worth noting that when evaluating the results, you will not find the reason why the performance of managers is so different from each other. And if you do not know the reasons, then you cannot properly manage them and correct errors and inaccuracies. In this connection, it is necessary to continue the analysis of the commercial department, delving into it.

2. Activity and effort expended.

If you want to know the full data of the employees of the commercial department for working with clients and the efforts expended by them to achieve success, then you must first describe the totality of all actions, that is, describe the indicators of sales processes.

The indicators are different, it all depends on the characteristics of your business. Usually, the following indicators carry real information content: calls, meetings, offers. Naturally, they can pursue many different goals, which can be many - the exchange of information, the discussion of the presentation, financial calculations, the features of the payment system or its confirmation, etc. Well, if they serve as a stepping stone to a new stage of relations with the customer, the ladder of such development looks something like this: getting to know the client, then studying him in depth, based on the data obtained, you need to attract him, then develop these relationships and retain them to complete this transaction with a future perspective cooperation.

The most convenient tool for presenting sales processes and searching for a connection between activities and a specific sales stage is the use of the sales algorithm below.

Each period defines the process and stage of sales at which the customer is located. If you compile statistics on current customers, then it will be possible to find the average duration of the transaction process, which will provide initial information for building a sales forecast for "hot" customers. By applying this tactic to "lost" clients, you will find the stage at which the client decides to refrain from dealing with your company, thanks to which you can find out how interesting your proposals look. The sales algorithm should look like this:

1. Request a meeting and determine its subject.
2. First meeting.
3. Establishing customer needs and your company's ability to meet them.
4. Sending minutes of discussions and questionnaires of customer expectations.
5. Schedule a new meeting to discuss the proposal.
6. First presentation.
7. Sending an offer.

Of course, when creating this system, you must provide for all options. It is not a fact that the proposal for a meeting will be accepted, even if the client agrees to see him, he does not always sign the contract, so you need to be prepared for many scenarios. For example, if you are refused to sign a contract, and a specialist in the commercial department was able to find out the real reason for the refusal (he must be able to do this), the client was not satisfied with the cost. Further, you can send a thank you letter and notify him whenever the price of the item he is interested in changes. With a large base of such customers, you can arrange a sale to increase market share. It is also possible to consider the option of introducing accumulative cards, which, upon reaching the required number of purchases, will reduce the price to the desired mark.

To analyze the commercial department, you must obtain the results of the description of the sales business processes:

• definition of business contacts with the client;
• definition of sales stages;
• Assigning a deal stage to identified business contacts.

Performance appraisal of your managers.

To achieve this, you must first educate your sales team on the rules for successful customer interactions. You must convey the advantages of dividing the sales process into stages and determine the goals for which you need to keep track of customers. If you can confidently state your thoughts and convince employees of the benefits of your proposals, then the information will be assimilated and adopted.

The final report of your managers should include the following items:

• inventory of current customers and determination of their stage of sales and source of appearance;
• the amount of annual profit, data for each client: the date of commencement of work and the last contact, their result;
• in case of refusal, it is necessary to indicate the reason, the reason and the stage at which the client decided to refuse.

Be prepared for the fact that, unfortunately, you may receive an incomplete report. Sometimes this is not part of the responsibilities of the manager of the commercial department. If you insist on fixing the history of work with clients, against all odds, you risk getting misleading information. We advise you to introduce this practice when working with new clients.

For large companies with a huge customer base, it seems logical to focus on key customers, usually about a quarter of the total number of customers.

After reporting on current clients, the manager needs to indicate the number of active manipulations in the direction of each client, this can include calls, meetings, special offers, etc. By dividing customers into groups: “buying”, “new buying” and “never bought”, it will be easier for you to calculate the indicators that determine the success of your managers:

• calls, meetings, proposals of everything;
• calls, meetings, offers to new clients;
• calls, meetings, offers to old clients;
• calls, meetings, offers to new buying customers;
• calls, meetings, offers to old buying customers;
• calls, meetings, offers to non-buying customers.

By combining the obtained information about the manager’s activities, his activity and spent resources into a table, you will find out the answers to the following questions:

1. What is the amount of effort expended by the manager of the commercial department to work with clients?
2. Is each manager focused on large, medium or small clients?
3. Which client brings in the most profit?
4. How much effort (calls / meetings / offers) does an employee need to spend in order to receive an order?
5. Does the manager work with new or old clients?
6. What proportion of buying customers in the entire database?
7. Having passed what stage, the manager approaches the signing of the contract?
8. At what stage does a client usually refuse a manager?
9. What are the main reasons for rejection?
10. Does the manager have a deep or superficial attitude towards working with a client, does he reveal his full potential for interacting with your company?
11. What is the proportion of lost customers?

By comparing KPIs and financial results, you will be able to calculate the average number of calls, meetings or offers to sign one contract and its average price.

According to the data, the statistics will say something like this: a specialist calls about 80 clients every month, makes appointments with half of them, and receives 20 offers, as a result, 10 customers with a contract amount of about $ 5,000 begin to cooperate. When calculating backwards, you will be able to notice the required degree of professional effort by the manager in order to obtain a profit of the desired amount. By developing a percentage system of remuneration, you will be able to control the activity of employees, thanks to financial incentives and bonuses.

The resulting data will provide you with objective information about the capabilities of the sales manager, you will be able to identify areas for his growth and help develop the required abilities in order to increase his productivity. For example, if a manager holds a sufficient number of meetings per work month, but only a small part ends with the signing of a contract, and the usual department record clearly exceeds his success, then you need to establish the cause of the failures and help your employee to function successfully and increase income. If you notice that an employee spends quite a lot of effort in working with new partners, but they are ineffective, study the list of his clients. It often turns out that the manager worked in a non-target segment. If an employee is busy with an outdated customer base without attracting fresh flow, you should stimulate the interest of such an employee in a different approach, even if the performance of such a manager is above average. The system of introducing bonuses for the appearance of new partners can help you.

At the moment, commercial service departments prefer to look for opportunities to reduce organizational costs in favor of their own benefit, which depends on the fulfillment of customer needs. So, in modern market relations, the economic principle "calculation of the benefit of the consumer" is at the very center of attention of departments that control the finances of the organization.

L. P. Dashkov– Honored Worker of the Higher School of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Economics, Professor;

O. V. Pambukhchiyants- Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor.

Reviewers:

O. A. Novikov– doctor of economic sciences, professor;

I. M. Sinyaeva- Doctor of Economics, Professor.

© Dashkov L. P., Pambukhchiyants O. V., 2015

© ITC Dashkov & Co., 2015

Introduction

Trade is a type of entrepreneurial activity associated with the purchase and sale of goods. The main social goal of trade is to provide consumers with a wide range of affordable goods of good quality.

Depending on the purpose for which the goods are purchased, trade is divided into wholesale and retail.

Wholesale- a type of trading activity associated with the acquisition and sale of goods for use in business activities (including for resale) or for other purposes not related to personal, family, household and other similar use.

Retail- a type of trading activity associated with the acquisition and sale of goods for use in personal, family, household and other purposes not related to entrepreneurial activities.

Being one of the basic sectors of the economy of the Russian Federation, trade plays a significant economic role in the life of the country. In recent years, this sector of the economy has been intensively developing, outpacing many other industries in terms of growth. Leading position is occupied by trade in terms of contribution to Russian GDP. It provides about a tenth of all tax revenues to the budget of the Russian Federation.

Trade is the leader among all sectors of the Russian economy in terms of the number of jobs created. Trade plays an important role in the development of small business. Approximately half of the

small enterprises in Russia. More than 70% of the turnover of small enterprises in the country falls on trade.

At the same time, it should be noted that the factors hindering the faster development of trade, in particular, are the uneven distribution of trade enterprises in the country, the insufficient use of modern technologies, low labor productivity, and the lack of highly qualified personnel.

The efficiency of the work of trade enterprises largely depends on how well their commercial activities and trade and technological process are built. An important role in the organization and management of them is played by merchandisers, whose area of ​​professional activity includes, among other things, organizational and managerial functions related to the purchase, storage and sale of goods in the field of trade.

The discipline “Organization and management of commercial activities” is devoted to the study of related issues, the subject of which is commercial and technological operations carried out with goods in the process of their movement from the sphere of production to end consumers through wholesale and retail trade enterprises.

Section I
Fundamentals of organizing commercial activities in trade

Chapter 1
Fundamentals of the organization of goods distribution

§ 1.1. The concept and essence of commodity circulation

Merchandising – this is a trade and technological process of bringing goods from the sphere of material production to the sphere of material consumption through wholesale and retail trade enterprises.

At trade enterprises, the process of circulation of funds invested in produced consumer goods is completed, the commodity form of value is transformed into money, and an economic basis is created for the resumption of production of goods. Therefore, the rational organization of the process of commodity circulation is one of the important functions of trade. To this end, the most favorable flows and directions of movement of goods, more economical modes of transport for the transport of goods from places of production to places of consumption, as well as the creation of an appropriate network of warehouses and bases, should be determined.

The quality of trade services for the population, as well as the time of turnover of inventory items, largely depends on how rationally the process of commodity circulation is organized. Therefore, commodity circulation involves the creation of a technological chain capable of timely and uninterrupted delivery of goods from production to consumers in the required quantity, wide range, high quality, with minimal labor, material resources and time.

The main links in the technological chain of commodity circulation are manufacturing and agricultural enterprises that produce consumer goods, wholesale depots, shops and other points of retail sale of goods.

The basis of the organizational and economic side of the process of commodity circulation is commercial activity, carried out by the links participating in it - wholesale and retail trade enterprises. It includes studying consumer demand, determining the range and quantity of purchased goods, researching the goods market and identifying the most profitable suppliers, establishing economic relations with them, carrying out advertising activities and other operations not related to physical impact on goods.

The greatest costs of living and materialized labor fall on the material, or technological, side of the process of commodity circulation. Its basis is technological operations associated with the continuation of the production process in the sphere of circulation. These include the transportation of goods from production to wholesale warehouses, their intra-warehouse movement, acceptance and storage, the supply of goods to the retail trade network, intra-store operations, the release of goods to customers and the provision of additional services to them.

In the practice of organization of commodity circulation, two of its forms are used. Form of distribution- This is an organizational technique, which is a variety of ways to promote goods from the manufacturer to the consumer. Distinguish between transit and warehouse forms of commodity circulation.

At transit form of goods movement goods are imported into the retail trade network directly from manufacturing enterprises, bypassing the warehouses of intermediaries, with warehouse- through one or more warehouse links of intermediaries.

The use of one form or another of commodity circulation depends on the complexity of the assortment of goods, the conditions and terms of their storage, and the frequency of purchase. So, the transit form of commodity circulation is used mainly for perishable goods, with a simple assortment. The use of a warehouse form is necessary for a complex assortment of goods that require preliminary sorting in a warehouse link, goods of seasonal production or consumption.

With warehouse goods movement, goods can pass through one or more warehouses of wholesalers (warehouse links). The number of warehouse links through which a product passes as it moves from producer to consumer is called the level of commodity circulation. The rational organization of the process of product distribution implies the passage of goods through as few links as possible. To determine the warehouse links, a coefficient is used, which is calculated by the ratio of wholesale and warehouse turnover to retail.

§ 1.2. Factors influencing the process of product distribution. Principles and conditions for the rational construction of the process of product distribution

The process of commodity circulation is carried out under the influence of production, transport, socio-economic and trade factors.

From production factors the following have the greatest influence on the organization of the distribution process: the location of production, the specialization of manufacturing enterprises, the seasonality of the production of individual goods.

Thus, the excessive proximity of industrial enterprises to sources of raw materials can lead to their uneven distribution throughout the country, to a distance from consumption areas. All this makes it necessary to transport goods over long distances, requires the participation of the wholesale link of trade, which leads to a slowdown and complication of the process of goods movement.

The organization of the distribution process is greatly influenced by the specialization of manufacturing enterprises in the production of a relatively narrow range of goods. This is especially true for goods with a complex assortment, which cannot be delivered to small stores without preliminary sorting in the warehouses of wholesale enterprises. Therefore, the specialization of production leads to the fact that most goods, before entering the retail trade enterprise, first pass through one or more wholesale trade links.

Certain types of food products (fruits, vegetables, sugar, etc.) can be procured or produced only at certain times of the year. The trade assortment of many goods (shoes, clothing, etc.) varies significantly depending on the season, which also causes a pronounced seasonal nature of their production. Therefore, appropriate adjustments should be constantly made to the organization of the process of commodity circulation, related to the need for long-term storage of goods.

Among the main transport factors the state of transport routes and modes of transport used to transport goods should be attributed. That is, in order to ensure the smooth and economical functioning of the goods distribution process, it is necessary to have a well-developed transport network, as well as an optimal structure of the vehicle fleet (a certain number of specialized vehicles, vehicles of various carrying capacities, etc.).

Main socio-economic factors are the resettlement of the population, its composition and the level of monetary income. Taking into account the influence of these factors, there are different approaches to the organization of trade services for urban residents and the rural population. The intensity of the process of commodity circulation largely depends on them. Thus, with a low population density, it is more difficult to organize the delivery of goods to consumers than in areas with a high population density: they have to be transported over long distances and, as a rule, they go through a larger number of links.

The following main factors have a significant impact on the process of product distribution: trading factors: types, sizes and location of trade enterprises, the degree of complexity of the range of goods sold, their physical, chemical and biological properties, the level of organization of the supply of goods to the retail trade network, the qualifications of sales workers, the methods used to sell goods, etc.

In order to ensure the rational organization of the process of product distribution, it is necessary to observe the following basic principles:

Apply the shortest ways to promote goods;

Reduce linkage;

Widely use centralized, i.e., carried out by the forces and means of the supplier, the delivery of goods to the retail trade network;

Choose rational vehicles (depending on the quantity and properties of the transported cargo, transportation distance) and use them efficiently (taking into account the carrying capacity);

To develop the use of container-equipment and means of mechanization of loading and unloading operations, intra-warehouse and intra-store movement of goods;

Constantly improve and optimize the technological chain of goods distribution, using in-line cargo handling, in which each previous operation is simultaneously a preparation for the next one.

One of the prerequisites for increasing the efficiency of the process of product distribution is the use of the achievements of scientific and technological progress.

The most important areas of scientific and technological progress in trade are:

Creation and implementation of investment projects related to the construction of new trade infrastructure facilities and optimization of the placement of trade facilities;

Mechanization and automation of labor-intensive work;

Widespread use of package and container systems for cargo processing of commodity flows;

The use of computer equipment and software that allows automated accounting of goods along the entire path of goods distribution;

Introduction of progressive technologies of trade service;

Automation of cash register operations and the introduction of store plastic cards in settlement transactions;

Automation of the processes of selling goods.

Chapter 2
The essence and content of commercial activities in trade

§ 2.1. Essence and objectives of commercial activity

The word "commerce" comes from the Latin sottagsgit which means "trade". Therefore, these words are often used as synonyms, and the concept of “commercial activity” in a narrow sense is interpreted as an activity related to trade, purchase and sale of goods.

Thus, from the point of view of civil law, any legal activity aimed at making a profit is commercial. However, in practice, commercial activity is more often considered as a type of entrepreneurship carried out in the sphere of circulation of goods and services. Therefore, in the future in the textbook we will talk specifically about commercial activities in trade.

Commercial activities in trade include:

Study of demand and determination of needs for goods;

Identification of suppliers of goods and establishment of economic relations with them;

Organization of wholesale of goods;

Organization of retail sale of goods;

Formation of assortment and management of commodity stocks;

Provision of trading services.

Consequently, commercial activity in trade is a set of sequentially performed trade and organizational operations that are carried out in the process of buying and selling goods and providing trade services in order to make a profit and meet customer demand.

Both trade organizations (legal entities) and individual entrepreneurs can act as subjects of commercial activity, i.e. carry it out. When carrying out commercial activities, they must:

Make effective commercial decisions that allow you to receive the profit necessary for the further development of their activities;

Improve the quality of customer service;

Strictly observe the current legislation.

Compliance with the above requirements contributes to

successful fulfillment of the tasks facing the commercial services of trade organizations. The main tasks are:

Improving work on the study of market conditions on the basis of marketing research;

Timely decision-making in accordance with the current market situation;

Formation of mutually beneficial relationships with partners (suppliers and wholesale buyers);

Strengthening the role of contracts and strengthening contractual discipline;

Establishment of long-term economic relations with suppliers;

Increasing the efficiency of commercial activities by automating certain operations related to the conclusion and execution of contracts, inventory management, etc.

Goods and services are the main objects of commercial activity in trade.

Product is a product of labor produced for sale. It can be any thing that is not limited in circulation, freely alienable and passing from the seller to the buyer under a contract of sale.

Depending on the purpose of the acquisition, goods can be divided into two groups:

Common consumption goods;

Industrial goods.

Common consumption goods are intended for sale to the public for the purpose of personal, family, home use, i.e. not related to business activities.

Industrial goods serve for sale to various organizations or individual entrepreneurs in order to use them in economic activities. Such goods are, for example, technological equipment, road construction equipment, public transport vehicles, fuel and raw materials, etc.

All goods have consumer properties, i.e., the ability to satisfy certain needs of the consumer. The combination of consumer properties of a product determines its quality.

Since the quality of a product is a measure of its usefulness, one of the main tasks of trade is to provide consumers with precisely such goods. To this end, commercial services of trade organizations must constantly interact with manufacturers of purchased goods, influence them so that they improve and update their product range.

In addition, to maintain the quality of goods, the correct organization of such technological operations as transportation, acceptance, storage, etc. is of great importance. The use of modern equipment for moving, storing, preparing goods for sale also contributes to this.

Service is the result of direct interaction between the contractor and the consumer, as well as the contractor's own activities to meet the needs of the consumer. Services rendered to the population, according to their functional purpose, are divided into material and socio-cultural.

material services satisfy material needs. They ensure the restoration, change or preservation of consumer properties of products or the manufacture of new products, as well as the movement of goods and people, the creation of conditions for consumption. Therefore, material services, in particular, include household services related to the repair and manufacture of products, catering services, and transport services.

Social and cultural services satisfy the spiritual, intellectual needs and support the normal life of the consumer. With their help, spiritual and physical development, professional development, maintenance and restoration of the health of the individual are ensured. Socio-cultural services can include medical services, cultural services, tourism, education, etc.

The trade service is the result of the interaction between the seller and the buyer, as well as the seller's own activities to meet the needs of the buyer when buying and selling goods.

Trade services can be divided into two groups:

Wholesale trade services (provided by wholesale trade enterprises);

Retail services (provided in stores and other retail establishments).

The main service of trade is the sale of goods. However, in order to profitably sell goods, it is necessary to carry out a whole range of activities related to the purchase of goods, their storage, delivery to wholesale buyers, pre-sale preparation in retail, etc. That is, the provision of various services that precede the sale of goods and related to It forms the basis of the commercial activity of any trade enterprise.

Both wholesale and retail trade services are essentially intermediary services. Moreover, given the variety of such services, some of them are material (for example, transportation of goods, their storage, preparation for sale, etc.), and some of them are socio-cultural (for example, providing advice to customers, information services, etc.) .

The effectiveness of the commercial activities of trade organizations largely depends on how the set of goods and services offered to customers meets their needs. In the conditions of competition in the market, the correct choice of objects of commercial activity plays a special role.

The success of the commercial activities of trade organizations largely depends on the state of their material and technical base, the level of competition in the market and other factors. An important role is played by the skill level of managerial personnel, as well as employees of the commercial and other services of the enterprise, their attitude to the work performed, and interest in the results of their work.

Commercial activities carried out by trade organizations can be conditionally divided into several stages, at each of which certain commercial operations are performed (Table 1).

However, it should be borne in mind that the wholesale trade activity differs to a large extent from the commercial activity of retail trade enterprises. This is especially true for operations related to the formation of an assortment and the sale of goods. Thus, the nature and content of the operations performed in the implementation of commercial activities will depend on the chosen form of product promotion and the stage of the product distribution process at which this product is located.

Table 1

Operations performed at various stages of commercial activity in trade

Effective commercial work is possible only if there is complete and reliable information about the market situation, i.e., socio-economic, trade-organizational and other conditions for the sale of goods that have developed in a certain period of time and in a particular place. To obtain such information, it is necessary to collect information about both the product itself and its manufacturers.

It is also important to have information about the social, economic, demographic and other factors that determine the demand for goods, and about the purchasing power of the population. Along with this, it is necessary to have reliable information about the capabilities of prospective competitors, which will allow you to make the right commercial decisions and occupy your own niche in the market.

The information obtained makes it possible to determine the possible volume of sales of goods on the market, to justify the range of necessary goods, that is, to calculate the need for them.

In addition, information about the state of the market contributes to the establishment of rational economic ties. For

To do this, it is necessary to study potential suppliers and select those that will prove to be the most profitable in the current conditions. At the same time, attention should be paid to the location of suppliers, the range and quality of the goods they offer, terms of delivery, prices, etc.

At this stage of commercial activity, contracts are concluded with suppliers of goods. It is very important to agree on all the terms of the future agreement: a well-drafted agreement will allow not only to take into account the interests of partners, but also to avoid future disagreements associated with insufficient elaboration of its individual provisions.

Once signed, the contract becomes binding on the parties. Therefore, trade enterprises and organizations must exercise constant and effective control over the execution of the terms of the contract.

Following operations for the wholesale purchase of goods, a number of technological operations are performed related to the receipt of goods, unloading vehicles, acceptance of goods in terms of quantity and quality, their storage, packaging, etc. The listed operations are performed both in the wholesale and retail sectors trade. Along with the technological ones, commercial operations continue in these links.

commercial activityat wholesale enterprises as the following steps includes:

Formation of the range of goods;

Commercial activities for the wholesale of goods;

Providing services to wholesale buyers.

Formation of the range of goods implies the creation of such an assortment that would best meet the demand of wholesale buyers. Taking into account their requirements, it is necessary to constantly update the range of goods in warehouses. To solve this problem, the commercial services of wholesale trade enterprises should actively participate in the formation of the assortment policy of commodity producers.

Inventory management in wholesale trade lies in their rationing, operational accounting and control over their condition. Keeping inventory at an optimal level promotes uninterrupted supply of goods to wholesale buyers and speeds up the turnover of goods, reducing the cost of their storage.

At the stage of wholesale of goods, an important role is played by advertising work. A well-organized, based on reliable information and timely advertising campaign contributes to the growth of demand for certain goods, positively affects their implementation.

One of the key stages of commercial activity is wholesale of goods. At this stage, there is a search for buyers of goods, which, as a rule, are shops, small retail trade enterprises, etc. Then work follows to agree on the conditions and conclude an agreement, in accordance with which the sale of goods will be carried out. The effective operation of a wholesale enterprise at this stage is impossible without the organization of control over the fulfillment of the terms of the contract.

An important place in the commercial activities of the wholesale link is occupied by service operations. Wholesale trade enterprises offer their partners services that are impossible or difficult to perform in retail trade. For example, they can be intermediary (search for suppliers of goods), advertising (carrying out advertising campaigns in a retail trade network, exhibitions and sales with the participation of commodity producers, etc.), informational (collection and analysis of information about market conditions, marketing research, etc.). .), advisory (acquaintance of employees of retail enterprises with new products, rules for their operation, etc.) and other services.

The role of trading services is especially great in the presence of competition: wholesale buyers are interested in contacting the seller who, along with quality goods, is able to offer a set of services that best meets their requirements.

Commercial operations in retail establishments have their own specifics. First of all, this is due to the fact that the consumer of goods and services here is the population.

It is the requirements and demands of the population that become decisive in the formation of the assortment at retail enterprises. Of the services that a trading enterprise can provide, only buyers in demand are selected. The interests of buyers are also taken into account when choosing methods for selling goods.

It should be noted that, carrying out commercial activities, retailers can, to a certain extent, shape the needs of the population. To this end, new products are offered to customers and those that meet the approval of consumers are included in the range of the retailer.

When managing inventories, they proceed primarily from the fact that they are stored in retail trade enterprises in much smaller volumes and for shorter periods.

The advertising work carried out in the retail trade network also has its own characteristics, primarily related to the choice of types and means of advertising.

Commercial activities in trade should be guided by the interests of the end user, otherwise it is impossible to count on a successful commercial result. At the same time, it should be taken into account that many factors directly or indirectly influence commercial activity, the main of which are:

Legal basis for commercial activities;

The level of competition in the market;

The state of the material and technical base of the trading enterprise;

The financial condition of the enterprise;

Qualification level of commercial workers;

The range of goods and the list of services provided, etc. Trade enterprises should build their work with

taking into account these factors, responding in a timely manner to ongoing changes, without which it is impossible to ensure high efficiency of their functioning.

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