What is the difference between Product Management and Operations Management?

Answer 1

Product management in many cases involves a single line of products within the larger corporate framework. The product managers are tasked with making sure the procutes they are responsible for are manufactured or purchased economically, shipped, delivered, sold at a profitable price. An example would be within the old Borden corporation there were separate product management groups that dealt with Cracker Jacks and Elmers' glue products.

Operations management deals with the infrastructure that enables the product managers, development managers, research managers, accounting managers and all of their staffs to do their work. Operations often will be the ones who provide the desk, the buildings, the telephones, computers, janitor services, security and on and on.. Sometimes the definitions change and operations will be the group directly responsible for the product, especially in a service business. Sometimes operations will be split into other areas, facilities, IT, food service, etc.. The definitions are flexible and unique to each company.