BizOps- your internal SWAT team!

Introduction

BizOps strategists have an incredibly influential role in a company as they are responsible for working cross-functionally with engineering, marketing, sales and finance teams to assess which ideas and projects will have the greatest impact for the business. Not only do they need to determine which projects to prioritise and focus on, but they also need to help unblock and move those projects forward. It is a unique position in a company and one that has a direct impact on its overall success.

They’re the ‘behind-the-scenes’ team that uses business strategy and analytics to improve processes and drive revenue, profitability and growth. It is a multifaceted role that stands at the nexus of the most important issues facing a company, and provides opportunities to lead on initiatives that affect company growth. Acting as an internal decision-support vehicle, BizOps brings multiple business functions together to make a company and its product areas better in every way.

What does BizOps do?

BizOps is a powerful tool that bridges the gap between challenges and infrastructure, serving as the founders' commando unit. By diving into data, they can make recommendations and implement change that is tailored to a company's unique needs. As well as this, BizOps instills data fluency, helping to foster a company's strategic plan and using OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to focus and enable flexibility. All of these pillars come together to form an effective strategy, allowing teams to execute and be held accountable for the outcomes. This strategy also sets the strategic cadence, meaning that companies can adjust their plan as needed and ensure that they are keeping pace with their goals.

When should you hire BizOps?

Founders may prioritize the present over long-term planning, but seasoned entrepreneurs know the value of anticipating future challenges and setting infrastructure early. Hiring BizOps early provides strategic and data-driven insights, paving the way for a culture of long-term thinking. As ‘scale-up’ replaces ‘start up’, this is more important than ever. To truly scale up, tech companies must look beyond product, engineering and growth to an existing pool of talent, like ex-management consultants, who are highly trained in complex problem-solving. They have the skills to make real impact, but need help channeling their passion to build smarter, bigger companies.

What skills are crucial for BizOps?

Data-driven

BizOps is an inherently data-driven and analytical role that requires comfortability working with both quantitative and qualitative data. As a result, BizOps professionals must rely heavily on their analytical thinking capabilities to develop solutions to often unstructured and abstract business problems. Being able to use data to make decisions is key in a BizOps role and can be the difference between success and failure. This means that BizOps professionals must possess strong analytical and problem solving skills in order to be effective in their positions. Furthermore, they must be able to connect the dots between data points and understand the underlying impact that different decisions have on the business. By combining strong data analysis with creative problem solving, BizOps professionals can help drive meaningful change within their organization.

Problem-Solving

Countless problems need solving during a company's operations, and it is the responsibility of BizOps teams to identify and address these issues. This means that problem-solving skills are essential for such teams, as the solutions to these problems will likely be complex, abstract, and not so straightforward. To tackle and solve these issues, you'll need to utilize your skills to think outside the box and come up with innovative and effective business solutions. It is also important to consider the impact of the problem on the overall business objectives, as a successful resolution would need to produce tangible and measurable results.

Communication

By their very nature, business operations bring together many of the different teams and departments at a company. This requires BizOps professionals to possess the ability to communicate with all the business stakeholders in a manner that allows them to effectively bridge the gap between the varying interests and circumstances of each individual. This requires a great deal of thoughtfulness and skill, as the BizOps professional must ensure that all sides are represented accurately and fairly. Furthermore, the BizOps professional must also be able to think strategically, as they must be able to assess the current situation and identify any potential issues or areas of improvement that could be beneficial to the company. Ultimately, the success of BizOps depends on their ability to successfully navigate the various interests and circumstances that come together in the day-to-day operations of the business.

Working Together Across Departments

BizOps sits at the intersection of nearly every other team or department at a company, making it a critical component to the success of a business. Members of the BizOps teams will work alongside dozens of employees outside their group and must be able to collaborate effectively with these stakeholders in order to ensure that the desired outcomes are achieved. Cross-functional collaboration is, therefore, one of the most essential skills for success in this role. It requires the ability to effectively manage competing interests and coordinate between multiple teams to deliver a project on time and with the desired results.

We are building Airbook to help BizOps professionals collaborate and communicate with context and help the business make decisions efficiently.

Project Management

As you learned above, BizOps primarily consists of project-based work, which means that project management skills are essential for success in business operations. Such skills include the ability to effectively plan, execute, and manage projects from start to finish. This requires the ability to identify and assess risks, develop strategies to mitigate them, and effectively manage resources, timelines, and budgets. Additionally, successful project management requires strong communication and collaboration skills to ensure that stakeholders are kept up to date with the project's progress and that tasks are properly delegated and completed. In this way, project management skills are integral to succeeding in business operations and are necessary for anyone looking to thrive in the field of BizOps.

Conclusion

BizOps is an internal team that is focused on leveraging business strategy and analytics in order to improve processes and drive revenue, profitability and growth. It is a multifaceted role that stands at the crossroads of the most pressing issues a company faces, and provides opportunities to take the lead on projects that will influence the company's growth trajectory. To be successful in a BizOps role, professionals must possess a broad range of skills, including strong analytical and problem solving abilities, data-driven decision making capabilities, excellent communication skills, and the capacity to manage complex projects. Additionally, BizOps professionals must stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends and technologies, as this knowledge is essential for staying ahead of the competition.

‍