Operational management tasks consist of the daily actions implemented to achieve business goals and procedures. They assist your business to run efficiently and allow you to deliver high-quality products to customers. These include processes such as supply chain management and production scheduling. They also include resourcing, inventory control and control of inventory. While strategic management sets long-term goals and business plans that are broad operational management is focused on the specifics of implementing these strategies.
Strategic management involves broader ideas and visions that are a bit more high-level, which is why it’s typically conducted by the upper management roles such as the CEO, CFO or the founder. It also takes into account the branding, ideals, and the company’s work ethic and mission.
After a leader has decided on the general direction of an organisation they will likely turn to their Operations Management team for specific strategies and tactics. These will be more detailed which makes them simpler to implement and modify in the future. A strategic plan of management could include the idea that an organization must be more environmentally-friendly and utilize recycled materials in their packaging. The operational management might be concerned with the logistics of obtaining this material as well as changing to an electric vehicle for shipping.
Modern businesses must be prepared to respond to unexpected and sudden challenges that may threaten their existence. These challenges aren’t in the control of an organization. In these situations an effective operations manager has to conduct risk analysis and mitigation to prepare for the worst.
