The Results-Oriented Operations Workplace

Operations jobs, whether order taking, purchasing or warehousing, are involved in a lot of detail. When operations people are so engrossed in the details of their jobs, it's easy for them, for anyone actually, to lose sight of the job's major contribution.

A Results-Oriented Operations Job Description is different from a traditional job description because it focuses an employee on the several job results that answer the question: What results must this operations affairs job accomplish for the organization?

Operations Job Standards added to job expectations tighten management controls by clarifying how well and when results must be accomplished.

Operations Job Objectives establish management and employee plans by highlighting important current and future results needed.

Job-specific Operations Employee Management Forms maintain consistent and operationsly sound management actions by basing manager-employee interactions on job results.

The Purpose of Operations Jobs

Stated in a results-oriented, three-line style, operations affairs jobs--

PRODUCE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES by

establishing and maintaining planning, control, purchasing, logistical, order-receipt, warehousing, and transportation systems; studying, evaluating, and re-designing processes.

Types of Operations Jobs

Operations jobs are mainly involved in the logistics of producing products and services. Some jobs receive and transmit orders, while other jobs purchase and assemble materials and supplies for production. Other jobs produce the products or deliver the services. Still other jobs store products or deliver them to customers. And, of course, somebody has to manage and supervise the operations people and processes.

Operations Job Management Tools

Here are actual job examples of how operations affairs job actions can be focused on results and kept on track using each of our job management tools:

Results-Oriented Operations Job Descriptions form the foundation of all job management tools. Our uniquely structured job descriptions focus on the result to be accomplished first and prominently, followed by the duties performed in order to accomplish the result. For example,

RECOMMENDS OPERATIONS ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Operations Job Standards sharpen employee attention and management control by defining and communicating how well the operations affairs results must be accomplished and what benchmarks will be used to measure job results. For example, for the job result above, the job standards might be:

• Operations situations are correctly understood.
• All options are identified and evaluated.
• Operations recommendations are ready when needed.

Operations Job Objectives point the direction for employee actions by focusing job efforts on current and future operations affairs issues. Job objectives are written in the three-line, results-oriented structure. For example, for the job result above, a job objective might be:

SPEED-UP DECISION MAKING by

reducing time to deliver operations affairs recommendations by 10% by (date).

Operations Employee Management Forms tied specifically to each operations affairs job description are more helpful (and operations) than generic forms used for all different kinds of jobs. Job-specific forms are used to state job qualifications, guide job interview questions, orient new employees, plan job training, and appraise job performance.

Operations Job Qualifications are stated in the same terms used in the job description. They are not translated into generic (typically behavioral) terms. For example:

RECOMMENDS OPERATIONS ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Operations Job Interview guide questions are inserted directly below each job result in the job description: For example:

• "What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?"
• "Where did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "When did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?"
• "What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?"
• "In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?"
• "How did you overcome the challenges?"

The Operations Job Orientation guide reformats the job description sequence so that job explanations, policies, protocols, processes, and procedures are logical and complete and can easily be checked off. For example:

RECOMMENDS OPERATIONS ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Here's the procedure and format we use to analyze and present operations affairs recommendations."

The Operations Job Training plan guides a thorough examination of actual job knowledge, skills, and abilities as described in the job description that need improvement or that might be enhanced. For example:

RECOMMENDS OPERATIONS ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Analytical skills would be improved by enrolling in a statistical analysis class."

The Operations Job Performance Appraisal guide is a job-specific form. It is not a universal form used for all jobs. The guide adds an appraisal scale below each job result in the job description so that attention can be drawn to each job requirement and expectation. For example:

RECOMMENDS OPERATIONS ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

__ Great! Just want we wanted.
__ We have a problem.
__ Improvement is needed.
__ Much, much more than we asked for.

Comments: _________________

Operations Résumé Template

Potential employers want to know what a job applicant has accomplished in his/her operations affairs work career. They don't want to be bored with minor details. Our Résumé Template provides:

• an outline to help assemble personal background information.
• a Results-Oriented Job Description to provide the operations affairs job language-focused on results-needed to write an effective résumé.
• Operations Job Objectives to orient thinking in terms of accomplishments.
• instructions on how to use a Results-Oriented Operations Job Description and Operations Job Objectives to express job accomplishments.

Use the operations affairs job description responsibility statement as a base:

RECOMMENDS OPERATIONS ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Select the operations affairs job objective that fits your experience:

REDUCE COSTS 10% by

improving operations affairs processes.

Combine the two into a résumé statement:

Reduced costs 10% by analyzing, identifying, and recommending new operations affairs system controls.

Operations Career Links

Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences, Career Booklet

Questions and answers.

Association for Operations Management

Source of the body of knowledge in operations management, including production, inventory, supply chain, materials management, purchasing, and logistics.

AllBusinessSchools, Operations Management

Necessary skills, career options for operations managers, schools.

University of Missouri, Kansas City, Careers in Operations Management

Routes to CEO, titles of operations managers.

Indiana University, Operations Management

Description of major, skill and knowledge developed in operations management, minors and second majors that expand career options, career options, job outlook, salary information, potential career growth.

Yale School of Management, Operations Management

Overview, career tracks, outlook, and web resources.

University of North Carolina - Wilmington, Career Center, Information Systems - Operations Management

Comprehensive career counseling and resource center providing information on skills required for the operations management profession, related career titles, and links for career planning, resources, job and internship searches, and professional associations.

MBA Alliance, Operations Management

Operations management careers.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Operations Research Analysts

Learn about the training and education needed for operations research analysis jobs, earnings, expected job prospects, what operations research analysts do on the job, and working conditions.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office and Administrative Support Supervisors and Managers

Training and education needed for office and administrative support jobs, earnings, expected job prospects, what operations research analysts do on the job, and working conditions.