What is Operation? Complete Information About the Operations Department

What is Operation? To better understand the role and function of this department, let’s explore the details with 1Office in the article below.

What is Operation?

Operation is the operations department, responsible for planning and executing activities related to the production and business of an enterprise.

The Operation department plays an extremely important role for a business. This is where business development plans, strategies, and directions are built, for both the short and long term. The implementation of business activities is not only a source of revenue but also the main source of profit for the company. Without these activities, the business cannot survive and grow.

The Operation department is tasked with managing internal activities, ensuring the business always operates at its best. Whether the business operates in commerce, manufacturing, or service provision, paying attention to operational activities is mandatory. Specific activities will depend on the business sector and the development stage of the company.

What are the tasks of the Operation department?

This department holds a very important role in the business operations of a company, so their tasks are highly specialized. Below are some of the main activities of the Operations department:

Business Planning

The Operation department is responsible for creating annual plans, as well as short-term, mid-term, and long-term business plans for the company. These plans need to be built in a detailed and comprehensive manner, ensuring they align with the company’s business goals for each period.

Executing Business Plans

Besides business planning, the Operation department also undertakes the organization and implementation of approved business plans. They are also responsible for directing and monitoring the plan implementation process, as well as evaluating the results of those plans.

Implementing Marketing Strategies, Market Research, and Development

To ensure business results for the company, the Operation department must promote marketing activities, market research, and new product development. These activities not only help ensure business efficiency but also create conditions for the company to expand and scale.

Developing Training Programs for Employees

For sustainable development, a business needs to focus on building and developing its human resources. Therefore, the Operation department needs to propose and build training plans for all employees in the company.

In addition to these main tasks, the operations team must also perform duties as directed by superiors, making their workload often heavier than that of other departments. Although the work of the Operation department is quite diverse and extensive, the efficiency and quality of work are always optimally ensured.

What are the job positions in the Operation department?

Operation Executive

The Operation Executive is a crucial part of a company’s Operation department, responsible for managing and executing production and business activities, ensuring efficiency and compliance with the company’s processes and regulations. The main tasks of an Operation Executive include:

• Managing and supervising the process of arranging, unloading, and packing goods in the warehouse.
• Supervising and adjusting the production process to ensure product quality, reduce errors, and optimize the process.
• Resolving issues and incidents that occur during the production process by providing services, identifying the root cause, and proposing corrective solutions.
• Handling documentation to ensure goods are delivered to customers on schedule as agreed.
• Evaluating, summarizing, and reporting on the operational situation to superiors.

Product Operation Executive

The Product Operation Executive is responsible for carrying out activities related to the product, from initiation and implementation to product lifecycle management. The basic tasks of a Product Operation Executive include:

• Planning, coordinating, and supervising work to ensure that the activities of departments within the product division run smoothly and effectively.
• Handling operational issues and incidents from departments within the product division.
• Coordinating with relevant parties to improve the work processes and regulations of departments within the product division.
• Tracking, measuring, and evaluating the work performance of departments within the product division.
• Coordinating with relevant parties to resolve situations that incur costs beyond the budgeted and planned amounts.

E-commerce Operations Executive

An E-commerce Operations Executive is responsible for managing and supervising the company’s e-commerce business activities. Specific tasks include:

• Building and operating stores on e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, Tiki, Lazada, etc.
• Handling issues related to the company’s e-commerce platforms.
• Managing inventory, product prices, and ensuring timely updates.
• Advising and supporting customers on the company’s e-commerce platforms.
• Discussing and proposing promotional and discount programs on e-commerce platforms, implementing them upon management approval to ensure business goals are met.
• Compiling and analyzing sales data, reporting to upper management on a quarterly, weekly, and monthly basis.

Operation Manager

An Operation Manager is responsible for managing and directing the organization’s business operations. The specific duties of an Operation Manager include:

• Managing and allocating resources such as personnel, equipment, and budget in a strict and appropriate manner according to the company’s production and business situation.
• Directing and monitoring production, supply chain, and inventory management processes to ensure efficient and cost-effective operations.
• Ensuring compliance with regulations, safety standards, environmental protection, and business ethics.
• Reporting on activities and analyzing data to make strategic decisions and plan for the organization’s future.

Operation Support

Operation support plays a crucial role in supporting and maintaining the company’s operations. The tasks of Operation support include:

• Providing technical support, resolving issues for employees and customers, handling incidents, fixing errors, and guiding the use of products and services.
• Ensuring the company’s systems and technology operate stably and efficiently, monitoring performance, security, and ensuring systems meet regulatory requirements.
• Monitoring operations, processes, and systems to ensure everything runs smoothly and reliably, conducting checks, analyzing data, and providing reports, proposing improvements or changes as needed.
• Performing maintenance and repairs on systems and equipment as needed to maintain operations.
• Providing support and advice to customers on using products and services, resolving issues

What is the salary for the Operations department?

Depending on the company, industry, and level, the salary for these positions will vary. Specifically, an Operations Staff member can earn from 6 – 8 million VND/month, and it can go up to 15 million VND/month. Meanwhile, an Operations Manager has a salary ranging from 15 – 25 million VND/month, and can be higher, up to 30 – 50 million VND/month.

What are the requirements for an Operations employee?

To perform their assigned tasks well, Operations employees need to meet the following requirements:

Qualifications

Qualifications are the first factor businesses consider when you apply for a position in the Operations department. The qualification requirements will vary depending on the level and job position. For example, for a staff position, recruiters often only require a high school diploma. However, for management or head of department positions, you need a university degree in a relevant field.

Experience and Professional Expertise

For an operations staff position, most recruiters do not require prior experience. You will receive comprehensive and detailed training on operational skills during your employment. However, if you already have a basic understanding and operational experience, this will give you an advantage with recruiters.

Conversely, for a management position, recruiters typically require candidates to have 3-5 years of experience in the industry and to have held a team lead or management role. This is reasonable because at this level, you not only need strong expertise but also management skills and problem-solving abilities.

What are the necessary skills for the Operations department?

To work effectively in the Operations department, you need the following essential skills:

Communication Skills

Whether you are an employee or a manager, communication skills are very important. Good communication helps you discuss work more smoothly, connect easily with colleagues, and be more confident in your job. Furthermore, excellent communication skills also contribute to your career success.

Teamwork Skills

In your job, you cannot work alone; you need to collaborate with others to achieve the desired results. Teamwork not only helps you save time but is also an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your abilities.

Planning Skills

The operations department often has a heavy workload, so detailed work planning is crucial to successfully complete assigned tasks. Careful planning helps you avoid missing any small tasks and work more effectively.

For management positions, planning skills become even more important. This role requires you to formulate strategies and build detailed work plans to achieve the company’s business goals.

Problem-solving

A company’s operational process often encounters various problems. Therefore, it is the responsibility of operations professionals to handle those problems decisively and effectively.

Ability to handle work pressure

The workload in the Operations department is often very large, and sometimes you may not have enough time to rest. Therefore, you should develop strong pressure-handling skills to pursue a long-term career and maintain work efficiency.

Exploring the Operations department in different sectors

Operations in retail businesses

The goal of a retail business is to stock all necessary items to meet consumer demand. Therefore, the task of the Operations department in the retail sector is to optimally manage inventory. Inventory can not only bring profit to the business but can also negatively affect other business activities if not managed effectively.

To optimize inventory management, you should review sales data from previous periods to identify which items are best-sellers and which are less popular. Additionally, negotiating better prices and adjusting purchasing terms with suppliers can help increase the company’s profitability.

Operations in restaurants or food businesses

In the restaurant industry, inventory issues are more common than in retail because food is perishable and difficult to store. The Operations department in a restaurant is responsible for managing inventory, purchasing, and food preparation, as well as personnel management.

In addition to these tasks, the Operations department must also provide customer care services and find ways to enhance the customer experience to achieve optimal business results.

Operations in manufacturing businesses

In the manufacturing sector, product innovation and improving production efficiency are crucial. The Operations department is responsible for developing ideas to improve the production process. They must evaluate work performance and find ways to optimize the procurement, use, production, and transportation of goods.

The Operations department needs to review the current production methods by considering questions such as:

• How can large orders be produced efficiently and in a time-saving manner?
• Are there any solutions to resolve complex issues in the production process?
• What is the simplest and most cost-effective shipping method?
• Can we negotiate with suppliers to improve purchasing efficiency?

Operations in service businesses

In a service business, the Operations department is responsible for interacting with customers, reviewing processes, and managing factors that affect service quality. Service companies often divide the Operations department into two groups: one group in charge of customers and another in charge of business issues.

The Operations department needs to address issues such as:

• Are customers encountering any problems or difficulties?
• How can we ensure the satisfaction of every customer?

Operations in digital technology businesses

The most critical issue for digital businesses is personnel management. The Operations department is responsible for optimizing the recruitment process, training, and advising employees. In addition, the Operations department also needs to define specific tasks for each employee in the company. This helps optimize human resource-related costs while ensuring high business efficiency.

We hope this article has helped you understand what Operations is and its important role in a business. To succeed in this profession, you need to accumulate the necessary professional knowledge and develop many important skills. Don’t forget to follow 1Office regularly for more useful and up-to-date information