Cassidy Wines Marketing, Information and Communication

Cassidy Wines is a wine wholesaler and importer.  It is a limited company within the private sector. The company was founded by Kevin Cassidy in 1977.  It continues to be a family run business and is managed now by Neil Cassidy.  There are over 50 employees.  Their head office is at Citywest Business Campus in Dublin.

As well as supplying wines and spirits to restaurants, the bar trade and off-licences around the country, the company offers wine education and consumer tasting sessions.  Many of their winemakers from around the world visit to share their passion and visions for the future. There is a team of sales executives who assist customers in creating the right wine list for their businesses.

The company directly imports wines from all over the world and has established many partnerships to source new and exciting wines, most recently the wines of Domaine Wachau in Austria, Vignobles Lorgeril from the south of France and Emilio Moro Bodegas from Spain.  The company has ensured that it keeps up to date with the varying patterns in the wine industry and the changing wine list presentations.

Departments within Cassidy Wines

Information and Communications Technology Department

This department plans, operates and supports the company’s ICT infrastructure, enabling users to carry out their roles efficiently, productively and securely.  They work with the business executives to develop a strategy that supports Cassidy Wines’ business objectives.  The ICT department enables efficient and high speed communications. Email, teleconferencing and videoconferencing allow employees to stay in touch with wineries around the world.  Two key functions of this department are as follows:

• The ICT team develops tools to store, manage and distribute data to employees who need access to the latest information to make decisions about financial and operational issues.  Data bases are also used to store employee files and financial documents.

• The ICT team protects the ICT infrastructure from cyber-attacks and viruses.  Attacks on the infrastructure can prevent the company carrying out it’s day-to-day operations which then impacts customer service.  Data leaks can lead to the loss of confidential data.

Marketing Department

This department has overall responsibility for growing revenue, increasing market share and contributing to company growth and profitability.  They set marketing strategy in line with overall company strategy.  They are also responsible for market research which helps the company identify market opportunities and gain a better understanding of customer needs.  The marketing department works with their winemakers to develop new wine ideas.  They also plan campaigns and develop communications materials to promote products and services.  Two key functions of this department are as follows:

• The marketing team is responsible for creating images, messages and ideas that best communicate the brand values.  The team have created the image of Cassidy Wines as being a safe, solid, dependable  family-run business which is forty years old this year.

• The marketing team is responsible for communicating to customers, once they learn about the company, why they need to purchase the goods and ensuring that the company receives repeat business.

Human Resources Department

This department deals with all the departments in the company to ensure that employment policies are developed. It looks after the recruitment of the right people for the right jobs.  They provide training to enable the employees to carry out their duties effectively and productively. They also provide ongoing training to maximise their potential.  Their role is to acquire, develop and keep a talented workforce.  They are responsible for managing the employee payroll.  They also deal with grievance and disciplinary matters.  Two key functions of this department are as follow:

• The HR team deals with negotiations over pay, conditions and redundancy procedures. They manage employee relations and will liaise with the management and the union in cases where a dispute may arise.  They must ensure that there are equal opportunities for all staff.

• The HR team has responsibility for providing a safe workplace.  They provide training to employees in all aspects of health and safety. They are responsible for the maintenance of the plant and equipment in the bonded warehouse facility at Citywest Business Campus.  They must prevent any inappropriate behaviour which might put employees at risk.

Finance Department

This department looks after the financial record keeping of all transactions involving money.  It prepares income statements, balance sheet and cash flow statements.  It prepares the final accounts for end of year which are necessary for the Revenue Commissioners for tax purposes.  It operates the payroll system.  It prepares management accounting information and analysis to help managers plan, control and make the correct decisions.  Two of the key functions are as follows:

• The Finance team ensures that the payroll function runs smoothly and that all employees get their accurate payments on time. They must also assess the correct tax and pay it over to the Revenue Commissioners within the appropriate time frame.

• The Finance team must have procedures in place to ensure compliance with government regulations. The must also have in place systems to avoid error, theft or fraud.

 

Administration Functions of an Office

The administrative function provides support in every area of a business to ensure the efficient performance of all departments in an organisation.  It keeps an effective communication channel open, so everyone is informed of any new changes and how the change may affect the organisation.

The administrative function is responsible for looking after data in the company.  This includes the collection and storage of data.  The data must be processed and stored in such a way as to make it accessible to whoever needs the information at short notice to carry out their duties in an efficient manner.

The administrative function looks after the general correspondence of the office, handling mail, keeping records, filing, copying and duplicating. It also must maintain the machines that facilitate these tasks.

An office requires various pieces of equipment in order to carry out these tasks, for example:

• The computer stores the data of the business and is used for writing letters, managing accounts, maintaining a client list and transferring documents.
• The office printer takes the text and graphic images from a computer and transfers it to paper.
• The office shredder is a mechanical device used to cut documents into strips or fine fragments.  Businesses use shredders to destroy confidential documents.

 

Key aims and objectives of three pieces of employment legislation.

Equal Opportunities Policy

The key aim of the Equal Opportunities Policy is to ensure that every employee, no matter what their situation, is treated equally and not discriminated against.

Discrimination is defined as the treatment of a person in a less favourable manner than another person is, has or would have been treated, on any of the nine grounds listed below:

• Gender
• Age
• Disability
• Marital Status
• Family Status
• Sexual Orientation
• Religious beliefs of lack of religious beliefs
• Race, colour, nationality or ethnic origin
• Membership of the Traveller Community

An employer must be committed to a policy of equal opportunities in employment.  From recruitment to promotion, all employment decisions must be based on merit, abilities, suitability and qualifications.

Health & Safety Policy

The main aim of the Health and Safety Policy is to ensure the work place is a safe place for all employees.  In order to prevent ill health or injuries in the workplace the employer must have a Safety Statement and carry out the following:

• Provide training to employees on health and safety
• Maintain plant and equipment
• Prevent risks from exposure to excessive noise or vibrations
• Provide protective clothing where necessary
• Appoint a capable person as Safety Officer
• Prevent any inappropriate behaviour which might put employees at risk

The employees also have a duty to agree to carry out the following:

• Take care to protect the health and safety of themselves and others
• Not to be under the influence of drink or drugs
• To undergo any reasonable requests for medical of other assessments
• Not to engage in inappropriate behaviour that could endanger themselves or others
• To report any equipment defect which might be a danger to health and safety

Minimum Wage Policy

Since 1 January 2017 the national minimum hourly rate for an experienced adult is €9.25. To calculate the hourly rate, the gross pay is divided by the total number of hours worked. When calculating the hourly rate the following are not included:

• Overtime premium
• Unsocial hours premium
• Tips
• Pension contribution
• Call-out premium
• Premium for public holidays and weekends

This legislation does not apply to inexperienced employees or those under 18.  The lower or sub-premium rates applicable are as follows:

Minimum hourly rate of pay	Percentage of minimum wage
Experienced adult worker	€9.25	100%
Aged under 18	€6.48	70%
First year from date of first employment aged over 18	€7.40	80%
Second year from date of first employment aged over 18	€8.33	90%