Operations Management: An Integrated Approach, 5th Edition

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE

Of all the business functions, operations is the most diverse in terms of the tasks performed. If you consider all the issues involved in managing a transformation process, you can see that operations managers are never bored. Who are operations managers and what do they do?

The head of the operations function in a company usually holds the title of vice president of operations, vice president of manufacturing, V.P., or director of supply chain operations and generally reports directly to the president or chief operating officer. Below the vice president level are midlevel managers: manufacturing manager, operations manager, quality control manager, plant manager, and others. Below these managers are a variety of positions, such as quality specialist, production analyst, inventory analyst, and production supervisor. These people perform a variety of functions: analyzing production problems, developing forecasts, making plans for new products, measuring quality, monitoring inventory, and developing employee schedules. Thus, there are many job opportunities in operations management at all levels of the company. In addition, operations jobs tend to offer high salaries, interesting work, and excellent opportunities for advancement. Many corporate CEOs today have come through the ranks of operations. For example, the third president and CEO of Wal-Mart from January 2000 to January 2009, H. Lee Scott, came from a background in operations and logistics. ...