The role of the production supervisor is to direct the employees and coordinate the production activities that are necessary to accomplish the most production in the least amount of hours. The quality and output levels are managed by the supervisor and they must adhere to a strict budget. This means that they must know how to balance all aspects of the production cycle so that they are working efficiently. The production supervisors in QA QC jobs often times manage the production over several groups of operators. The Construction jobs typically have one production supervisor per site unless it is a larger project.
Some of the challenges that are presented to production supervisors include knowing how to plan the work and the staff in order to get the most output. They are held to goals and targets that are set by upper management and their job is to make sure they get them accomplished. They may be involved in the hiring process as well as performing quarterly, annual, or semiannual performance reviews. They must be skilled communicators and have the ability to deal with multiple personalities of the employees. Conflict resolution is an area that is a must for a production supervisor.
Construction jobs often have production supervisors that review the finished products to ensure that a quality job was completed and that it was completed within the specified time frame. They manage the onsite procedures and policies to ensure safety and quality. They must have a very good understanding of the tools being used to complete the job. They must also be able to identify the need for more materials or staff prior to running out so that production is not halted.
The QA QC jobs in a production environment are often managed by the production supervisor as well. The supervisor is responsible for ensuring quality services and products come out of the process and the QC department often has a hand in the quality. They perform audits of the work and suggest changes and ideas that may make the department or business run more efficiently and with higher quality.
Any production management position typically requires a degree in business admin, industrial technology, industrial engineering, or management. The larger plants and construction sites may require a degree more than the smaller office environments. Many of the positions that are filled by someone without a degree are acquired due to working their way up from the bottom. If they have extensive knowledge of the company and the procedures, their knowledge may be more valuable than a college degree.
