Production director is the position to handle issues surrounding the company’s products. This position is very specific to each industry. It is also a place that attracts the attention of many people.

So, in this article, Ms. Uptalent will help you find out What is a Production Manager and the progression from Production Manager to Plant Manager. I hope that after the article you will have a better understanding of this position.

CONTENTS
1- What is a production manager?
2- The promotion path from Production Manager to Plant Manager
2.1- Group of skills of a manager
2.2- Group of professional skills
3- Difference between production manager and plant manager
4- What skills do FDI companies pay attention to in the position of Production Manager?

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1- What is a production manager?

Product manager often simply understood as a product manager. But that is still not enough.

In fact, the product manager is the person responsible for researching, exploiting customer needs, designing, testing, and building effective strategies to manage and develop products and services, for businesses.

Many people often confuse Product Manager with a management title in the IT industry. However, this position is also present in other fields and industries, as long as it creates products.

In the company, the Product Manager plays the role of intermediary between the production department, the product development department and the sales and marketing department. At the same time, they are also the ones who make the decisions related to the products, master the production technology to bring positive experiences to customers and ensure the business efficiency of the company.

2- The promotion path from Production Manager to Plant Manager

The progression from production manager to plant manager can take at least 3 to 5 years. The long or short time depends on the business characteristics of each company and different fields and industries.

Typically, Factory Manager is a higher-level management role, so to reach this position, you can’t just have product-related expertise. Instead, you will need to equip yourself with knowledge and skills related to production management.

At the same time, you must also plan and direct specific objectives to gradually acquire the knowledge and skills that are important for a plant manager.

Here are the skills you need to hone every day to move from production manager to plant manager:

2.1- Group of skills of a manager

+ First, skills in planning and organizing work schedules

The factory manager must master the production plan and have an appropriate work schedule to ensure the smooth operation and convenience of the factory. Moreover, it also helps them to be more proactive when unexpected incidents occur.

+ Second, leadership skills

As the operations manager in the factory, the factory manager must have good leadership skills. More specifically, they must be able to listen to and accept the opinions of others, while being ready for challenges and always understanding their decisions.

+ Third, communicate and behave flexibly

The plant manager is responsible for managing plant operations and production personnel. Meanwhile, any work environment can have conflict. Therefore, as a manager, Factory Manager needs a skillful means of communication to reconcile these things.

+ Fourth, the ability to communicate

In addition to professional and executive work and duties, the plant manager is also responsible for recruiting and training personnel working in the plant. Therefore, they must be able to communicate well in order to be able to direct work and guide and deploy techniques and policies for employees.

+ Fifth, develop a positive mindset

2.2- Group of professional skills

Although he does not directly do the work in the production process, but in order to win the trust and respect of employees, the factory manager must master the professional skills.

+ First, knowledge of operating procedures

Each factory, even in the same industry, has more or less its own differences in operating procedures. Therefore, factory managers should master the operation knowledge so that they can understand the operation process of the factory, and then gradually improve to improve the operation quality.

+ Second, knowledge of mechanical systems

As a factory manager, the factory manager must know the machinery system of the factory to be able to solve minor problems. For larger damage, there is a technical service to deal with.

Third, knowledge of data analysis and processing

Currently, most companies use specialized software to analyze and process data in the factory. But Factory Manager needs to equip himself with specialized knowledge about factory operation in business field to be able to use these software more effectively.

+ Fourth, understand the decision-making process

3- Difference between production manager and plant manager

The production manager and the plant manager differ on the following fundamental points:

3.1- Roles

The production manager plays the role of managing and overseeing product development for the company. The role of the Plant Manager is to manage plant operations and personnel.

3.2- Scope of work

The work of the production manager focuses primarily on issues related to the company’s products and services.

Meanwhile, the factory manager is responsible for all factory activities, including the machinery system, personnel, and production process.

3.3- Management level

The plant manager has a higher rank than the production manager. This position has a broader scope of authority.

4- What skills do FDI companies pay attention to in the position of Production Manager?

When recruiting a production manager, FDI companies often emphasize the following skills:

4.1- Foreign language skills

The work environment in FDI companies requires you to use English 24 hours a day. It is therefore a mandatory skill that you must have if you want to work in these companies.

4.2- Practical professional experience

The Production Manager is a management position, responsible for managing product issues, so hands-on product experience is a must. To fill this position, you must have a minimum of 5 years of experience in the product creation process.

4.3- Thinking about the product

A production manager should be able to answer product questions such as “What should the product do?”, “Where to start?”, “What problem should the product solve for the customer?”. Thus forming the right mindset on the product.

In addition, they should also perform SWOT analysis of the product, understand the difference from competitors’ products. Only then can they turn product development ideas into actual products.

4.4- Analytical capacity

The production manager must use specific data to convince people of the potential of a product and to defend his opinions and position on the product.

Therefore, they must have good analytical ability to identify, interpret and present product information for everyone to understand. At the same time, they also need to analyze to find the optimal production method.

4.5- Team leadership skills

A good production manager must not only be competent, but also have the ability to lead a team. Only then can they build a professional team with the best performance.

4.6- Adapt quickly to changes

The market is constantly changing. To be able to produce products that meet market needs, the production manager must quickly grasp changes. The product manager’s ability to update and react quickly to changes will prevent your products from becoming obsolete.

Above is Ms. Uptalent’s sharing on what Production Manager is and the promotion path from Production Manager to Plant Manager. I hope you have accumulated useful information and can prepare yourself well to advance in your career. Good luck!

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