9 Examples of Front Office

John Spacey, January 12, 2018

Front office is a department or team that interacts with the customer and/or directly generates revenue. This is contrasted with back office functions that provide services such as administration, operations and technology that don't interact with the customer. The following are common examples of front office.

Corporate

Corporate functions such as the offices of a firm's executive management.

Public Relations

Managing relationships with stakeholders such as investors, regulators and the media.

Marketing

The process of developing and promoting products and services.

Sales

Selling to the customer and support functions such as sales operations.

Wealth Management

Teams involved in managing money for clients at banks.

Investment Banking

Investment banking services such as underwriting new debt and equity.

Trading

Market facing teams such as equity or derivatives trading.

Research

The research teams of investment banks that provide estimates and advice to clients.

Customer Service

Customer support functions such as the front desk of a hotel.

Notes

A team is said to be revenue generating if it is responsible for meeting a revenue target. For example, a technology team that creates a valuable product isn't revenue generating unless they are directly responsible for selling it.

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In many cases, front office teams are located in prime areas close to the customer with back office teams operating from satellite offices further from the customer. It is also common for front office and back office teams to work from the same buildings.

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The term front office is heavily associated with banking, particularly investment banking. However, it can be applied to any industry.

Overview: Front Office
Type	Organizations
Definition	A department or team that interacts with the customer and/or directly generates revenue.
Related Concepts	Organizations » Back Office » Public Relations » Stakeholders » Marketing » Sales »