Who Is An Operating Officer And What Do They Do- An Operating officer is a personnel in an organization that has the tasks of maintenance & improvement of the operations within that organization. In short, an operating officer see to the smooth and effective running of all the operations in the organization. He/ She reports to the Chief Operating Officer, who is the overall manager of operations in the company. An operating officer also known as Operations Manager formulate policies and ensure compliance to these policies.
Now let us look at the roles of an operating officer.
What Does An Operating Officer Do?
A typical business organization usually comprises different units with different activities going on per time. It is the job of the operating officer to harmonize all these units together , see to their smooth running and also ensure compliance to companies policies and standard . Here is how he/she carry out the role :
- He/She reports to the Chief operating officer, receiving instructions, presenting reports, presenting plans and budgets, etc.
- They develop company policies and ensure strict compliance to these policies
- They carefully go through the organization’s objectives and ensure they are being met by promoting efficiency and increase in profits.
- He/She may also be expected to carry out some administrative roles sometimes
- He/She is involved in the planning and managing of projects
- Track operational costs and ensure profit margins are always achieved
- Strict monitoring adherence to company’s policies and standard operating procedures (SOP)
- Supervise human resources development, policies, trainings, performance, etc.
- Maintain & sustain good relationship with suppliers, clients and vendors of the company
- Maintenance and analysis of operational data
How Do I Become An Operating Officer
For you to work as an operating officer in an organization, you must meet the following requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in Operations management, Strategic management, Project management, Business management and other related roles.
- A master’s degree in a degree in a related course is an advantage
- Tangible experience in a similar role
- Excellent leadership and communication skills
- Ability to drive and motivate others into achieving set objectives
- Proficiency in the use of some operations management tools such a Project Manager, SYSPRO, etc.
- In depth knowledge of ideal business practice
- Adequate experience in preparing budget and financial reports.
What Skills Is Required To Make An Effective Operating Officer
To work effectively in this role, you need the technical know-how and also some skills which would be discussed below:
Strong Leadership skills
The job role will require you overseeing all the operations of a company. Thus, you will need to be a strong leader, know how to coordinate people, get people to work so as to achieve set objectives. You can read up books on leadership in order to develop some good leadership skills.
Excellent communication skills
You will be dealing with people a lot in your job role. Therefore, you must be able to communicate well in clear and understandable terms. Communication skills will also be required when you need to present report, formulate policies, etc.
Strong analytical skills
On the job role, you will be doing a lot of analysis. Therefore, you must have strong analytical skills.
Mathematical skills
The role of an operating officer requires you working with lots of numbers and data. If you don’t have a strong liking for mathematics, you should look for another career path.
Good knowledge of Business practices
As a personnel that wants to oversee all operations in one organization, you must have good knowledge and understanding of how business runs.
Problem-solving skills
As you oversee operations daily, there will be times that you will encounter some problems. It is part of your job description to solve problems. And therefore, you must be able to provide innovative solutions to such problems.
Critical thinking skills
You will be working with a lot of data, analyzing them . After analysis, you must be able to interpret them. This is where critical thinking skills is needed.
Proficiency in the use of the necessary tools
There are some software that helps in making the operation work easier, faster and more efficient. You must be proficient in the use of such tools.
Some Critical Tools Used By An Operating Officer
There are some tools used operating officers that help make their work easier, faster and more efficient. Some of these tools include:
Classpro
This tool is great for online coaching classes. The software manages the following operations: admission, tuition fees, rating, performance, biometric attendance, notes sharing, enquiries, SMS reminder. Software is user-friendly. The students fees module and attendance module are superb.
ngDesk
This is a great and also free software, very useful for office operations. It is a help desk software that offers customer support. Platform is easy to use with clear options for even new users. Software is free for about 10 users. It serves as a productivity booster and a great task manager. It has a lot of great features. The software supports iOS , Android and Webapp operating system.
TraQSite
The software offers a platform for management of business operations. It helps reduce operational cost used in distribution. It also streamlines and fortify back-end operation .
Some other tools include:
- UniTEX
- UniTMS
- Zed-Service
- VENDX
- WINHMSSPA
- Service CRM 24*7
- Imagic Salon
- Sellergyan Image link conversion tool
- Premia
- 3iinfrotechs Capital Market
- Enterprise Gateway
- Next car rental solution
- WINHMS Golf
- Medico Secondary sales
- Zingle messaging dashboard
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
There is the Chief operating officer, the overall boss in charge of operations in an organization. The operating officer reports and receives instructions and directions from the COO. The position of a COO is the second most powerful role in an organization. It is the dream of every operating officer to get to this position.
How Do I Become A COO?
- You must have a bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, economics and other related courses.
- Have a masters in Business Administration
- You should have about 15 years of relevant work experience.
Some Skills A COO Must Possess
You should have the following skills as a COO:
- Leadership skills
- Problem solving
- Self-confidence
- Decision-making
- Analytical skills
- Emotional Intelligence
Some Tools Employed By COO
- Financial dashboard software e.g monday.com , workday, etc.
- Project Management tools e.g Clickup, Asana, Trello, etc
- Communication/ Conferencing tools e.g Zoom , Google hangouts, Microsoft teams, etc.
- Reporting tools e.g Proworkflow and Power BI for Office 365
- HR software e.g Paycor, Namely, BambooHR
Conclusion
The role of an operating officer in an organization is a very important role. For you to function effectively on the role, you must have the education qualification, technical know-how, skills and also some level of experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
How significant is the role of an Chief Operating officer?
A chief operating officer holds a very high and important position in an organization. In fact, He/ She is the second-in-command. The COO is in charge of daily operations in an organization and also execute the long-term goals of the company.
What position in the highest in a company?
The role of a Chief executive officer (CEO) is the highest position in an organization. A CEO has the responsibilities of taking corporate decisions managing operations of the company, managing resources and serving as liason between board of directors and corporate operations.
What position is the lowest in a company?
The position of an intern is the lowest in a company. Interns are usually students with little or no work experience. They are actually employed in the organization to gain some work experience. They are not out for the financial benefit.
Reference
- www. indeed. com – What is an Operations Officer
- www. betterteam. com – Operations Officer Job description
- www. software suggest.com – List of 20 Best Operating Management Software
- www. built-in. com – What is a Chief Operating Officer
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