Final Placements Preparation For Operations Role

Operation management is basically an umbrella concept which involves all kinds of activities related to the production of goods and services for an organisation. One can achieve efficiency by a bunch of different techniques. Hence, before we jump into the concepts. One basic question an interviewer may ask you is - What exactly do you think is the scope of operation management?

Types of processing: As types of industries are growing, no one process will serve all requirements. There are four different kinds of processes - job shop process, batch process, assembly line process and flow continuous process. They vary on the basis of the volume of product processed, cost, time availability to customise, etc. Hence, you should be well-versed with the product-process matrix, which helps in understanding processes best suited to certain conditions. Commonly asked question for this concept is - What are the different types of operation process? Can you bring out the difference between various types with example? Pro tip: Try to find out the type of operation process the company you are applying for follows.
Production Layout: They are classified into two types - product layout and process layout. The layout may vary based on the goods or services you want to process. A product layout is best suited for a standardised, large-volume product, as it helps in the fast movement of goods. In the case of a customised product, a process layout would be more suitable. As an operation manager you should know both of the layouts, and which type of layout will fit what kind of product. A commonly asked question here is - What are the different kinds of the product? Is one better than the other?
Make-To-Stock vs Make-To-Order: By now you must be familiar with the two types of production strategies. They are mostly based on customisation and inventory. Hence, you must remember that for implementing Make-To-Stock (MTS), it is important to have a reliable demand forecast. Commonly asked question for this concept is - What is the difference between Make-To-Stock and Make-To-Order? If you are a furniture company, which model will you follow?
Line Balancing: This is an important concept that will help you understand the load on an assembly line. The workstation with the lowest capacity is the bottleneck. Line balancing is thus done to achieve a common percentage of capacity utilization. If a line is not balanced, the workload will pile up at the workstation and cause the delay. Hence, as a manager, you should know how to balance the line, identify the bottlenecks, and rectify it as soon as possible. Common questions that you may be asked here are -

Can you explain a bottleneck with an example? How do you remove a bottleneck?
What is the throughput?
You may also be asked a numerical problem on this topic.

E-Business/E-Commerce: There is a subtle difference between E-Business and E-Commerce (a subset of E-Business). E-business operation strategies are more focused on internal process and aimed to cost-saving and internal efficiency and productivity. For this, you should basically be familiar with Pure Play and Brick Click. As e-commerce is more internet-oriented, the commercial transactions that take place are also done electronically. For this, you need to be well-versed with different types of transactions - B2B, B2C, C2C, C2B. A company asked interview question - What are the different types of E-Commerce companies you know about, based on the customer they serve? Can you explain with some examples?
Types of E-Commerce Models: There are three types of models in this - Inventory led, Marketplace led and Hybrid Market. Basically, you need to remember all this by heart, specifically if you are sitting for E-Commerce companies. Some of the commonly asked questions here are -

Are you aware of Marketplace and Inventory led a kind of business model? Please explain with some examples.
What model does Amazon follow?

Logistics Management: It is basically the physical flow of materials, whether before and after the manufacturing process. There are basically three types of logistics - Inbound, Outbound and Process. You need to be familiar with that. Other than this, you should also know about the two ways of transferring goods - transshipment and cross-docking. Also, it is better that you also have some idea about the hub and spoke model, point to point model, 1PL, 2PL and 3PL service providers and reverse logistics. Commonly asked questions -

What are the main activities that are involved in Logistics Management?
What purpose can a trans-docking serve? Other than changing the transport?
What are the advantages of a hub and spoke model over a traditional point to point system?
Are you familiar with the real-life uses of the hub and spoke model in logistics?
Why do many companies prefer 3PL providers?
Are you aware of Hyper-Local and 3-Hr Deliveries?
Can you discuss a couple of examples of reverse logistics?

Inventory Management: Inventory Management carries a large portion of the total manufacturing cost of the company. Hence, the work of an operations manager is very crucial here. You may be asked about - 4 types of inventory, 5 functions of inventory, 3 kinds of inventory cost, overage/underage costs, inventory models, Bullwhip effect and VMI. Commonly asked questions are -

What are the different types of inventory that should be kept track of, other than the obvious finished goods inventory?
What are the functions of storing inventory, other than meet demand?
As an Inventory Manager, which class of inventory would you focus on if you have classified your inventory on the basis of ABC classification? Why?
What are the advantages of classifying inventory on ABC basis?
I plan to open a bakery. What kind of inventory cost do you expect I would face?
Is it possible for the EOQ to be practically implemented? What are its limitations and how will you mitigate them?
How do you think the Bullwhip effect plays out in a car company? What would be the consequences and how would you mitigate them?
Can you tell us about any company that has implemented VMI? What are the advantages?

Six Sigma Principles: An operations manager deals with many things like depiction, procedures, management, supply and delivery of products, and be quick at meeting the customer demands. Six Sigma is a popular and very helpful operations management tool which enables managers to improve the efficiency of their operational procedures. There are certificates and levels in this, but the recruiter may not expect you to have them. They will, however, expect you to know about six sigma and how to use it.

Are you aware of six sigma? Can you tell us about a company who has implemented this?
Can you explain DMAIC with an example? Have you ever personally used it?

PDCA: PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) is a good framework for problem-solving, continuous improvement and change. It has great returns in certain situations, just like six sigma. This is a framework that can also be employed in day-to-day life. Commonly asked questions are - What does PDCA stand for? Have you ever used it personally?
Japanese Philosophy of Operation Management: Japenese companies are known around the world for their operational excellence. Hence, it would be a waste not knowing their unique ways of solving problems related to operations. Their tools and techniques can help you tackle several curveballs but also maintain a seamless operation system. Your recruiter will expect you to be familiar with - JIT, Kanban, Kaizen, Poka Yoke, Andon, Jidoka, 3M and 5S. The most common questions asked here are -

Can you explain the concept of JIT? Do you know of any company who has implemented this successfully?
What is the meaning of Kanban? Is it useful?
Have you heard of the concept of Poka-Yoke? What does it aim to do?
What is Andon? Have you seen Andon or a similar technique used in real life?
Please explain Jidoka with an example.
What is the 3M concept used by the Japanese in Operation Management?
What is 5S? Can you provide an example of how it might be used in a place other than a shop floor?

Interview Prep

In order to ace an operations interview you need to develop a deeper understanding of concepts like - types of processing, production layout, Make a stock vs Make an order, inventory management, logistics management, six sigma principles, PDCA, Japanese philosophies of operation management, Bullwhip effect, transshipment, hub & stroke model, etc.
It is also better to learn and understand the E-business model since many companies in this sector are now popular recruiters in business schools.
Be prepared to get asked (or grilled over) even the minutest of the details that you have mentioned in your resume. You should definitely prepare a good answer for, “tell me about yourself”. You can also mention things from your past experiences or extracurricular activities. Instead of bragging, tell them what impact did they have in your life.
Apart from that, you need to do some hygiene checks to like - company research, how to approach a certain company interview process (GD, PI, case interviews), grooming and body language.
Stay updated with the latest developments taking place in your domain. For this do a lot of reading. Your reading diet should include - one business newspaper, online resources, periodicals, journals, etc.