What is the Scope of MBA in Operations Management?

Even though we are mostly caught up with MBA in Finance or Marketing or HR, what we fail to realize is that Operations Management is also significantly lucrative. With the current trend of startups and the revolution brought about by digital marketing, an MBA in Operations Management is all set to widen the options of career in the near future. If you are interested in becoming an Operations Manager, then this article is going to be very helpful. Let’s see how.  

What is Operations Management?

  It is the cycle of process management systems which churns out the finalized products and services from a set of defined ideas and resources. The circular methodology consists of certain organizational parameters in the backdrop of which designs and systems are formulated. It can also be defined as the sum total of management activities resulting in the manufacturing, marketing, distribution ending with efficient usage as well as the required returns of various types of goods and services. This is from an organizational perspective. Another definition of operations management would entail - The particular sphere of Management which encompasses the conception and production process which leads to Business process re-engineering culminating eventually in customer satisfaction. Defined from another angle, Operation management is a chain and series of sequential activities the very beginning of which is the creation of goods and services and the end of which is the delivery of these goods and services to the target market. End-user satisfaction is also part of operations management.

MBA and Operations Management

Operations Management as a subject specialization in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) curriculum is a diverse topic with hybrid implementation techniques in a real-life scenario. The aspiring Operations Management career specialist should have an inherent interest as well as a knack in handling the various aspects of business functions. Project management and execution is the core functionality of MBA's specialized in operation management. This is industry agnostic. It can be, Automobiles, Logistics, Telecommunications, Construction, Pharmaceutical, Banking and Financial Services, Software Development, Aviation … the list is endless. There is a project activity cycle, for each of these industries with a defined timeline. This needs to be executed to perfection. The other vertical domains which as of today, require extensive application of Operations Management is Supply Chain Management (SCM)   and Logistics. The concept of SCM starts from the basic - sourcing, production, transportation. In its scope, SCM includes both internal and external process management i.e. until it reaches the end user. Logistics is part SCM and is the management nuances of transportation. Implementing SCM in an organization involves the judicious use of every Operations Management facet in one way or another. With modern business organizations, enhancing their size and operations, SCM is an inherent function of these entities. This has also led to the growth of logistics and warehousing companies which has become an industry domain by itself. The advent of the internet, digital media, and technologies like the Wide Area Network (WAN), has further facilitated SCM and Logistics. Consequently, Operations Management is creating high paying career opportunities and thereby it a necessary part of almost all major MBA colleges in India.

What is the Scope of MBA in Operations Management?

Operations Management is now considered as a high demand if not equal to other specializations like - Marketing, Human Resources, and Finance. For instance, a startup online portal which is into a b2b model of product supply, there is the need for an Operations Management team, which will take care of the entire system, right from the stage a product deal is finalised between the supplier company and the buyer company. This includes scouring of product from the cheapest distributor, documentation aspects, payment process, product delivery, after sales service where required. Even in the banking and financial companies, there are Operational Management profiles who handle the entire process management cycle right from new customer acquisition to document management of these clients.

The benefits of doing an MBA in Operations Management

• Understand specific needs of an industry - Acquiring an MBA in Operations Management equips the students to handle the different interdepartmental activities of a corporate organization.These students who join the organization in operations and project role have a proactive understanding of the needs and requirements.The theoretical and practical knowledge acquired during the MBA tenure helps the students to become a long-term asset to the organization.
• Lucrative opportunities in the corporate sector - The increasing requirement of Operations Management specialist has created a lot of career opportunities which were till some time back rather tepid in the corporate sector.The manufacturing sector requires project cycle efficacy in production as well as procedural implementation in logistics.This demands the constant need for a professional Operations Management specialist at various levels.
• Acquire in-depth knowledge - The embedding of operations management in the MBA course gives the students the depth skill levels in process analysis, Business Process Management (BPM), quality analysis, vendor management etc.These skills help to scale and upgrade the overall functioning in manufacturing and SCM. Due to all these reasons, the scope of Operations Management in MBA is bright and ever ascending.
• High demand in all industries - In the fast-changing dynamics of the corporate sector, it would be a mistake to view Operations Management as an exclusive tool for manufacturing, SCM or logistics.The revolutionizing digital marketing is changing the way Operations Management is implemented.The product market and the process of the company as of today is the crux around which operational aspects is customized and then implemented. Analyzed from this perspective, this skill is required and to a great extent used in virtually every industry.

New developments that you must know about

E-Commerce is an ever growing industry in India with its ever-expanding footprint. By the year 2022, this Industry is supposed to grow to a size of almost $ 100 billion, from $ 40 billion in its present size (source). Logistics and warehousing is the core of e-commerce service delivery. The biggest e-commerce firm in India Flipkart has been taken by the world largest retailer giant Walmart. Taking into account the ever-increasing consumer data and order requirements, new technologies like analytics and block chain is being increasingly used for project efficiency. This is leading to scope enhancement in the operational management segment. Not just traditional skills but technical knowledge of the aforesaid mentioned technologies is necessary.

• TVS Logistics, one of India’s largest Logistics service provider’s and part of the TVS group has acquired a controlling stake In Gati Ltd which is a well-known supply chain and distribution company.
• Ascendas-Singbridge Group based out of Singapore which is one of Asia's biggest reality and urban park Solutions Company has teamed up with Temasek – The Sovereign Wealth Fund of Singapore to invest more than INR 2000 cr in India for the logistics and warehousing sector (source).
• The Indian Logistics sector is estimated to reach around $ 307 billion by the year 2020 as per a report submitted by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India. (2018 report)

Conclusion

Practically speaking, it is difficult to define the role of operations management by simply confining it to certain parameters. Every business, every organization irrespective of the size, any service-oriented setup, and even government machinery needs to have operations management. So, needless to say, the scope of MBA in Operations Management is quite versatile and crucial in all aspects of a business. At BMU, we focus a lot of effort in giving the students a practical exposure so that they can understand real world problems and prepare for the future. Also, the focus is more on developing real life skills among students rather than promoting only theoretical knowledge. Do share your thoughts about this post in the comments section below. We would be happy to know your views.