Business Operations
What is business operations management?
A plain-language definition of business operations management — what it covers, why it matters and how it differs from project management.
The short answer
Business operations management is the process of organising and improving the activities required to run an organisation — the suppliers, contracts, renewals, assets, documents and responsibilities that keep the business functioning day-to-day.
Not the same as project management
Project management is about delivering time-boxed work with a defined start and end. Business operations management is about the ongoing responsibilities that never end — supplier relationships, contract renewals, insurance, IT, compliance.
What it covers
- Information — what exists and where it lives
- Responsibilities — who owns each operational area
- Processes — how things get done consistently
- Risk — where the business is exposed
Why it matters
Without an operations system, all of the above lives in people's heads and personal spreadsheets. That's fine until someone leaves — and then the business finds out how much it didn't know it knew.
Learn more in the Complete Guide to Business Operations Management.