Challenges Operation Managers Face

According to the Operation Managers textbook, “Operations managers have the difficult task of ensuring that goods and services are created and delivered successfully to customers.” (Collier &Evans, 2000). When done on a global scale, operation managers encounter many obstacles when overseeing the supply chain. Building relationships with different suppliers is important. Globally, this can prove difficult because of cultural barriers. Operations managers also have to take into consideration international shipping on a mass scale. Another obstacle is adhering to different rules and regulations for each country. Many things change when dealing with different countries around the world. Operation managers need to have an understanding and awareness of these different obstacles in order to be successful on such a mass scale. Being able to communicate across cultures is extremely important. In order to be able to conduct business, managers first need to know how to communicate. Language is very important in order to do this. The ability for managers to speak the languages of their international business relationships is an invaluable skill. However, one may consider having translators on staff to handle business negotiations with their foreign counterparts. Many foreign countries like India or South Korea teach English as a second language. While this benefits American operation managers, it shows a greater level of commitment having managers or the point of contact who can speak the language of their foreign business relations. Formalities for operation managers when coming in contact with the suppliers also need to be considered. What is true in one culture may not be true for the other culture. For example, in the Chinese culture, forming relationships with one another is an important part of business. However, in the United States, people tend to be less personal. Operation managers may need to contact the suppliers of cultures such like the

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