Functional Business Strategy (2024)

You can slice and dice business strategies hundreds of different ways, but one recommended way puts corporate strategies at the top, business strategies in the middle and functional strategies at the base. Functional strategies support business and corporate strategies in specific ways, often resulting in improved bottom lines.

Organizational Strategy Levels

In a three-tier strategy model, corporate strategies come at the top and are chronologically the first to be organized and implemented. Generally, they serve to define the business by answering high-level questions. What kind of business are we? Which markets offer opportunities that fit our strengths? What is the strategic intent underlying our market decisions?

Business strategies address ways and means of succeeding in specific markets. Apple, for example, stresses R&D as essential to future growth along with the development of new products made possible by that R&D. Amazon's fundamental business strategy is to operate with thin profit margins, unprecedented economies of scale, and an unusually aggressive focus on customer satisfaction.

Functional business strategies seek to improve implementation of business and corporate strategies. Functional strategies include marketing strategies and human resources strategies. Often they concern specifics such as resource allocation, operating expense efficiencies and product improvement.

Implementation of Functional Strategies

The functional strategy level is immediately concerned with fashioning and implementing strategies that improve function in specific departments.

  • Functional purchasing and materials management strategies include improving quality of purchases at lower cost, negotiation practices with vendors, and analyzing the performance of purchasing staff.
  • Functional production and operations strategies include marketing concepts, refining produce mix,and managing product life cycles
  • Other functional strategies concern development of new products and services, distribution strategies, product positioning, packaging and advertising.

How Can We Do Better?

The underlying purpose of all functional strategies is to answer the question "How Can We Do Better?" It's at this level that businesses correct emerging or continuing problems and develop new ways of moving specific aspects of the business forward.

Google's New 2017 Functional Strategy

In 2017, for example, Google addressed two complaints, one primarily from advertisers and the other from customers. Advertisers complained that their ads were appearing on the same screen with content they felt put the company in a bad light (soft p*rn clickbait and on white supremacist videos on Google's YouTube). Customers complained that their search inquiries were exposing them to fake news sites, and they were growing increasingly discontent with the way in which their personal information was being used to develop sellable information to other companies.

In response, Google gave advertisers more control over where their ads appeared, purged objectionable political and sexual content from YouTube, and removed egregious sexual and political content from search results.

Problems at the Functional Level Can Require a New Corporate Strategy

Problems that become apparent at the functional strategic level sometimes require new business and corporate strategies. In such cases, functional strategies drive larger strategy changes, although more often functional strategies implement business and corporate strategies.

When Marissa Meyer, a highly visible and successful Google executive was hired to turn around a struggling Yahoo, investors originally believed she would succeed, but she didn't. In the opinion of other CEOs and entrepreneurs, many of her problems had to do with not understanding how the company functioned operationally and in underestimating the resistance of lower level Yahoo employees to Meyer's proposals to change corporate and business strategies.

Eventually, in response to her lack of success in changing the company, she determined the best available solution was to sell it. In 2016, Meyers sold what was once a $135 billion company to Verizon for $5 billion. Meyer's vision for the company, incorporated in the corporate strategies she planned, failed because the company proved incapable or unwilling to carry out those strategies at the functional level. Eventually, this required Meyer's revised corporate strategy of selling off the company's assets to Verizon.

Functional Business Strategy (2024)

FAQs

What is functional strategy and example? ›

Functional Area Strategy Examples

Functional area strategies typically include marketing, production, human resources (HR), and research and development (R&D). Each of these departments has its own goals and strategies that contribute to the attainment of the company's overall goal.

What are examples of functional business strategies? ›

Some examples of common functional strategies are production strategy, debt financing, organisational strategies, marketing strategies, financial strategies, etc.

What are the 3 functional strategies? ›

Most common functional strategies used in management are: financial strategy, marketing strategy, production strategy, human resources strategy (personnel strategy) and research and development strategy.

What are the 4 types of business strategies? ›

What are the Types of Business Strategy?
  • Organizational (Corporate) Strategy.
  • Business (Competitive) Strategy.
  • Functional Strategy.
  • Operating Strategy.
Apr 7, 2022

What are the characteristics of functional strategy? ›

In other words, a functional strategy is like a short-term plan for specific areas of your business. It includes tactics, goals, tasks to achieve those goals, resources, and a definite timeline. Management needs to track progress, assign and delegate, as well as following-up with their team members.

What is Amazon's functional strategy? ›

Amazon's functional strategy is centred around innovation and optimisation. Innovation is about coming up with new ways to do things, not for the sake of being creative or impressing investors.

What is functional strategy of Starbucks? ›

Functional Strategy The functional level of Starbucks is the level of the operating divisions and departments that must support the business strategy by enacting the strategies and by providing constant feedback for improvement.(fn) Starbucks has been successful at ensuring its employees and customers understand their ...

What is the focus of functional strategy? ›

The focus of the functional level strategy is to deal with the operational decisions or tactical decisions of different functional areas like personal, finance, research and development, marketing, and production. The business strategy provides the framework for these decisions.

How do you create a functional strategy? ›

Then take a methodical step-by-step approach
  1. Step 1: Outline expectations. ...
  2. Step 2: Verify the business context. ...
  3. Step 3: Set goals and objectives. ...
  4. Step 4: Develop an action plan. ...
  5. Step 5: Assess your capabilities. ...
  6. Step 6: Set measures and metrics. ...
  7. Step 7: Put your strategy on one — yes, one — page. ...
  8. Step 8: Drive the plan home.
Jul 11, 2022

What is functional vs operational strategy? ›

While operational-level strategies cover the company as a whole, functional-level strategies involve individual departments, functions, or roles within the company. These functional strategies serve as components to the overall operational strategy.

What is the difference between functional strategy and business strategy? ›

As the corporate strategy defines the direction of the business and what it wants to achieve, the functional strategy explains how to support the execution of corporate goals and objectives.

What are the 5 types of business strategies? ›

Summary : There are only five business strategies: cost, quality, distribution, technology, and intellectual property (IP). All business strategies break down into these five, or some combination of them. As a general principle, focusing your organization on one is the easiest to execute.

What are the 4 C's of strategy? ›

The 4Cs (Clarity, Credibility, Consistency, Competitiveness) is most often used in marketing communications and was created by David Jobber and John Fahy in their book 'Foundations of Marketing' (2009).

What are the 5 elements of business strategy? ›

These five elements of strategy include Arenas, Differentiators, Vehicles, Staging, and Economic Logic. This model was developed by strategy researchers, Donald Hambrick and James Fredrickson. To achieve key objectives, every business must assemble a series of strategies.

What is a functional business model? ›

A Business Function Model (BFM) is a general description or category of operations performed routinely to carry out an organization's mission. They "provide a conceptual structure for the identification of general business functions".

What are the benefits of functional strategy? ›

The role of functional level strategy is very crucial for the existence of an organization. The functional strategy provides support to overall business strategy and secondly it spell out as how functional managers will proceed to achieve the set goals and objectives.

What is an example of functional planning? ›

For example, an estate plan describing the type of ownership arrangements, on- and off-farm investment actions, retirement plans, intended intergenerational transfers, and other legal issues will likely be an important functional plan.

What is functional strategy of Apple? ›

There are three major segments which Apple targets. It generally uses lifestyle segmentation as Apple is the most premium brand out there. The segment is usually the urban population with enough buying power for purchasing Apple products.

What is Google's functional strategy? ›

A functional strategy includes all approaches taken to achieve an organization's set objectives by maximizing productivity. Google Inc. has over the years delved in marketing, research and development (R&D) of functional strategies which have kept the organization relevant to the field of technology and innovation.

What is Apple's strategy? ›

Apple business strategy can be classified as product differentiation. Specifically, the multinational technology company differentiates its products and services on the basis of simple, yet attractive design and advanced functionality. First mover advantage is another element of Apple competitive advantage.

What is the functional strategy of Coca Cola company? ›

In general, the corporate goals of Coca-Cola can be summed up as gaining new customers, gaining market share, improving stakeholder impact, and ensuring the ability of the organisation to remain a market leader. Coca-Cola achieves this by pursuing a wide range of global strategies.

What type of business strategy does Starbucks use? ›

Starbucks business strategy can be classified as product differentiation. Accordingly, the coffee chain giant focuses on the quality of its products and customers pay premium prices for high quality.

What business strategy did Starbucks use? ›

Starbucks has implemented a premium pricing strategy. The price is justified by the high-end technology and variety it provides, as well as the best customer experience. Many customers believe that high-quality products come at a high cost.

What is the most common business strategy? ›

A business strategy is a plan that outlines how a company will achieve its goals. There are many different business strategies, but some common examples include cost leadership, differentiation, and focus.

What is the most effective business strategy? ›

The most effective type of business strategy consistently is changing and optimizing the strategy to reach more consumers. Identifying the needs of new generations of consumers can help your strategy show greater results by the ability to adjust.

What are the 7 elements of strategy? ›

How to Strategic Plan in 7 Steps
  • Step 1: Environmental Scan. ...
  • Step 2: Internal Analysis. ...
  • Step 3: Strategic Direction. ...
  • Step 4: Develop Goals and Objectives. ...
  • Step 5: Define Metrics, Set Timelines, and Track Progress. ...
  • Step 6: Write and Publish a Strategic Plan. ...
  • Step 7: Plan for Implementation and the Future.
Apr 26, 2022

What are the five 5 different phases of strategy? ›

The five stages of the process are goal-setting, analysis, strategy formation, strategy implementation and strategy monitoring.

What is the 4 pillars of corporate strategy? ›

The four most widely accepted key components of corporate strategy are visioning, objective setting, resource allocation, and prioritization.

What are the four Ps in the four Ps running strategy? ›

The four Ps are the key considerations that must be thoughtfully reviewed and wisely implemented in order to successfully market a product or service. They are product, price, place, and promotion. The four Ps are often referred to as the marketing mix.

What is functional strategy in strategic management? ›

A functional strategy is the approach a business functional takes to achieve corporate and business unit objectives and strategies by maximizing resource productivity. It deals with a relatively restricted plan that provides the objectives for a specific business function.

What are the 3 key elements of strategic planning? ›

Effective strategic planning is a process that should be broken down into three separate, equally important components: strategic thinking, long-range planning, and operational planning.

What is an example of a functional plan? ›

For example, an estate plan describing the type of ownership arrangements, on- and off-farm investment actions, retirement plans, intended intergenerational transfers, and other legal issues will likely be an important functional plan.

What is the purpose of functional strategy? ›

“The main purpose of a functional strategy is to enable the company's strategy – not to achieve functional excellence.”

What is the functional strategies of Coca Cola company? ›

In general, the corporate goals of Coca-Cola can be summed up as gaining new customers, gaining market share, improving stakeholder impact, and ensuring the ability of the organisation to remain a market leader. Coca-Cola achieves this by pursuing a wide range of global strategies.

What is an example of functional objective? ›

Examples of functional marketing objectives” might include: We aim to build customer database of at least 250,000 households within the next 12 months. We aim to achieve a market share of 10% We aim to achieve 75% customer awareness of our brand in our target markets.

How do you develop a functional strategy? ›

Then take a methodical step-by-step approach
  1. Step 1: Outline expectations. ...
  2. Step 2: Verify the business context. ...
  3. Step 3: Set goals and objectives. ...
  4. Step 4: Develop an action plan. ...
  5. Step 5: Assess your capabilities. ...
  6. Step 6: Set measures and metrics. ...
  7. Step 7: Put your strategy on one — yes, one — page. ...
  8. Step 8: Drive the plan home.
Jul 11, 2022

What are the advantages of functional strategy? ›

Functional strategies can improve the efficiency, reliability (quality), and consumer responsiveness of its service. Thus, they can be used to build a sustainable competitive advantage. Functional strategies can increase efficiency of activities and thereby lower their cost structure.

What is the difference between business strategy and functional strategy? ›

Business strategy sets goals for departments or divisions: financial strategy, manufacturing strategy or sales strategy, for example. At small companies, business strategy may be identical to corporate strategy. Functional strategies lay out how the company will meet the goals of the corporate and business strategies.

What is functional strategy marketing strategy? ›

What Is Functional Marketing? Functional marketing involves creating practical strategies that drive results instead of focusing solely on emotional appeal. Putting your focus on marketing initiatives and specific goals lets you create campaigns that effectively promote your business and get results.

What are the functional strategies in marketing? ›

Functional Strategy Example

Marketing strategy involves decisions related to pricing, selling, advertising and distributing a product. The aim could be to increase market share, venture into newer markets, penetrate existing markets, launch new products or deal with distributors/ competitors.

Is corporate strategy shaped by functional strategies? ›

The given statement is False.

The corporate strategy covers a broad array of strategies, including functional strategy. Functional strategies are developed after the completion of corporate strategy. These two strategies are connected, but corporate strategy shapes the functional strategy.

What is strategic vs functional decision making? ›

Although the strategic managers determine the company's mission and direction, functional managers control the expenses, manage resources, make decisions about the specific projects that will be undertaken and drive the success or failure of each initiative.

What is corporate vs functional objectives? ›

In the hierarchy of objectives, it is the corporate objectives which are the boss! These are the objectives that the business as a whole is trying to achieve. By contrast, functional objectives can be viewed as a willing servant of the corporate objectives!

What is functional management theory? ›

A functional approach to management involves maximizing the effectiveness and efficiency of all individual participants in the Business Process. In such a situation, the cumulative Business Process will be far from maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Consider a company producing and selling markers.

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