Operations Managers: Business Performance Heroes

Operations Managers plan, direct and coordinate all of an organisation’s operations. They are responsible for enhancing productivity, efficiency and profitability via the application of effective strategies and methods. This position encompasses a range of roles and can be dependent on the field of business in which the company operates.

Managers of Change

Operations Managers work on business processes to ensure that the correct approach is taken to make the company cost-effective while completing on time and taking into account specifications and quality requirements. They are continually improving processes to keep the business moving in the right direction. It is vital to always be on the lookout for new technology and new methods to boost efficiency. Managing change is an important role that involves many aspects including but not limited to training staff on new processes, gathering feedback as to the success, or otherwise, of proposed changes, and inspiring the right mindset for acceptance of the need to change. Changes are best rolled out by utilising a pilot initiative to allow for experimentation while minimising the impact in the broader business. Low-code and no-code systems that allow for rapid development of processes enhance the Operation Manager’s ability to try things, fail fast, and locate wins.

Communicators

Communication is a large part of the role of the Operations Manager. It is their job to ensure that everyone in the business is on the same page concerning the processes to be followed to meet the strategic needs of the company. Communication also extends to being a crucial part of the leadership team, ensuring that management is kept up to date with relevant developments in operations and performance. These communications often bring the requirement of collating and presenting management information around key performance indicators (KPIs) related to business operations. Alongside the reporting of data comes the responsibility of driving change to improve these KPIs. The final aspect of communication for the operations director is to meet the needs of the customer. Hitting the target set in service level agreements and product/service specifications, and keeping the client informed regarding the progress falls into the domain of the operations manager.

Deliverers of Quality

Tracking the progress of tasks that the company is currently undertaking requires careful oversight of business operations. Making sure that work falls inside SLAs both in terms of quality and speed of delivery is crucial. Compliance with regulations that apply to the field of work is an essential consideration for the Operations Manager. The Operations Manager, therefore, needs systems in place to monitor production standards and delivery times, that will alert them promptly to avoid falling outside of the requirements set down by the leadership team and customers. Assigning the right resources most effectively is the key to excellent business operations. The Operations Manager needs to know what resources they have available to them at any one time, and how to deploy them for maximum impact. They must also know when it is the time to increase resources to meet the demands of the business, if further efficiencies can no longer be driven out through improved processes or leveraging of technologies, like automation.

Leaders

The Operations Manager can facilitate the excellent performance of their team by providing the right tools for the job. Giving your staff access to up to date technology helps them to focus on what matters to the business. You can also boost performance by creating the right environment for your team. The Operations Manager can inspire people with the right mindset to achieve the results they are looking or. Great Operations Managers are vital to any thriving business. In a small business, the General Manager, or even the Managing Director/CEO, may handle many of these roles. If your business doesn’t have these work roles covered, then spend some time to think about how they could help your business performance, and indeed whether you need to hire an Operations Manager.

It’s a Big Job

Responsibility for the direction of how a business operates, the continual improvement, monitoring of performance and quality, and communicating with key stakeholders is an extensive range of responsibilities. Fortunately, there are some great tools available to help to share the load. SwiftCase helps thriving businesses, swamped by growing demand, automate and organise, to focus on what matters — loved by 1000s of users across Insurance, Finance, Legal, Service & Contractor sectors.