what is an operations support?

As an operations support specialist, you are crucial to the company's operations. Your job is to ensure business processes run smoothly. You provide administrative and technical support to the operations team and relieve the team to perform other important tasks. Your duties include supervising employees and ensuring technical proficiency. You also resolve operational issues and monitor daily workflows.

Operations support specialists work in various departments to meet production schedules. For instance, you ensure the equipment functions properly and that tasks are completed on time. The role combines various aspects of customer service, administration and operations research. That means you may be tasked with general customer or technical support duties. For instance, you help customers resolve issues associated with deliveries or products they've purchased from the company. You also assist customers with questions regarding the uses of products or services.

With the diversity of your duties in operations support, you require a range of skills. Your organisational skills are crucial in ensuring efficiency and smooth business operations. Having technical skills and experience with Microsoft Office, inventory management or enterprise resource planning systems is also important.

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average operations support salary

As an operations support officer, you receive an average salary of $84,833 annually. In an entry-level position, you start with a salary of $74,473 yearly. The most experienced workers make up to $119,676 per year. The salary varies depending on your location, industry, and rank in the organisation.

how to increase your salary as an operations support

Your earnings in operations support depend on the industry you work in. For instance, if you provide support in manufacturing or mining companies, your remuneration package differs from that of operations support specialists working in other industries. The complexity of the tasks in information technology (IT) companies may also increase your earnings. Aside from the industry, your expertise influences your remuneration package. When you are new in the role, you have minimal experience. As you gain experience, your earnings also increase.

Working in metro areas in Australia improves your remuneration prospects. The demand for operations support is high since many companies are based in major cities. Working in smaller cities reduces your earning potential.

The size of the company also affects your earnings. Working as an operations support in a large company improves your salary prospects due to the size of projects they handle and the resources available. Operations support specialists in small companies typically earn lower salaries.

Want to know what you will earn as an operations support? Check out what you are worth with our salary checker.

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types of operations supports

Operations support specialists work in diverse areas of specialisation. For instance, you can work in production operations, assisting in optimising processes involved in manufacturing goods. In production operations support, you ensure efficiency by handling all the administrative tasks and ensuring employees perform their duties according to the schedule.

In service operations support roles, you manage customer interactions and service quality. You are responsible for creating positive customer experiences and developing efficient service delivery. You explain the product functions to customers and deal with complaints.

As a project operations support specialist, you assist in running projects. You help plan and execute projects while ensuring adherence to budget constraints. Some of your duties involve coordinating resources, managing project timelines and ensuring the successful completion of projects.

Operations support specialists also assist in the supply chain to minimise costs and improve customer satisfaction. You oversee procurement and inventory management and assist with effective supply chain operations.

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working as an operations support

Working as an operations support specialist combines research, customer service, and administration skills to improve efficiency in business processes. Let’s explore the tasks and daily activities associated with the role.

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education and skills

To work in operations support, you require relevant skills in your industry. Complete a bachelor’s degree in business administration or commerce to assist you in managing business operations. If you want to work in IT, pursue a diploma in information technology. You may also require additional certifications, such as Six Sigma and CompTIA A+.

operations support skills and competencies

As an operations support, you require the following skills and qualities:

  • technical skills: you need good technical skills to work on computer systems and databases. Your knowledge of inventory management, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and computer software will help you manage various operations.
  • communication skills: you require strong communication skills to communicate with other departments and external partners. Your written communication skills also help you in writing reports and performing other administrative tasks.
  • problem-solving skills: as an operation support specialist, you ensure efficiency and smooth business operations. You require problem-solving skills to handle any issues that arise and resolve them to ensure they don’t affect the production schedule.
  • attention to detail: your attentiveness to detail is useful in ensuring smooth business operations and implementation of business processes. When you are detail-oriented, you can identify issues quickly.
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FAQs about working as an operations support

Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of an operations support.

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