Operations Management Interview
In the operations management firm where I carried my interview, I interviewed Mr. Eric, who is the Operations Manager of Manish group of logistic firms. The Manager has twenty years’ experience in Operations management. Mr. Erick has a master in operations management and has worked in various firms as the operations manager. The manager’s roles included providing inspired leadership for the operation of Manish Logistics involving making vital policy and making critical decisions. I also learned that the manager is involved in the development and implementation of operational procedures and progressions of the operations department. Mr. Eric revealed that human resource management relied heavily on his department in matters of recruitment, and also assists in the promotion of the firm’s culture that would encourage morale and performance.
The operations manager had several responsibilities also including; working with the board of directors in the determination of values, assisting in ensuring that there are proper filing and monitoring of legal documents in compliance with the laws and regulations of the land, identification and addressing challenges and opportunities for the firm, construction of alliances and corporations with other organizations and also supporting worker communications with the management team among others.
I chose to interview operations manager since operations managers play a vital role in ensuring that there is smooth running of the firm’s progressions. The managers have are able to plan, oversee and coordinate daily activities to improve the efficiency and performance of the firms. Operation Managers have broad experience and working knowledge of the firm’s functions. They are also responsible for various vital tasks ranging from logistics to the management of resources, budgeting and planning (Sodhi, 2015). The operational manager I picked was ideal for the interview since he was able to find practical solutions promptly. The operations manager was also able to solve challenges that arose from the firm and also had excellent numerical and interpersonal skills in the operations management.
Questions that I asked:
- Explain the primary roles of an operations manager
- Explain budget planning and how you tackle it in your activities
- Do you have any record of experience with logistics management
- Did you ever find yourself in a position where you were negotiating contracts with vendors? What was the most powerful strategy you used towards the latter?
- Kindly explain the management systems that you have used previously
- Did you learn about cost analysis tools? Kindly explain any statistical tools that you are capable of working with.
- Kindly explain the method that you would use if your senior asked you to make a report on the cost of production.
- Which is the most important financial management that you would use in the operations management?
- Does successful communication amid various organizational functions have any meaning to your department?
- Do support services make any contribution towards the achievement of your business goals Kindly explain with examples
- How do you cooperate with the IT department to ensure that the firm’s data is secure?
- Have you ever implemented a cost-cutting strategy in your firm?
- What was the size of your team that you worked with, in the recent past?
- Do you have any experience in making presentations?
- Do you have employee meetings? If yes, how do you manage them?
Lessons from the Interview
From the interview I conducted, I learned that the operations manager is answerable for the operative management of labor; quality control and the safety measures established and set by the operations department. I also learned that those operations managers ensure efficiency and safety of operations (Piercy & Rich, 2015). They are also involved in regulatory issues and enhance operational progressions and principles in the areas of information flow and management, business progressions and ensure that there is improved management in giving periodical reports and opportunities.
After the interview, I also learned that the operation manager’s meet, select, hire and train new workers, plan, authorize and discuss with employees performance quality. The position of an operations manager is vital since he can address employee performance and motivate them accordingly. The operations manager is also able to organize the budget of the firm with assistance from the director.
The firm has faced regional market scope, various implications to the products made and issues affecting market size according to a particular product and cost analysis of producing a product. The market for logistics firms is formulated with the assistance of industry expertise, the processing firms and analytical service providers that address the worth of the market (Lieb & Lieb, 2015). Several major key players in the global market make competition in the market very stiff. The firm in question needs to have a comprehensive logistics market intellect via a detailed segmentation.
Growth and Outlook
There has been increased utilization of multimodal transport system that assists in decreasing cargo handling and cost per vehicle. The multimodal transport system is vital since it ensures that the safety of goods is upheld during transportation (Lieb & Lieb, 2015). The logistics market is also facing a digital transformation in the whole world, and businesses are recalibrating their strategies. The increasing level of competition is making logistic firms implement means that would lead to an increased level of efficiency. The latter has led to the invention and implementation of technology-enabled services, and this has led to a considerable decrease in transportation cost and efficacy (Lieb & Lieb, 2015).
The universal economic environment has been facing challenges due to trade wars, increased import costs and hiked rates of interests. The trade tensions have remained elevated for several months hence causing financial market pressures. The slowdown in world commerce is anticipated to hit the air cargo market by significant volume and the yield performance. The freight capacity is expected to outdo demand as a result of weakened consumer expectations. The rail freight is also likely to gain traction due to the regional rail network expansion and heightened deployment of transfer hubs that boost transportation (Kucukaltan, Irani, & Aktas, 2016). As a result of demographic imbalance, there will be the scarcity of workforce and increasing cost of will pose a challenge for road freight transport. The problem will be solved by the anticipated emergence of long haul conveyance and last-mile transportation (Kucukaltan, Irani, & Aktas, 2016).
Outlook for the IT Industry
Cloud computing and the artificial intelligence will be dominating the technology headlines soon with the breakout of edge computing anticipated later in 2020.adoption of cloud computing will continue being popular in companies that embrace flexible utilization via hybrid and multi-cloud environs. The hybrid approach is a vital step in the progression to digital transformation. Private and a variety of firms has utilized public clouds due to several factors, including the reliance of the legal system and the need to comply with the regulations of firms, among others.
The firms have adopted the multi-cloud solutions in addition to the hybrid from multiple providers. Research shows that about 59% of the global businesses are using a combination of the amazon web services, Azure and Google cloud in their multi-cloud networks (Canis, 2015). The multi-cloud strategy makes it possible for firms to assess the strengths and weaknesses of various vendors before they commit their resources in the long term. Multi-cloud is vital since It can assist firms in cutting down on costs. They are also flexible, and hence firms can utilize them in various environments. Edge computing is expected to experience significant growth as a result of the invention of the internet of things. In my studies, I want to pursue network engineering since he is responsible for setting up computer networks, which are of interest to me. This will be important in offering technical support to users where necessary (Canis, 2015).
Summary of What I Learned
In this interview, I learned that excellent operation managers involve themselves in the processes. This will ensure that the managers are on track to meet the objectives of the firm. The operation managers are also required to cultivate talent in their team to maximize the performance of workers. I also learned that it is also vital for managers to managers to make progressive changes after an examination of the ongoing workflow within a firm. As risk-takers, it is also vital for the operation managers to take calculated risks for the growth of the firm.
Follow –Up Activities
The operations manager suggested that it was vital for me to write a mail to make sure that I do not forget on the topics that I had discussed with him. An email would be the fastest way in case I need to make a quick decision.
Sending a thank you letter to the operations manager-In addition to the thank you note that I would write to the manager, I would also consider writing a handwritten card and stamp it. This will serve as a reminder to the operations manager that you were satisfied with the interview, and you appreciated his efforts for paring time to assist you in the interview.
References
Canis, B. (2015). Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS): Commercial outlook for a new industry. (Vol. 1). London: Lancet.
Kucukaltan, B., Irani, Z., & Aktas, E. (2016). A decision support model for identification and prioritization of key performance indicators in the logistics industry. Computers in Human Behavior, 65(4), 346-358.
Lieb, R. C., & Lieb, K. J. (2015). he North American third-party logistics industry in 2013: The provider CEO perspective. Transportation Journal, 54(1), 104-121.
Piercy, N., & Rich, N. (2015). The relationship between lean operations and sustainable operations. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 26(5), 76-78.
Sodhi, M. S. (2015). Conceptualizing social responsibility in operations via stakeholder resource‐based view. Production and Operations Management, 24(9), 1375-1389.