Operations

Operations is the backbone of any business enterprise. It entails managing and running successfully, business practices of an organization for producing optimum output. The role of any operations team or department is to acquire resources, material, equipment, and staff or develop technology to ensure maximum output in minimum input.

Detail-oriented and decision-oriented, Operations consists of tasks such as planning, controlling, staffing, directing, and organising.

A day in any Operations Manager includes interacting and coordinating with various teams like technology, development, sales, marketing, logistics and supply chain to understand the client's needs and produce the product as per expectation by following the most suitable strategy.

Operations as a field of study is taught at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. One of the most popular Operations courses in India is the MBA/PGDM in Operations. Many diplomae and certificate courses are also available for professionals and students who wish to make a career in this branch of management. Operations can also be pursued at the PhD level, for research and teaching careers.

Although, a BBA degree or an MBA degree will help you in starting a career in Operations; specialization in this branch of management would be an ideal way to kick start a career. Some institutes admit students on merit basis too. 

Admission to Operations Management generally includes two stages:

• Entrance Exam
• Group Discussion and Personal Interview

Operations Course: Eligibility Criteria

• Minimum eligibility criteria to pursue Operations as a specialization in MBA is Graduation with at least 50% marks in aggregate or equivalent in any stream from a recognized university
• For Reserved category students minimum cut off marks is usually 45% in aggregate
• Final year candidates or people with work experience are also eligible to apply
• Prerequisite for admission to this course in many institutes is entrance exam scores like CAT/XAT/MAT/CMAT, etc. However, some institutes induct students on merit only

Operations Courses: Required Skillset

For a successful career in Operations, the prerequisite is leadership qualities as the role requires one to lead inter-departmental meetings, planning, strategizing and execution of the business plan.

Other skill sets required for Operations roles are:

Operations Courses: Required Skillset
Business acumen	Good communication skills
Problem-solving skills	Management skills and leadership quality
Strong Mathematical skills	Strong technical background
Analytical thinking	Ability to multi-task
Eye for detail	Ability to work under pressure

Also Read: How to become Operations Manager

Operations Course: Course Curriculum

Since Operations is taught as a specialization in the MBA degree programme, the course curriculum includes all aspects of management and business studies along with a dedicated semester for topics specific to Operations management.

Some of the topics taught in Operations courses are given below:

Operations Courses: Curriculum
Integrated Production	Management
System Productivity	Capital Productivity
Labor Productivity	Capacity Planning
Location Planning	Job Evaluation
Value Analysis	Operations Management and Strategy
Tools for Implementation of Operations	Industry Practices
Aggregate Planning	Operations Strategy
Competitive Capabilities  and Core Competencies	Developing Operations Strategy
Competitive Priorities	Manufacturing Strategies
Service Strategies	Applications of Production Planning Techniques
Operations Research Applied to Production Planning	Optimised Production Technology
Computer Aided Process Planning	Simulation Techniques
Computer Integrated Manufacturing	PPC in Supply Chain Management
Strategic Importance of Forecasting	Methods of Forecasting
Qualitative Methods of Forecasting	Associative Models of Forecasting
Accuracy of Forecasting	Estimation of Demand
Introduction to Scientific Inventory Management	Static and Dynamic Inventory Control Methods
Simulated Inventory System	Multi-Echelon Inventory System
Materials Requirement Planning	Meaning and Dimensions of Quality
Quality Control Techniques	Quality based Strategy
Total Quality Management	Total Productive Maintenance
Cost of Quality	Tools of Quality Control
Value Stream Mapping	Statistical Quality Control
Importance of Business Process Modelling	Business Process
Physical Database Modelling	Project Management Principles
Project planning	Project Process Flow
Project Feasibility Studies	Human Aspects in Project Management
Application of Project Management Software	Contract Management
Project Cost Control	Risk Analysis in Project Management
Project Audit and Project Termination	Domain Applications
Supply Chain Management	Bullwhip effect in SCM
Collaborative Supply Chain	Inventory Management in Supply Chain
Financial Supply Chain	Supply Chain Drivers and Obstacles
Organization of the Supply Chain	Purpose of Operation Scheduling
Scheduling Strategies	Scheduling Methodologies
Scheduling in Services	Linear Programming Problems
Integer and Goal Programming Problems	Dynamic Programming Problems
Theory of Probability	Discrete and Continuous Distribution
Decision Theory	Sampling and Estimation
Parametric Inference	Regression Analysis and Tests on Correlation Coefficients
Introduction to ERP systems	Use of SAP 3
Modeling business processes using the tools of ERP software	Configuring an ERP  system
Extending ERP system to Suppliers and Customers

Operations Courses: Job profiles & Top Recruiters 

An Operations degree opens door to myriad job profiles at managerial level in public, private, government, semi-government organizations. Operations Managers are hired in all the sectors like consulting, construction, hospitality, finance, information and technology, FMCG, E-commerce, shipping, aircraft, almost all domains. Some of the top job profiles are:

• Operations Manager: Operations Manager’s main job is to manage all the processes efficiently so that the organization is profitable and there is not much of a hindrance to the daily operations.
• General Operations Manager: The General Operations Manager’s responsibility is to oversee proper functioning of the organization, formulating policies, managing day to day work, planning, delegating duties, etc.
• Area Operations Manager: The role of the Area Operations Manager includes ensuring timely deliveries from suppliers and the dispatch of goods to the sellers. They are also responsible to make sure that the production process, output and delivery comply with service level agreements.

Candidates with Operations degree are hired by almost all the companies across every industry. Listed below are some of the top recruiters:

Operations: Top Recruiters
Hindustan Unilever	Pepsico	P&G
Asian Paints	Godrej	Colgate-Palmolive
GSK CH	GSK Pharma	Johnson & Johnson
Mondelez,	Marico	Reckitt Benckiser
General Mills	Nestlé	Reckitt Benckiser
Samsung India	TAS	Amazon
Make My Trip	BCG	Deloitte
TSMG	Airtel	Vodafone

Starting salaries

Starting salaries can range from anywhere between Rs 3 - 20 lakh per annum. Students from top B-Schools earn in the range of Rs 15 – 20 lakh per annum.

Important FAQs related to Operations Course

Q. What is the duration of the course?

A. Operations course can be pursued at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. If the student opts for Operations course at the undergraduate level then the duration of the course will be three years and if the students opts for MBA/PGDM in Operations then the duration of the course will be two years.

Q. Can I get the admission into Operations course on merit-basis?

A. Most of the colleges which offer Operations course give admissions through competitive exams like CAT/XAT/MAT/CMAT etc. However, some institutes do provide admissions through merit.

Also Read: How to Get Direct Admission in top MBA colleges without CAT?

Q. What is the career scope after Operations course?

A. A candidate can find his/her career as Operations Manager, Inventory Control Manager, Consultant, Area Operations Manager, Business Process Manager, etc.

Q. Which are the top MBA institutes for Operations course?

A. Institutes like XLRI, IIM Lucknow, Symbiosis, etc. are some of the colleges which offer admission into Operations course. Also Read: Top Colleges that offer Operations Course in India

Q. What is the average salary of Operations Manager in India?

A. The average salary of Operations Manager in India ranges between 3 lakhs to 7.8 lakhs.

 

Following are the most popular Operations Colleges in India. Learn more about these Operations colleges (Courses, Reviews, Answers & more) by downloading the Brochure.

Following are the most popular Operations courses, based on alumni reviews. Explore these reviews to choose the best course in Operations.

Following are the most popular Operations UG Courses . You can explore the top Colleges offering these UG Courses by clicking the links below.

Following are the most popular Operations PG Courses . You can explore the top Colleges offering these PG Courses by clicking the links below.