Nada Mansoor 201100286

Role of an Operation
Manager

Introduction
Identifying the kind of job you would want to be doing in the future can help in obtaining the
skills and certificates that will aid in getting you chosen for the job. In this report I will be talking
about the interview that I conducted with Mr.Mohd Marhoon in which we discuss things related
to his current job which is an Operation Manager at Inchcape Shipping Services. After which I
will conduct personal research about the job and similar jobs in the industry using resources
such as the internet. Inchcape shipping services is one of the worlds leading maritime service
providers and has 300 offices across 66 countries (A World of Local Expertise, n.d.). After
gathering all the information gained from the interview and personal research a comparison will
be done on the information gathered by these two sources.

The interview
The interview was conducted on 28th of October 2014 with Mr.Mohd Marhoon the Operation
Manager of Inchcape operating services. The interview took place in Mr.Marhoons office at
Inchcapes operating site in Bahrain which is located in Sitra.
I asked Mr.Marhoon to answer a series of questions regarding his position as an operation
manager in the company which are:
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What are your major responsibilities?

What skills are required to fill the position?
Did you study in the field you are working in?
What previous jobs did you have?
How long have you been in this position?
What were the problems you faced when you started working in this position?
How did you get the job?
How did you find the job at first and did your opinion change about it now?
How many times this position was filled in the last 5 years?
Reasons people left this position in the past?
Does the job require traveling a lot?
In your opinion what are the criteria for success for the position?
What do you recommend me to do to obtain a similar job?
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Nada Mansoor 201100286

Interview Findings
The major responsibilities of an operation manager in Inchcape is to organize the storage and
distribution of goods, where it is ensured that the right products are delivered to right location
on time and at lower cost. Sometimes it includes being involved in transportation, stock control,
warehousing in addition to monitoring the flow of goods. Understanding the whole supply chain
is very important in order to coordinate it effectively as well as liaise with suppliers of raw
materials, manufacturers, retailers and customers. Mr.Marhoon studied Management shipping
& logistics as part of his studies. His current job is his first job after he finished his studies, after
which he found the position advertised, he applied and did an interview and got the position.
One of the challenges he faced when he started working as an operation manager was the need
to be involved in the work 24 hours per day to ensure all is in order and nothing goes wrong. He
has been working in this position for almost 15 years, therefore the position did not need to be
filled in the last 5 years. People who held the position previously left the position to pursue
career growth or to pursue their career in a different field. The job doesnt usually involve
traveling, however traveling is sometimes required for conferences or training sessions.
According to Mr.Marhoon it is essential to continuously try to improve and developing business
performance within the constraints of legislation, cost and rising environmental pressure in
order to succeed as an operation manager. Knowing the logistics business and how it runs is
important in finding a similar job in the logistics field.

Independent research
Roles of an Operations manager:

Manage raw materials and personnel

Oversight of inventory, purchasing and supplies
Budgeting controlling costs and keeping the organization on track financially
Manage the supply chain and other resources while minimizing cost of
production
Set goals and objectives
Sales forecasting and planning of sales promotions
Facilitate communication between employees and departments
(Farnen, K., n.d.)

Skills required:

Good communication and interpersonal skills

Leadership-skills
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Nada Mansoor 201100286

Decision-making
Computer skills
(Farnen, K., n.d.)

Qualifications required:

Experience in financial management

Experience in bookkeeping
(Operations Manager., n.d.)

Analysis
Most of the information I got from the interview and the information I found from the
internet had similar aspects. From my own research I found that part of an operation
managers role is budget controlling and reducing cost where possible, in the interview I
conducted with Mr.Marhoon he mentioned more than once about controlling and
lowering costs. He also mentioned that a major part of his role is to organize the storage
and distribution of goods within the supply chain, This would require good
communication and interpersonal skills. Most of the information gathered from the
interview I conducted and through my personal research add-up, however from my
personal research I found that some of the qualifications required to be an operation
manager included some experience in financial management and bookkeeping.
Mr.Marhoon did not have any experience working when he first applied for the job 15
years ago, however he was chosen for the position. This might be due to the fact that
nowadays the number of people that graduate and are able to do the job is much more
than it was 15 years ago in addition to unemployment being higher than it used to be at
that time, therefore giving employers a bigger pool of skills and qualifications to choose
from which has raised the expectations of employers. For example 15 years ago
employers may have 5 people that are able to fill the position nowadays employers will
have a much larger number of people who are able to do the job and who poses diverse
experiences, skills and qualifications and the employer can chooses those who he/she
thinks has the skills that will be most useful in the position they are applying for.

Nada Mansoor 201100286

Conclusion
I am quite familiar with the supply chain and its aspects as it is an important part of
logistics and I am currently in my last year and will soon be graduating with a bachelors
degree in international logistics management. I have good communication skills that I
gained through working with groups and doing assignments and presentations at
Bahrain polytechnic where I also communicate with people from diverse cultures. I have
adequate computer skills and am a fast and am able to work effectively with technology
since I use computer often for both doing my assignments and regular activities. I accept
change and am willing to learn and develop myself to be more effective at what I do.
Although I have leadership skills and can work effectively as a leader I do not often want
to unless it is necessary to get the job done, therefore I need to improve and develop
my leadership skills to be a more suitable candidate. I generally do not like making
decisions weather they are big or small for example choosing between two of the
newest smartphones or choosing a nice place to meet with my friends. Decision making
is required in all managerial roles therefore I need to work on developing my decision
making skills. I can improve these skills by joining workshops and courses that aim to
develop these skills.

Nada Mansoor 201100286

References

Farnen, K. (n.d.). The Role of an Operations Manager. Retrieved November 1, 2014, from
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/role-operations-manager-14234.html

Sample Job Descriptions - Operations Manager. (n.d.). Retrieved November 1, 2014, from
http://www.supportingadvancement.com/employment/job_descriptions/advancement_service
s/operations_manager.htm

A World of Local Expertise. (n.d.). Retrieved November 1, 2014, from http://www.issshipping.com/