Operations Manager - As a career option

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An operations manager, as the name employs, is responsible for overseeing the overall function of a company, and making sure all processes are optimized for efficiency.

To put it simply, everything in a company can be done in ten different ways.

Some ways of doing it might be more efficient and effective than others. The Operations team is responsible for making sure that processes are laid out in such a way that doing those things take the least time-consuming and most effective route.

Operations managers work closely with other leaders within the organization (Supervisors, various head of departments) to understand the goal and vision of the company, and breaking it down into various small targets that are achievable within a given time frame.

Everything an operations manager aims to improve the quality of product or service being delivered, accelerate the speed at which it is delivered, minimize costs, and maximize overall profits.

Roles and Responsibilities of an Operations Manager

• Managing quality assurance programs
• Supervising, hiring, and training other employees
• Monitoring, analyzing, and improving the operational systems, processes, and policies that contribute to the overall mission of the organization
• Supporting and optimizing how information flows and is managed within the organization, and also it's reporting
• Contributing to the long-term organization planning such that it contributes to operational excellence
• Developing individual program/department budgets
• Managing and increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of support services (HR, IT and Finance)
• Improving inter-department coordination and communication
• Stock availability and shop-floor management

Eligibility Criteria to Become an Operations Manager

• +2: No restrictions. Students from either stream (Science, Commerce, Arts) are eligible.
• Bachelor’s Degree: Usually an undergraduate degree in business / commerce (BBA, B.Com, BMS etc)
• Master’s Degree: Masters’ in Business Administration (optional)

Skills needed to be an Operations Manager

• Organizational skills
• Interpersonal communication skills
• Leadership skills

A Day in the Life of an Operations Manager

Hi, I am the Operations Manager for a heavy equipment manufacturing company. Since we’re into production, a lot of my time is spent on the shop floor of our factory (where the assembly line is set up).

My day starts at 9:00 AM when I take the company bus to work. I use the half hour in the commute to catch up on emails and get an informal status of the night shift when I’d been at home.

This prepares me for the chaos that would greet me when I reach office – any stock out or machine breakdowns to plan for.

10:00 AM: Reach the factory, grab the protective gear and enter the shop floor. My first step is to grab yesterday’s logbook and analyze the numbers. I look at the production done, units shipped, or any other activities that might have happened.

I compare it to our average daily targets and note down the deviation. Even though the shop floor supervisor is responsible for these things, and sends me a weekly report, I still like to visit the action of the scene and absorb it in.

11:00 AM: Speak with the supervisor and foreman as I go around the floor. They brief me about our targets for this week and warn me of an impending stock-out of certain materials.

In production, it’s crucial to have all the materials in advance, and we have a very strict process for maintaining an Economic Order Quantity of each inventory.'

I make a note to call our vendor and hasten up the lead time (delivery time). The supervisor suggests we speak with other vendors, as this one tends to be unreliable, and has a higher defect rate than we’d like.

12:30 AM: We have some government inspectors in to check the safety and quality standards of our factory. I give them a tour, confident that we are up to date with all regulatory compliance.

Our company follows a strict 5S inspection policy – it’s a Japanese philosophy that focuses on effective workplace organization and standardization of processes.

1:30 PM: We break for lunch at the canteen on the top floor, where the administrative offices are. Other suits join us for lunch.

2:30 PM: I have a meeting with the sales team to review sales forecasts and plan production in such a way that we can meet all commitments. The Shopfloor manager joins in and says that some workers are unhappy with their wages, and are planning a strike. If that happens, production targets will not be met. This is alarming news indeed.

3:30 PM: I sit on an urgent meeting with the HR head and our Chief Operating Officer also joins in through Skype, since he’s visiting our second factory in Chennai.

We discuss bonuses and immediate payment incentives to avoid a strike. A meeting with the Labour Union Head is set up for tomorrow.

5:00 PM: The marketing manager drops in and requests my input on some brochures they are preparing for our potential clients.

He’s new, so I help him understand the technical terminology behind our equipment and take him along for a tour of the shop floor where can examine them with his own eyes.

7:00 PM: The tour takes longer than I anticipated, and a full day means I'm beaten. The office shuttle leaves at 7:15, and I look forward to enjoying the rest you deserve after putting in a good day at work.

Are you interested in becoming an operations manager? Still confused? We hope this article proved to be a fruitful one for you. Have your say in the comment box below. Enjoy Reading