Roles and Responsibilities of an Operations Manager

Operations is the process of converting the inputs to output in order to add value to the customer. Operations manager is the in charge of operations of an organization where he holds diversified responsibilities in an organization. Roles and responsibilities of an operations manager can be described as follows:

• Manager of cost centers-

Operations generates costs to the organization and managing operations focuses greatly on managing costs of the organization. Managing cost can described in many angles:

As the operations manager, s/he needs manage the total labour force related to operations and labour force is directly related to the labour cost of the organization. The amount of labour that is used in operations determines the labour cost of the organization. Therefore manager is responsible for recruiting right number of people with right skills to avoid any over spendings.

Operations involves utilizing physical/fixed assets of an organization. (70%-80% of total assets are used in operations) Assets generates cost to the organization in purchasing the asset and maintaining. As the manager of the operations, the operations manager needs to ensure that assets are well managed in the best interest of the organization.

Operations utilizes a major portion of the organization budget The manager has to ensure that the desired output level is achieved within the cost targets. This will support the organization to maintain their cost structure as expected.

• Ensure Efficiency and effectiveness-

As the operations manager s/he needs to ensure that daily operations are carried out in an efficient manner. S/he needs to ensure that the desired level of output is achieved with the input added to the process. To ensure the efficiency the operations manager needs to achieve daily operational targets and control over allocation of resources.

Effectiveness is doing the right things at the operations. As the operations manager he needs to do the right things about operations focusing on long term effect. Since long term effects can be achieved only after short term revolutions he needs to well manage short term changes and achieve long term revolutions in the organization.

• Manage technology-

In the modern world technology changes rapidly and the operations manager needs to identify the desired level of technology in production process. He needs to employ the technology in production process and manage technology changes in the environment to be updated with latest trends.

• Overall Manager-

Operations manager holds he responsibility of managing every single thing about operations. He divides the total system of operations in to sub systems. Sub systems are delegated to functional managers where he manages the overall system of operations.

• Interphase-

Operations manager act as a coordinator between the top management  (Strategic end) and the operational level (working end). When the top management decides upon what they need to achieve, the operations manager communicate it to operational level staff and implement the strategies. Operations manager can be seen as the middle line between strategic level and operational level.

• Managing complexity-

Business operations are complicated with many due to inter relationships, size, large investment, diversification, change and cost structure. Operations manager is responsible for making sense of complications and manage them well.

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