Administration focuses on the “behind the scenes” of running a business, such as budgeting, spreadsheet and document creation, office projects and tasks, filing, and running administrative software systems. Operations has a more overall management approach and works closely with various departments’ activities and ensures they align with the business’s goals.
Together, these two skill sets ensure a business operates efficiently day-to-day. They are often combined to create a kind of super business professional.
Oversees the strategic direction of the business to form proposals and detailed plans to achieve long-term business goals. This role is focused on the big picture rather than the day-to-day activities.
Reporting directly to the CEO, this role oversees all operations of the business from start to finish. COOs have a hand in strategic operations and working with all department heads to ensure alignment with business objectives.
Oversees the entire information management of a business, including IT departments, record storage, and secure and efficient information systems. This role ensures peak IT performance for a business.
Manages business operations by overseeing both people and processes. Duties may include budgeting and payroll, implementing policies, recruiting and training staff, and developing operation strategies.
Overseeing payroll, this role is responsible for financial operations and compliance within a business. Tasks typically include processing payroll, tax calculations and bookkeeping responsibilities.
Leads a department or team within a business. Primary duties vary between industries but may involve facility management and compliance, process improvements, and ensuring clear communication between employees.
Coordinates daily organisational administrative processes, assists the Chief Operating Officer, and helps in managing projects and inter-departmental collaboration to meet business objectives.
Manages project administration and communication within the operations department. This role may assist with customer service, enquiries, maintaining inventory and daily administrative duties.
Working as an office manager can see you working in a range of industries, from retail and warehousing to medical and professional services. This role is responsible for making an office and its people run efficiently.
Assist the Operations Manager or support an entire operations department. This role has administrative, customer service and basic operational duties and may identify and solve issues relating to business performance.
Oversees the strategic direction of the business to form proposals and detailed plans to achieve long-term business goals. This role is focused on the big picture rather than the day-to-day activities.
Reporting directly to the CEO, this role oversees all operations of the business from start to finish. COOs have a hand in strategic operations and working with all department heads to ensure alignment with business objectives.
Oversees the entire information management of a business, including IT departments, record storage, and secure and efficient information systems. This role ensures peak IT performance for a business.
Manages business operations by overseeing both people and processes. Duties may include budgeting and payroll, implementing policies, recruiting and training staff, and developing operation strategies.
Overseeing payroll, this role is responsible for financial operations and compliance within a business. Tasks typically include processing payroll, tax calculations and bookkeeping responsibilities.
Leads a department or team within a business. Primary duties vary between industries but may involve facility management and compliance, process improvements, and ensuring clear communication between employees.
Coordinates daily organisational administrative processes, assists the Chief Operating Officer, and helps in managing projects and inter-departmental collaboration to meet business objectives.
Manages project administration and communication within the operations department. This role may assist with customer service, enquiries, maintaining inventory and daily administrative duties.
Working as an office manager can see you working in a range of industries, from retail and warehousing to medical and professional services. This role is responsible for making an office and its people run efficiently.
Assist the Operations Manager or support an entire operations department. This role has administrative, customer service and basic operational duties and may identify and solve issues relating to business performance.
Employers are looking for reliable, time-efficient professionals who can think critically in a fast-paced environment, solve problems that arise and keep the business functioning successfully. Administrative roles are typically more technical and operational roles are more people-oriented.
The variety in administration and operational roles is unparalleled. Each day brings new challenges, collaborations, and problems to solve. Depending on your role within your organisation and how large that organisation is, you will be:
Talented administration and operations professionals are needed in many industries, particularly retail, service, manufacturing, warehousing, hospitality, transportation, production and technology.
The difference between operations and administration is slight, but administration focuses on supporting administrative tasks in a business. This can be budgeting, spreadsheet and document creation, office projects and tasks, customer service responsibilities, filing, and running administrative software systems.
Professionals in operations have ‘umbrella management’ where they look after and are closely involved with the administrative functions of a business but are also involved in bringing other departments’ activities to align with business goals, both short- and long-term. This means being across the activities of finance, sales, customer service or front-facing departments, and marketing.
Around 87% of people employed as administrative and operations professionals work full-time hours, with an average of 45 hours per week in their main job.
Administration and operations leaders are faced with the unique challenge of managing people, processes and supply chains remotely or hybridly in a post-COVID world. Leaders who can think critically, innovate and pivot to take advantage of new opportunities, such as streamlining and digitalising more processes, can save businesses time and money where it matters most.
Industries where operational leaders are needed most often have high levels of in-person interaction. But with the rapid rise of e-commerce, innovators will ensure their skills and knowledge are translatable digitally.
Develop your information management skills and become a confident records manager with essential business operations and administrative management skills in this records and information management online course.
100% Online Learning
Approx 14 -16 months part-time
Approx 12 months full-time
Health Information Manager$105,000
Records Manager$63,000
Chief Information Officer$204,000
Develop key skills in business administration, finance and communication. You’ll strengthen your ability to manage essential business operations, preparing you to move from administrative or technical roles to a leadership role in any business. The course will help you to run day-to-day operations smoothly, understand the various components of a business, and lead your team to success.
100% Online Learning
Approx 14-16 months part-time
Approx 12 months full-time
Payroll Officer$65,000
Office Manager$67,000
Business Operations Manager$100,000
Our Real Outcomes Guarantee is our commitment to you and your career goals, ensuring that your studies will give you real-world benefits.
Our team, assessments and feedback are all focused on helping you in your career, not just completing your course. As the only RTO offering this, our guarantee is part of our ongoing work to go beyond just a piece of paper.
[My] manager explicitly told me that one of the reasons she awarded me the position was because she saw that I’d got the double diploma that I had achieved… Not because of the skills that I’d learned in my last role, but because of the skills that CAL taught me.
It’s helped me not only with just having the diploma on paper, but also enhancing those skills on the job to give you the experience that you need to move up the ladder.
We support you beyond achieving your qualifications – we want to help you be as prepared as possible for taking the next step in your career. Our Careers Hub gives you complimentary and exclusive access to resources and personalised advice from our in-house Career Coach.
My experience with Jenni the career counsellor was exceptional…The feedback was so helpful. She was encouraging too, and made me feel more sure about how to ‘sell myself’ to the target employers. I am very impressed with CAL’s careers hub – many resources that I will use. Thank you very much for your help.
– Samantha M.
Every member of our team is here to support you beyond achieving your qualifications. We want you to be as prepared as possible for taking the next step in your career. As a CAL student you’ll gain access to our Careers Hub through our online learning hub ‘Spark’.
