Operations Management: A Bright Career Choice Steven Aspacher Senior Manager, Student and Academic Services [email protected] Why Study Operations Management? A well-rounded education in business management would be  incomplete without a working knowledge of operations management (OM). OM provides professionals with knowledge of analytical tools,  as well as management concepts, such as supply chain management, total quality management, lean, and environmental sustainability. The study of operations management enables business  leaders to solve real-world problems from planning work and productivity targets on the department level to managing ring operations on a global scale. 2 © APICS Confidential and Proprietary Why Consider Operations Management as a Career? It is a business critical function.  • OM is about how businesses manage the design, production and distribution of goods and services to the marketplace. • Since all all organizations either produce tangible products or perform services, they are engaging in OM. • OM touches all aspects of a business. It is a road to career success  • OM professionals play an important roles in almost every business. • There are a variety of job roles and functions that fall under OM. • OM is increasingly a global economy career. • OM professionals earn very competitive salaries. • OM professionals are increasingly making their way to the C-suite. 3 © APICS Confidential and Proprietary What is the Role of the Operations Manager? Role of the Operations Manager.  • Make decisions about how business are organized to perform the information, production, and services activities that best realize the goals and objectives of the organization. • Measure the performance or processes that enable the organization to assess how well it is meeting its business targets and pin point where it needs to make improvements. • Effectively manage a company’s costs (efficiencies) while improving customer service (responsiveness). 4 © APICS Confidential and Proprietary What is the Role of the Operations Manager? Specifically, Operations Managers:  • Designs the products, services and processes by which the organization gains value and secures competitive advantage. • Plan and control the delivery of products and services at each stage in the supply chain from supplier to customer. • Oversee the development of the methods and standards defining operations and process performance. • Organize, identify, design the sequencing of processing tasks, and assign the necessary resources for the production of goods and services. 5 © APICS Confidential and Proprietary What is the Role of the Operations Manager? Specifically, Operations Managers:  • Determine the quantitative techniques and information technology tools to be used in planning and managing production, inter-enterprise processes, and supply chain processes. • Analyze business processes to eliminate wastes, errors, and productivity gaps and search for improvements. • Perform ongoing cost management and trade-off analysis to optimize processes, reduce overall costs, and make the right decisions. • Solve process problems by investigating symptoms and causes, performing diagnostics, and implementing solutions. 6 © APICS Confidential and Proprietary Operations and Supply Chain Management: The Definition of Adding Value Meeting customer demand in the most efficient way  Ensuring business goals are met  Increasing revenue by differentiating products and  services Reducing cost of production and distribution  Coordinating functions across the business  Moving beyond better, faster, cheaper  Laying the foundation for innovation  7 © APICS Confidential and Proprietary Operations Or Supply Chain Management A Good Career Choice Today If. . . You are able to see both the forest and the trees  You like building and tearing apart  You are both process and outcome oriented  You like stability and change  You can play both a supporting and a starring role  You can be both flexible but also adhere to standards  8 © APICS Confidential and Proprietary Operations Management – A Top Career According to 2014 US News and World Report 244,100 jobs in the US  12.4% growth rate between 2012 - 2022  $95,440 median salary ($65,860 (25%) - $145,210 (75%))  4.1% unemployment rate  #5 best business job  #42 best job overall  Above average upward mobility  Above average stress  Average flexibility  Bachelor’s or master’s degree  APICS certifications often preferred  9 © APICS Confidential and Proprietary Majors in Operations and Logistics Rank High in Median Lifetime Earnings Source: “Major Decisions: What Graduates Earn Over Their Lifetimes,” The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution. 10 © APICS Confidential and Proprietary