Functional analysis of business activities is conventionally perceived as a top-down disintegration, which starts or commences with the comprehensive aims and goals of the organization, pinpointing the functions, which attain those goals, and thereafter festers those functions as well as activities down to the level of transactions which are recurrent and cyclical. To be more precise, functional analysis brings into play organizational analysis that encompasses the analysis of the corporate setting and the regulatory setting as well and takes into account the transactional and structural analysis. In essence, structural analysis takes into account examining and investigating the bits and piecing that constitute the whole, while, on the other hand, transactional analysis takes into account examining or scrutinizing the actions themselves in a more specific way. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the functions as well as responsibilities of a typical business or organizational units in Coca-Cola. The paper will take into consideration the current trends and best practices characteristically perceived in functional units as well as the manner in which such current trends could be employed to improve the business performance in Coca-Cola Company.

Marketing Function

The marketing function is an important function in any organization as it ensures that the business operations of the company ultimately meet the needs of its consumer base. All organizations seek to have a unique and distinguishing marketing mix. The marketing function is a huge resource to an organization and some of the variables might encompass the market share and the market position of the organization. Other aspects include the reputation of the organization in the society, its position as a market leader and also the mix and depth of the organization's product portfolio. In general, the marketing function of any organization encompasses the 4Ps which are place, price, product and promotion (Saxena, 2006).

One of the major current trends in the marketing function is the rise of the news feed with regard to social media. In the contemporary times, social media accounts for a major portion of the time spent on the internet, with about sixty percent of this duration of time being spent on mobile devices. The current trend is that the culture and philosophy of personalization will only be more widespread in the forthcoming periods. As a result, it will make pertinent content as well as accurate targeting more significant than ever (Kottler and Keller, 2011).

Additionally, this is not simply on Facebook, this trend can be seen taking place in all the social network platforms and in search engines which have been personalized, electronic commerce websites, as also in traditional news media. This trend can have a large significance to Coca-Cola. The organization can apply the news feed information on the different social networks such as Facebook and Twitter as well as Instagram to know what the consumers are talking about with respect to the products of the company. This in turn will enable the organization to adapt its products to suit the satisfaction of the consumers' evolving needs and wants. What is more, the organization can use this information to compete in the marketing terms with rival organizations such as Pepsi (Kottler and Keller, 2011).

R&D Function

The research and development (R&D) function of an organization is linked with the innovation, novelty, and development of new products. Whereas this is very significant, the development of already existent products is of similar importance for the reason that the preferences of the consumers are constantly changing. R&D is a significant way of attaining future growth and sustaining a pertinent product in the industry and marketplace. The main purpose of the R&D function is to create and produce goods as well as products that meet the needs of the consumers of tomorrow. In an organization that is well-run, such as Coca Cola Company, R&D have firmly commercial purposes of advancing the business goals of the company by generating better products, to enhance operational procedures and to offer expert advice to the consumers and also the rest of the organization (Martin, 2014).

Moye (2013) notes that, Coca Cola has 6 research and development centers across the globe and are connected to external technology assessment and acquisition (ETA) centers, which link the corporation with partners, capitalists, technology startups and institution of higher education academics. One of the current trends in R&D is the advancement in light tube technology. This technology generates new-fangled, and developed lighting for chillers or cool boxes and even though that may perhaps appear like a minor aspect, this R&D discovery is of great importance.

Coca-Cola...

As a result, the company benefits, as the reduction of the energy for chillers or cool boxes is an important component in attaining this objective. The company will largely benefit as relevant experiments on consumer research have indicated that the use of more uniform, brighter lighting results in increased beverage sales. Therefore, in general, the organization will be able to sell more beverages while consuming lower amounts of energy and thereby cost reduction leading to higher margins (Tannert, 2014).
Manufacturing Function

The manufacturing function takes into account the production process of any organization in the manner in which the products and services are produced and thereby rendered. One major portion in the evolution of manufacturing function is bottle technology. In particular, in the past year there was the discovery of Fi-Cell foamed bottle technology has become a success. This manufacturing advancement will provide physical properties as well as visual properties to carbonated beverages, spirits and wine that were not previously available. The functionality as well as aesthetic and styling of the bottles augurs well for Coca Cola, as it is a huge consumer of this item (Dilberakis, 2014).

This is for the reason that the manufacturing advancement is especially of great importance for carbonated beverages such as Coke, Fanta and Sprite which require an inner wall that is smooth for a correct fill. An inner surface that is rough causes the fluid to experience mechanical action. In turn, this makes the carbon dioxide to emerge or surface out of the liquid and develop into gas or froth. Led to believe (often wrongly), by the gas or froth into assuming that the right capacity has been attained, the filler halts the procedure causing an under filled container. By making use of bottles manufactured using the Fi-Cell technology, the Coca Cola bottles will have smooth inner walls which precludes that from taking place (Dilberakis, 2014).

Finance Function

The finance function is fundamental to the efficacious operation and practice of any organization. The finance expert, by functioning with the rest of the managing team to make certain that resources are proficiently and successfully attained, sustained, and positioned in the best welfares of all of the organization's interested parties, posits the finance function's important role in the business balance. However modifications taking place in the present day in organizations are creating increasing pressure to decrease the cost of simple business transactions while augmenting the value, consistency, and receptiveness of the systems that deliver information for use both inside and external to the corporation. By being involve in many complex ways in this whole process, and practice of change, finance makes available the basic implements, knowledge, and information employed to form contemporary and forthcoming business practices (Institute of Management Accountants, 1997).

As globalization continues to grow, organizations are constantly trying to become multinational, while at the same time, presenting themselves as having a local face, effectively, following the principle of thinking globally and acting locally. With the economy improving and stabilizing in a better way, the best way Coca Cola would improve using its finance function is by having mergers, joint operations and acquisitions with organizations based in the local area (Katz, 2013).

This makes it possible for the company to understand the roots of the local area and at the same time be able to generate profits through sales. Another aspect in which the company can improve financially is through franchising where the company will allow businesses to use its brand and the same time benefit from this in the sense that it will enter the local marketplace and generate profits. This will also improve the visibility and thereby, brand of the company, increasing its consumer base and therefore increasing its level of revenue (Katz, 2013).

The other trend in finance functions in organization that could be taken great advantage of by Coca Cola is supply chain management. So as to continue being competitive on a global extent or level and at the same time stay on the advanced level of a complex business realm, more companies are incorporating technology and finance into their management systems of supply chains (Anderson et al., 1997).

In the recent years, consumers have come to be more and more challenging, enlisting their expectations high with reference to the level of quality and service. A good aspect is for Coca Cola to take into consideration the wants and needs of the consumers in order to propel…