Operations management is an essential part of any successful business, but it’s something that many professionals don’t really think about. If you’ve been working in one of the smaller departments that fall under the umbrella of operations, you might see only a tiny part of the picture. However, there’s a corporate office high above pulling all the strings to ensure that each individual department is working at peak efficiency and cooperating with other departments along the way. It’s a long journey to get from raw goods to international shipping of a finished product. Operations management makes sure that it all runs smoothly.
If you work in operations and want to move up in your career, an MBA in operations management is a perfect fit. This course of study will give you a bird’s eye view of how companies operate from one end to the other. Whether you want to get to the top of your department where you’ll be coordinating with other aspects of operations within your company, or you’re interested in vaulting all the way to a top corporate position where you can oversee it all from your cushy corner office, an MBA can offer a valuable first stepping stone.
The core focus of an operations management MBA will be studying and understanding business process models. You’ll need to get a solid idea of what systems are in place to take operations from beginning to end within a business. This can get complex because the details vary greatly from one business to another. In a theme park, your operations will include food service, attractions, custodial, merchandise, ticketing, and other guest-related services. Rather than selling a specific product or service, you’re selling an entire experience, and you need to make sure that guests make it from point A to B to C without experiencing any major dissatisfaction.
In a factory, your operations management will take on a totally different face. You need to deal with importing raw materials, converting them to goods, packaging them, shipping them, and connecting with your customers or wholesalers on the other end. General and operations managers have a mean annual salary of about $114,490. This is a great career to pursue with lots of potential industries where you may find work.
If you’re already working a full time job, you may not be able to take time off to pursue school full time. Instead, you can opt for a part time online program. This will allow you to get the education that you need without disrupting your everyday life or impacting your regular income. Online MBA programs can give you all the information that you would get from an on-campus course. The only difference is the medium. With online learning, you stay in control of your time and schedule. Consider some of the options below.
Southern New Hampshire University
Southern New HampshireUniversity offers an MBA program with a concentration in Operations & Supply Chain Management. Available completely online, this degree covers transportation, warehouse management, procurement, and inventory control. You’ll also learn about customer service standards and how you can improve your supply chain to better meet the needs of both the company and the customer. You can control both quantity and quality in a careful balance without dropping a single ball when you obtain this degree.
Northeastern University: D’Amore-McKim School of Business
With the Operations and Supply Chain Management Concentration fromNortheasternUniversity, you’ll get a comprehensive education. Courses cover inventory control, transportation planning, and customer service standards. You’ll also learn how to design a successful distribution system that will keep everything running smoothly. Structuring a functional and profitable supply chain for operations is a challenging task, but this MBA concentration will help you stay prepared.