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Operations Management Careers
Operations management emphasis in an MBA program is generally divided into service operations and manufacturing or production operations. In each instance, the MBA student should supplement operations management curriculum with courses in MIS/IT or information systems.
Because of well-developed problem solving skills, undergraduate degrees in engineering or real world experience in engineering related fields are highly beneficial backgrounds for an operations management career.
General Operations Managers
An operations manager must be in possession of a diverse skill set. The operations manger is responsible for creating budgets and making decisions on employee training and hiring, employee supervision, equipment procurement, and administrative policy development. Well-developed communication skills are essential. The operations manager must coordinate and confer with other departments and managers within the company, as well as contractors and suppliers. Because of this broad range of responsibilities, the MBA is an essential part of an operations manager’s training.
Operations Management Engineers
Top management may give the operations manager broad guidelines for developing technical and scientific goals for the company. Operations managers develop plans and goals for such things as manufacturing process optimization, product development and re-design, intranet development, and so on.
Manufacturing Development and Operations
Other career paths for MBAs in the manufacturing area of the corporate world, such as product development manager, production supervisor, and manufacturing director can be stepping stones to upper level positions like plant manager or COO (chief operating officer). Persons in these positions often carry responsibilities like production planning, forecasting, quality control, standardization, and process analysis.
A number of MBAs with manufacturing emphasis enter the consulting field. Many have engineering backgrounds, making them ideal for assisting in process re-engineering, manufacturing consulting, and manufacturing optimization. In preparation for these duties, many students take additional courses in information systems.
Service Operations
An internal consultant or quality analyst performs many of the same functions as an operations manager, but in the service operations sector. These professionals are skilled in outsourcing, pricing optimization, customer service, and market optimization. Many MBA graduates in this field are also hired by consulting firms.
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Nearly 80% of top executives polled in a recent survey said that earning a graduate degree in business is important for those who want to obtain top management positions in most companies.
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