Unit 4

Word

Definition

Example

Accounts 

the department in a company or organization that prepares its financial information

Accounts invoices customers and collects the money.

appointment 

a formal arrangement to meet or visit someone at a particular time and place

I have an appointment with Olivia Gonzalez.

be interested in 

giving a lot of attention to something because you want to find out more about it or because you enjoy it

He's interested in doing some marketing work for us in Poland.

be responsible for 

having a duty to be in charge of or to look after someone or something

Alex is responsible for new business in Northern Europe.

buy 

get for money

The Purchasing Department buys products at low prices.

check

to do something in order to find out whether something really is correct, true, or in good condition

The Quality Control Department checks that every product leaves in perfect condition.

closely 

to a very great degree

We work closely with the Marketing Department.

contact with 

to write to or telephone someone

Which department do you have the most contact with?

control 

to have the power to make the decisions about how a country, place, company etc is organized or what it does

The Finance Department controls the spending of all the other departments.

current 

happening now

Where did you work before your current job?

Customer Service 

the department in a large organization that deals with questions and complaints from its customers, gives advice on using the product or service it provides etc

Customer Service has to resolve all kinds of problems to keep customers happy.

department 

one of the groups of people who work together in a particular part of a large organization such as a hospital, university, company, or government

In our department, we do monthly financial reports.

dispatch 

to send someone or something somewhere for a particular purpose

Logistics has to dispatch and deliver products on time.

Finance 

the management of money by governments, large organizations etc

The Finance Department controls the spending of all the other departments.

fluent 

able to speak a language very well

Are all the staff fluent in English?

frequent 

happening or doing something often

I have frequent contact with all the different departments.

generate 

to produce or cause something

The Sales and Marketing departments generate money for the company.

help yourself 

to take some of what you want, without asking permission – used especially when offering food to someone

Help yourself to tea and biscuits.

Human Resources

n a company, the department that deals with employing, training, and helping people

How many people work in Human Resources?

identification

official papers or cards, such as your passport, that prove who you are

Can I see some identification, please?

in charge of 

the position of having control or responsibility for a group of people or an activity

Who is in charge of your department?

infrastructure 

the basic systems and structures that a country or organization needs in order to work properly, for example roads, railways, banks etc

IT has to maintain the computer systems and IT infrastructure within the company.

invoice

a list of goods that have been supplied or work that has been done, showing how much you owe for them

Accounts invoices customers and collects the money.

IT 

Information Technology

My computer's not working. I need to phone IT.

Logistics 

the practical arrangements that are needed in order to make a plan that involves a lot of people and equipment successful

Logistics has to dispatch and deliver products on time.

maintain 

support and service

IT has to maintain the computer systems within the company.

manufacture 

produce

Our company manufactures plastic tables and benches from recycled plastic.

Marketing 

the activity of deciding how to advertise a product, what price to charge for it etc, or the type of job in which you do this

The Marketing Department decides on our advertising campaigns.

on the road

travelling in a car, especially for long distances

He's on the road a lot of the time, visiting new customers.

Production 

Manufacturing

She's in charge of the Production Department.

Purchasing 

the activity of buying the materials, stock, equipment etc that a company needs to produce goods

The Purchasing Department buys products at low prices.

Quality Control

the practice of checking goods as they are produced to be sure that their quality is good enough

The Quality Control Department checks that every product leaves in perfect condition.

recruitment strategy 

formal plan of action involving an organization's attempts to successfully identify, recruit, and hire high-quality candidates for the purpose of filling its open positions

I have a meeting with her today to discuss our recruitment strategy for the year ahead.

report to 

to be responsible to someone at work and be managed by them

I report to the HR Director.

resolve 

to solve or end a problem or difficulty

Customer Service has to resolve all kinds of problems to keep customers happy.

Sales 

a department which manages transactions between two or more parties in which the buyer receives goods orservices

The Sales department generates new business with customers.

sign in 

to write your name on a form, in a book etc when you enter a place such as a hotel, office, or club

Can you sign in, please?

take a seat 

to sit down

Please take a seat. She'll be right down.

visitor's pass 

an official piece of paper which shows that visitor is allowed to enter a building

You need a visitor's pass.

work closely with 

to collaborate with someone as a team

I work closely with the Marketing Department.