Expert Perspectives: Operations Management

What are the top challenges faced by operations managers nowadays?

The pandemic has changed the world, and thus, new challenges have arisen. Operations managers have to deal with traditional challenges related to people, communication, globalization, customer satisfaction, productivity, and reporting, while fostering the introduction of new technologies.

How do you foresee the role of an operations manager in the future?

The current digital era, fueled by vast amounts of data and artificial intelligence (AI) applications, offers a new realm of possibilities for organizations. In that context, the role of an operations manager is to filter out the AI solutions that can provide the greatest added value for the organization and its people. As a consequence, operations managers must develop their cognitive flexibility and embrace change as an opportunity to dedicate extra time to people.

What impact can wearable-driven analytics have on that transition?

Wearables are the means to engage workers in Industry 4.0 and bridge the gap between workers and the digital world. In fact, they are the only way for both sides to interact in an automatic way. Besides, through this process operations managers can obtain context-rich information online to get a better picture of all the resources in the plant and acquire a deeper feel for the real impact of daily operations on the workforce.

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