What are the chief differences between being a project manager and a production manager?

Answer 1

Project managers, as the name implies, manage projects. Project Management International defines a project as "a temporary endeavor, undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result." Projects have a beginning and an end, and specific funding, a budget, scope, and schedule. Project managers work with a project sponsor to identify the project scope and deliverables, develop a project plan and schedule, staff the project, acquire resources, and deliver the product, service, or result. Project managers might manage development of a software application, or construction of a building.

In most cases, the peole assigned to a project do not report to the project manager for career purposes; they come and go as needed, and are simply accountable for their deliverables. Generally, project managers are assigned to manage one project after (or concurrently with) another, and frequently work with different people on each project. Some project managers specialize in particular subject matter areas or product lines, while others are generalists. Project managers spend most of their time communicating with team members, stakeholders, subject matter experts, and their project sponsor. They are accountable for completing their project on time, on budget, and in scope, or for a recommendation to cancel the project if it's no longer feasible or desirable.

Production managers, also known as line managers, manage a particular business or manufacturing function that delivers a specific product or service, over and over again, through repeatable processes. Production operations have a permanent staff, and are generally timeless, meaning that they don't have a discrete beginning, nor an anticipated end. Generally, a production manager stays with one production function for an extended period of time, and become specialists in their product or service. Production managers spend much of their time optimizing their production processes, communicating with suppliers, customers, and team members, and with their management team. Production managers might manage an auto assembly line, or a payroll department.

Production managers are usually responsible for the career development and discipline of the employees who report to them in their production area. Production managers are usually accountable for minimizing cost, maximizing profit, maintaining quality and safety standards, or some combination of these.