| |FEBRUARY 202319By Dr. Vandana Sonwaney, Director, SIOMLOOKING TOWARDS OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT: WHAT CEOS OF THE FUTURE NEED TO CATCH-UP WITHiven the increasingly technology-dependent Operations, the advent of Industry 4.0 has brought fresh challenges for CEOs and Category A management professionals. It is now necessary to have critical interpersonal skills or revolutionary ideas that the erstwhile business leaders got away with. The dynamic changes in the industry demand that top-tier professionals keep a close tab on the nitty-gritty of how the company functions, from the boardrooms to the factory floor to the sourcing of raw materials. A counter-opinion that immediately springs to mind in the context of the imperative need for an Operations-savvy CEO is: Why must CEOs engage in Operations Management when there can always be a dedicated operations team?The answer is straightforward. CEOs are not just signatories on expensive deals. They take risk-intensive decisions on a regular basis, culling their heightened business acumen and extensive knowledge. Therefore, to best deliver the critical decision, a thorough know-how of the operations is vital. The COVID-19 lockdowns, perhaps, have been the biggest eye-opener for the need for updated Operations Management. Initially, the companies were blinded by the abrupt transition of en masse work from home. The challenges included not only tracking employee productivity remotely to keep the CXO INSIGHTSDr. Vandana holds an MBA in Marketing and Ph.D. in Management, with having versatile experience in research training, marketing, academics and Institution Management for over 26 years.GDr. Vandana Sonwaney Director
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