Operations management is an integral part of business functions. With the rise of new and improved supply chain management strategies across the globe, the role of an operations manager is more important than ever in a supply chain.
The main roles of an operations manager include everything from planning efficient management of resources and production, scheduling activities, monitoring and controlling business processes, and improving the overall performance and profits of a business.
In short, efficient operations management of a supply chain can ensure the smooth performance of a company's supply chain. If you are interested in becoming an operations manager and managing a supply chain efficiently, then an Operations and Supply Chain Management Course will be perfect for you.
What is Operations Management?
Operations management is used as an umbrella term for all the business practices that ensure maximised efficiency within an organisation. There are many job roles within operations management and each one has its unique set of responsibilities. Usually, an Operations Manager is tasked with overseeing and administering the best practices to ensure better business performance.
Starting with product designing, the job role of an Operations Manager can vary a lot. The basic responsibilities within operations management include product design, resource management, product pricing, sales forecasting, financial management, staff management, scheduling, delivery management and much more. Companies with different goals hire Operations Managers with different responsibilities.
What is Supply Chain Management?
Supply chain management requires a more nuanced understanding of the international market and global supply chains. A supply chain refers to the entirety of a business’s processes starting from the procurement of raw materials to the delivery of finished products.
Supply Chain Managers need to work more externally than Operations Managers. The supply chain management process oversees raw material purchasing, demand forecasting, warehousing, inventory control, shipment management, risk control, etc. The main goal of supply chain management is to optimise the performance of a company’s supply chain, which includes many different processes.
Even though slightly different in function, the goal of both supply chain management and operations management is to maximise the efficiency of an organisation to ensure customer satisfaction and increase profit. A supply chain also needs operations managers to oversee the management process.
Role of Operations Manager in a Supply Chain
Supply chain management oversees the entire logistical operation of a business including sourcing, production, sales, inventory, distribution, and delivery. It needs to minimise the overhead costs while also improving profits and customer satisfaction. Since it is such a vast and complicated chain of operations, there are many variations in the supply chain management strategies around the globe. But Operations Managers are an integral part of supply chain management.
An Operations Manager needs to plan, schedule, and control all the production and distribution-related activities of a supply chain. Depending on the company, Operations Managers will have different responsibilities to fulfil. But here are some of the common responsibilities of a supply chain operations manager:
Managing Resources
Resource management is one of the most important parts of a supply chain management process. Operations managers need to procure raw materials and other resources depending on past data and market trends. This way, they can minimise overhead costs for resourcing and reduce waste.
Product Designing
Product designing in a supply chain refers to the planning of developing a new product for the market. Depending on customer demands and market trends, operations managers need to help the design team come up with the most efficient product that is going to sell the most. Even when the design process is done, Operations Managers need to oversee the manufacturing process of these products as well.
Managing Logistics
In supply chain management, logistics refers to the movement of a product movement the supply chain. This will include moving the finished products to warehouses, inventory management, shipment management and finally, delivery management. After that, the return processes should also run smoothly for maximum customer satisfaction. Since logistics is the only part of a supply chain that deals directly with the customer, Operations Managers need to make it as efficient as possible.
Managing Information
There is a lot of information and data that needs to be distributed properly throughout the supply chain for it to function. Operations Managers need to oversee the flow of correct information within the organisation.
Workflow Management
One of the main duties of an Operations Manager is to oversee the workflow within an organisation. They need to schedule and assign duties. Sometimes, they also need to help the Human Resources department with the hiring process based on necessity.
How Can You Become a Supply Chain Operations Manager?
Since it is a very important position, a Supply Chain Operations Manager needs to have proper training and education under their belt. Here are some things you will need to become an operations manager.
- A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a managerial course.
- Developing hard skills like software programming, data processing, and budget management; and soft skills like leadership, communication, organisation, delegation, teamwork, etc are necessary to learn.
- You can also take up a operations and supply chain management course for additional experience and hands-on learning.
- Most importantly, you need to gain experience through working in the field as most companies look for experienced professionals who have worked in Supply Chain Management before.
Conclusion
The roles and responsibilities of an Operations Manager in a supply chain can be quite complicated for beginners.
That is why, you should take the help of world-class courses like Imarticus Learning and IIM Raipur Global Chief Supply Chain And Operations Officer Executive Certificate Program for professionals. Not only do you get immersive learning opportunities from industry leaders, but the course also helps you to build key skills necessary for this position.
You can learn the ins and outs of Supply Chain Management Strategies with the help of this course and give your resume the boost that it deserves.
