What Does an Operations Manager Do

Operations management is a branch of management, that can be defined as "an area concerned with overseeing, designing, and redesigning business operations in the production of goods and/or services." Following this definition an operations manager holds the entirely responsibility of designing business operations from scratch, and executing them till the end. It is indeed a job that demands a business acumen, a fine judgment and analytical skills. The task of an operations manager can be generalized to get an outline of his job description.

• Operations managers play an important role is shaping a company's career graph. Thus, the nature of their job is all rolled into one. On many occasions an operations manager has to go beyond the call of his duty, to ensure satisfactory completion of the project.

• Operations mangers usually work in companies that handle developmental projects. Following this, they have to work right from the conception of the idea. The ingenious attribute of an operations manager is oftentimes seen through novel ideas they develop.

• An idea remains fictional until its planned. Thus, the next part of an operations manager job is to chalk out a plan for the idea.
• While making a plan, he must also work out its feasibility in terms of finance and time. To further the plans, he will have to discuss it with the top management officials. Thus, he also needs to have excellent communication and presentation skills.

• To finish the planned task, he has to hire a skilled team. At this juncture, his communication and judgment skills are tested once again. Another point to note here is that, he has to emerge as a leader while hiring his team members. He must be seen as a figure that heralds his followers towards success by showing unquestionable dedication to work. Thus, in small ways, he plays the role of a human resource manager too.

• Once his team is on board, his leadership qualities are put to test. He must motivate his team members and help them achieve their targets, to accomplish the bigger goal at a faster pace. If required, he must be a team player too. Building team spirit, inspiring team members, rewarding them from time to time, and building a trustworthy relationship with them are some of the unsaid duties of an operations manager.

• While the work is in progress, he is responsible for its supervision and strict scrutiny of the materials being used. Supervision is one of the most important part of an operations manager's job.
• An operations manager is also responsible for organizing the documentation work related to the project. This helps him in keep up with the project work and also keep a record, that may come in handy for future references or proofs in case of disputes.

• Many times an operations manager may have to represent the company at meetings, seminars or at any overseas events.
• He should be aware about the financial and legal aspects of the project at all times.
• The job description of an operations manager demands him to work round the clock if required. A successful, operations manager understands the importance of time, maintaining relationships and he values originality above all.

The aforementioned rough outline, sketches the important aspects of an operations manager's job. One needs to undergo formal training along with acquiring hands on experience, to be an efficient operations manager. Thus, it is a job that demands serious efforts right from the start, and all the way till the end.