Operations management is the discipline responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating all of the business processes required to produce, manufacture, and deliver goods or services. This includes everything from the sourcing of raw materials at the point of origin to the production process to the sales and distribution of products to customers.

Proper operations management is an important foundation of any successful company, and this field encompasses many different elements. Companies must manage and optimize supply chains to lower costs and speed production. Logistics is another aspect of operations management and involves managing transportation, inventory, packaging, and warehousing of goods. The tasks of quality control, process management, and process improvement seek to optimize production standards, including through methodologies like Six Sigma and Lean manufacturing.

Like other areas of management, operations management also provides important inputs to guide the overall direction of a company. Thus, operations management includes responsibility for supply and demand forecasting required to anticipate and plan for future business needs.

If you have the ability to both see the big picture of a business and analyze the different aspects within it, a background in operations management can be a gateway to a wide range of career opportunities. Businesses of all kinds need skilled operations managers to ensure that they run smoothly, efficiently, and profitably.

Manufacturing enterprises in aerospace, science, and technology need production managers, quality control specialists, and operations analysts. Service providers in healthcare, information technology (IT), and hospitality need personnel supervisors, business analysts, and scheduling managers. And distribution companies such as Amazon and Federal Express need logisticians to analyze and coordinate the complex operations of transporting vast quantities of goods worldwide.

These are all good jobs that will continue to grow with the overall economy. For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, logisticians usually have a bachelor’s degree and earn a median wage of $74,750 per year, and these jobs are projected to grow by 5% from 2018 to 2028 – as fast as the national average.

Yes, online courses and Specializations on Coursera are a great way to learn operations management methodologies and techniques. You can learn remotely on a flexible schedule, making this a particularly good choice for working professionals looking to expand their skill set. And, because Coursera partners with top-ranked institutions like University of Pennsylvania and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, you can learn operations management skills online without sacrificing the quality of your education.