Operations managers are integral to organizational strategy in many companies and organizations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that over 1.7 million operations and general managers were employed throughout the United States in 2010 in various industries. Operations managers made an average salary of $113,100 per year, according to the BLS. This provides some indication of their overall importance for the development of the organizations for which they are employed.
Operations management professionals are responsible for collaborating with other managers and executives to determine how operational planning can contribute to the long-term strategy of the organization. They provide the functional component of the strategic operations of the company by planning the activities that contribute to the overall goals of the organization. This planning can include determining goals and policies for logistics management, budget management and support services management. In short, the operations manager ensures that all departments on the same page about the direction the company is heading.
To ensure that planning is carried out, operations management professionals are also responsible for providing direction to various managers under their watch. Operations managers ensure that all departments are completing their necessary function within the organization by meeting productivity goals and budgetary guidelines. The operations manager may need to make corrections or modifications when goals are not being met or carried out in a manner consistent with company policy.
Operations managers also help in the achievement of organizational strategy goals by coordinating the activities between various departments within their companies. They improve efficiency and focus by facilitating and improving relations between departments, especially those that often operate independently of one another. They play the same role that an orchestra conductor plays in the field of music, coordinating and directing the activities of each section of musicians (departments) as it completes its part in the production.
The operations manager is also integral to the continued strategy and vision of a company in his role as a resource manager. Operational managers must be able to assess the resources of the organization, whether they be monetary or otherwise, and ensure that the resources are used as efficiently as possible. An effective operations manager can assess whether or not resources are being used wisely and increase profitability as a result of his assessment. Profitability contributes to long-term company goals and strategies by providing additional resources for planning strategy.
- Georgia Tech University: Corporate Strategy and Its Connection to Supply Chain Management
- Cengage: Operations, Strategy and Operations Strategy
- Texas Tech University: Operations Management; Roberta Russell and Bernard Taylor; 2006
- OperationsManager.com: Operations Manager Job Description
- IBM: Role of the Operations Manager
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