Manufacturing Supervisors

Manufacturing has been through many technological developments, from innovations in fuel-powered machinery to the assembly line. As these processes became more complex, no single worker could be responsible for the production of particular items. Manufacturing became a long process involving many workers' contributions. If one worker caused a defect in the product, it was not always easy to track down the source of the problem. The role of the supervisor emerged as a means of keeping track of the work of numerous employees involved in the production process, allowing production to run smoothly.

Manufacturing supervisors today must have strong knowledge of the manufacturing process as well as management practices and project management technology. The manufacturing industry continues to focus on increasing efficiency while cutting costs, so today's manufacturing supervisors must be able to oversee production processes, workers' productivity and operations, and quickly and effectively resolve problems as they arise.