When I tell people I work in Business Operations, I usually have to follow up with a detailed paragraph of what I do.
Business Operations is a part of business which is not usually as well known or as glam as marketing, HR or finance.
Business Operations is the internal engine that powers your business. Operations is the management of the inner workings of your business so it runs as efficiently as possible. (We all know that efficiency in business equals £$¥€)
Business operations is way more than just software you use. Your company’s operations are the internal engine that powers your business.
After working in business operations for the last 13 years one thing I have come to learn is that a business’s operations is like the centre point of a business and all other roles and functions in a business should help either lead operational excellence or feed into it. Because the centre point is where the money is made or lost.
What I mean by this is…roles such as finance need to lead changes in operations however without looking at the change from an operational standpoint and implementing these changes in a way that can work, you will not get buy in, the systems your company uses may not support the changes or you may not have the process correct so therefore end up losing time and money. However if the finance function in your team can work collaboratively with the operations team and keep operational excellence in mind and vice versa — things will land alot smoother in your business and implementation will become alot easier.
The thing I wonder the most about business operations is why we see so little relevant info out there about business operations when its such a crucial part of your business success?
