Pure Business

Marketers and operators, a tension that is familiar in all businesses, both of these sides only consider their functions the most significant in running a business. However, when it comes down to it, they cannot function effectively without the help of each other.

In one of the lectures of Commerce 486G, a situation of contradicting point of views from each side was taught by the speaker. Marketers try to push the business towards in producing more variety of products for the customers to choose from. However, in operators’ point of view, they demand to keep the variety less in order to create more efficient supply chain by preventing more days of inventory.

The article by Shellye, Marketing vs. Operations – Can’t We All Just Get Along? , suggests that without a firm operation of business in creating an effective product and service quality, the greatest marketing campaign would never turn out to be a success. Both marketers and operators need to collaborate by communicating their side and situation, and then they need to understand and learn the other side and adjust their work accordingly. This is the way that marketers and operators can both exist and function effectively with peace in the same company.