What do operations managers do?
At the strategic level (long term), operations managers are responsible for or associated with making decisions about product development (what shall we make?), process and layout decisions (how shall we make it?), site location (where will we make it?), and capacity (how much do we need?). At the tactical level (intermediate term), operations management addresses the issues relevant to efficiently scheduling material and labor within the constraints of the firm’s strategy and making aggregate planning decisions. Operations managers have a hand in deciding employee levels (how many workers do we need and when do we need them?), inventory levels (when should we have materials delivered and should we use a chase strategy or a level strategy?), and capacity (how many shifts do we need? Do we need to work overtime or subcontract some work?). At the operational level, operations management is concerned with lower-level (daily/weekly/monthly) planning and control. Operations managers and the
