Operations Manager Online Courses & Certifications

Managing an organisation's operations is one of the most demanding jobs today. Veteran operations managers in this country earn up to or more than INR 21 LPA. But, climbing the corporate ladder and simultaneously growing your operational and managerial skills can consume a lot of years if you don’t have the right direction. Let operations manager courses take you there.

What will it take to be an Operations Manager in 2024 and beyond?

As Industry 4.0 transitions towards Industry 5.0, the roles and responsibilities of an operations manager are becoming more complex.

If you are to become an operations manager, you must focus on consumers' sustainability concerns, which include reducing the increasing material costs while contributing to a circular economy. Then, there is resilience in the face of unprecedented events that make for a volatile business environment. And staying competiti

What will it take to be an Operations Manager in 2024 and beyond?

As Industry 4.0 transitions towards Industry 5.0, the roles and responsibilities of an operations manager are becoming more complex.

While aspects like AI, robotic process automation (RPA), IoT, etc. make mundane tasks error-free, as an operations manager, you must focus on human-centricity. It is not only essential to consider the customers but also the staff - their well-being, motivation, and productivity. This comes through leading by example when you’re able to demonstrate the importance of good leadership in daily operations.

Following such tenets of the ongoing Fifth Industrial Revolution, you, as an operations manager, have to perform and plan your duties strategically. These include coordination with various departments, overseeing workable technologies (both CRMs and ERPs like SAP), evaluating the right suppliers, setting up policies, directing/supervising staff, etc.

Once you have a footing in any entry-level operations world, couple your experience with an online operations manager course. Only with continuous learning and adaptation can you become a high-demand operations manager.

Types of Operations Manager Courses Online

Operations manager courses are available for a wide variety of career needs.

And there is more than one path to becoming an operations manager.

Introductory to intermediate-level online courses for all levels of Operations Managers

You will find plenty of good introductory to intermediate courses on OM (Operations Management) listed at Shiksha Online, which handpicks the highest-rated online offerings from top MOOCs, as well as national and international institutes of great repute.

The popular courses on operations management offer byte-sized to weeks or months of rigorous online training on industry/domain challenges, basics of project management, supply chain concepts, quality management, and such.

Search here for operations manager courses from the following platforms.

Do note that the courses on these platforms do not guarantee jobs or offer placements. These are great for learning, expanding your knowledge across related areas of operations management that help, and helping you with valuable training from top international universities and instructors. These certifications are employer-friendly globally and demonstrate your willingness to learn and apply.

Individual online certifications on related topics for career changers and intermediates

You can also choose to earn some online certifications in Six Sigma or Lean methodologies that are fundamental to operations management. These may take a year or two to obtain, but still worth the investment for the expertise and job opportunities you gain.

Some certifications that will help you become an operations manager faster are

Six Sigma Green Belt certification - You can go for Coursera’s Six Sigma Green Belt Specialization for this. Or choose from hundreds of listings under Six Sigma courses.
PMP certification - Officially, PMI (Project Management Institute) offers this with exam preparation. PMI also offers independent operations management certifications, which you can look for while you register on the website.
Certified Supply Chain Professional certification - CSCP is a popular one covering the latest aspects of supply chain management. Certified International Supply Chain Professional from IPSCMI is quite well known.

Online MBAs and PGPs for experienced and passionate operations managers

As online MBAs are gaining quite the traction among those with some work experience who don’t want to quit their jobs, you can choose one too. These come from some of the NAAC-accredited and UGC-approved institutes. UPES ON is one of the most popular offering virtual MBA in operations management, followed by VIGNAN Online and Online Manipal.

These institutes offer placement services too. So, they may remain your top choice while on your path to becoming an operations manager.

Other than that, you have PGPs (also called MDPs), which are great when you are looking at more leadership roles for operations managers. These programmes are short but dedicated to C-suite roles. Some of the IIMs and recognised business schools offer these.

Eligibility to enrol in Operations Manager Courses

It is ideal to have a bachelor’s degree in business administration or a related field. Also, work experience will be of great advantage when you want to pursue longer online courses for operations managers.

Best Operations Manager Courses in 2024

Coming to the recent and most value-for-money operations manager courses, here is an updating list.

MBA in Operations Management from Online Manipal
IIM Kozhikode - Advanced Operations Management & Analytics on Emeritus
Value Chain Management Specialization on Coursera
Executive Development Program in Operations Management with Six Sigma from IIM Raipur
Sustainable Infrastructure Systems: Planning and Operations from MIT University
Certified Operations Manager on VSkills
IIMBx: Operations Management on edX
Lean Operations Management from IIM Rohtak

Skills You Will Gain in Operations Manager Courses

The skills at the level of an operations manager are cross-functional. The online courses for operations manager also delve into these interrelated areas. Have a look.

Skills	How Operations Managers Use Them
Statistical Process Control	Uses statistical methods to monitor and control quality in production processes.
VSM (Value Stream Mapping)	Visualizes workflow to identify and eliminate waste in processes.
Quality Management	Ensures consistent product/service quality to meet customer expectations.
ISO	Implements international standards for quality, safety, and efficiency in operations.
Kaizen	Promotes continuous, incremental improvements in all areas of operations.
Service Quality	Focuses on meeting or exceeding customer expectations in service delivery.
Forecasting	Predicts future demand to optimise inventory, production, and resource allocation.
Demand Planning	Aligns supply with anticipated customer demand to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Life-cycle Assessments (LCAs)	Evaluates the environmental impacts of a product throughout its entire life cycle, informing sustainable decision-making.
Life-cycle Sustainability Assessments (LCSAs)	Expands on LCAs by also considering economic and social impacts, supporting holistic sustainable operations.
All Types of Business Communication	Facilitates effective exchange of information and ideas within an organisation and with external stakeholders.

Find Continuous Career Growth with Operations Manager Courses Online

As you see, the comprehensive operations manager courses online are from the best institutes or edtech platforms known globally. Also, the additional certifications in related domains could be of great help on your path to becoming a manager on the operational side of an organisation. Of course, the courses alone will not give you a job but will streamline your self-paced learning through their well-designed curricula, assignments, and capstone projects.