GE staffer overseeing a manufacturing facility

Interested in Operations Management? Read This.

Many companies focus on building and selling. If they can’t deliver, they won’t stay in business long. That’s where operations management comes into play.

US News recently broke down what the degree teaches and what kinds of careers it can open doors to.

WHAT IS OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT?

Operations management, according to Top MBA, is centered around planning, organizing, and supervising the production or manufacturing of services.

“As such, it is delivery-focused, ensuring that an organization successfully turns inputs to outputs in an efficient manner,” according to Top MBA. “The inputs themselves could represent anything from materials, equipment and technology to human resources such as staff or workers.”

People who would be a good fit for operations management are those who are “detail-oriented, enjoy multitasking and thrive on the rewards of seeing a successfully run company on paper and in the culture,” says Kerry Wekelo, an MBA who is both the chief operating officer at Actualize Consulting and the founder of Zendoway, in an interview with US News.

CAREER OPTIONS

Career operations for operations management MBAs, according to US News, include “positions at manufacturing companies, consulting firms and startup ventures. It also provides solid preparation for general management positions.”

One thing operations managers focus on in the field is how to “continuously improve” specific business processes.

“One of the things we say is ‘fail early and fail often,’” Elliott N. Weiss, a professor of business administration at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, tells US News. “Rather than spend two years in your office designing something and then seeing it doesn’t work, keep going out and iterating back and forth.”

Sources: US News, Top MBA