Operations Manager

Domains and learning objectives

A domain’s weighting is its share of the discipline, and the share of the examination paper drawn from that domain. The study material and the examination questions are written to the objectives.

1. Domain 1

   Process Design and Improvement

   22%

   • 1.1Select the appropriate process mapping technique (flowchart, swimlane diagram, SIPOC-style scope map, value stream map) for a stated analysis purpose and audience.
   • 1.2Distinguish value-adding, necessary non-value-adding and waste activities within a described process and identify the strongest candidate step for redesign.
   • 1.3Calculate process performance figures from mapped data, including cycle time, lead time, first-pass yield across sequential steps and the location of the bottleneck.
   • 1.4Evaluate process design choices against the trade-offs between cost, speed, quality, dependability and flexibility for a given operating context.
   • 1.5Interpret how layout and process type choices (job, batch, line and continuous patterns; front-office versus back-office split) affect flow, flexibility and unit cost.
   • 1.6Select appropriate redesign actions, such as combining steps, resequencing, parallel working, automating a step or relocating a decision point, to resolve a described flow problem.

2. Domain 2

   Capacity, Demand and Flow

   18%

   • 2.1Calculate design capacity, effective capacity, utilisation and efficiency from staffing, shift and downtime data.
   • 2.2Calculate takt time from demand and available time, and compare it with cycle times to determine required resourcing.
   • 2.3Apply Little's Law to relate work in progress, throughput and lead time, and interpret the consequences of changing one variable.
   • 2.4Select an appropriate capacity strategy (level, chase, demand management or a hybrid) for a described demand pattern and cost structure.
   • 2.5Interpret the relationship between utilisation, variability and queue length, and evaluate the realism of a proposed service target.
   • 2.6Distinguish forecasting approaches (simple moving average, weighted average, exponential smoothing, seasonal adjustment) and select the appropriate one for a described demand history.

3. Domain 3

   Quality Management and Lean Fundamentals

   20%

   • 3.1Distinguish quality control, quality assurance and prevention-based quality management, and classify described activities correctly.
   • 3.2Calculate and interpret cost of quality categories (prevention, appraisal, internal failure, external failure) from cost data.
   • 3.3Select the appropriate root cause tool (Pareto analysis, cause and effect diagram, five whys, check sheet, scatter plot) for a described quality problem.
   • 3.4Interpret a control chart to distinguish common cause from special cause variation and select the correct management response to each.
   • 3.5Apply lean fundamentals, including the classic wastes, 5S, standard work, pull versus push and kanban signals, to a described operational situation.
   • 3.6Evaluate an improvement proposal for likely effect on quality, flow and team workload, including the risks of cutting inspection or inventory without addressing underlying variation.

4. Domain 4

   Performance Measurement and Operational Data

   18%

   • 4.1Select KPIs that align with a stated strategic goal and operating context, distinguishing leading from lagging indicators.
   • 4.2Calculate common operational KPIs including OEE, on-time-in-full delivery, schedule adherence, absence rate, productivity and simple service level figures.
   • 4.3Interpret performance data presented in tables, run charts and simple dashboards, distinguishing genuine signals from normal fluctuation.
   • 4.4Evaluate a measurement design for likely distortions, including gaming, target-chasing at the expense of unmeasured work, batching to hit period-end figures and survivorship in the data.
   • 4.5Distinguish appropriate uses of averages, medians, percentiles and ranges when summarising operational performance, particularly for waiting and handling times.
   • 4.6Select an appropriate review cadence and escalation route for a described KPI, connecting daily team huddles to monthly management review.

5. Domain 5

   Leading Teams and Delivering Change

   22%

   • 5.1Select appropriate leadership actions for described frontline situations, including onboarding, underperformance, conflict between team members and sudden absence cover.
   • 5.2Distinguish effective from ineffective performance conversations, feedback and one-to-one practices in operational settings.
   • 5.3Evaluate a workload and skills plan for a team, including cross-training decisions, skill matrices and fair allocation of unpopular tasks and shifts.
   • 5.4Apply a structured approach to a small change project: defining scope and success measures, sequencing activities, identifying dependencies and setting a realistic timeline.
   • 5.5Interpret stakeholder positions on a proposed operational change and select engagement and communication actions that reduce resistance.
   • 5.6Evaluate risks to a small change project and select proportionate mitigations, including pilot runs, fallback plans and post-implementation review.