It is arguable as to what engineering's role in operations plays once a design is being assembled. The best design engineers will certainly invite operations and manufacturing leaders to weigh in and offer constructive input early in the design process. This is best done in the form of design reviews at scheduled times during the design process and will also include other functional representatives (i.e. quality assurance, tooling, etc.).
But what happens when engineering has released the design to manufacturing and no longer "controls" that part of the build process? Many debate what engineering's role plays then, but an effective operation will insist that the engineers remain actively involved in the process even after the engineer design is released to manufacturing. A world class organization will consult with engineers when questions or problems arise.
To be effective in keeping engineering effectively involved the best organizations know one fact: The closer the engineers are to the manufacturing operation, the more effective the throughput of parts through the factory. For those who like equations:
Operations Effectiveness Ratio (OER) = 1/ Distance from engineers to factory
The distance can be in inches, feet. or miles. It doesn't matter. You can see that the greater the distance between manufacturing and engineering, the less effective the operation.
If suppliers are used, this is a bigger challenge. Although prime integration companies feel that phone and/or video telecoms will suffice to an effective operation, it has been my experience that this doesn't work. You need a knowledgeable and proactive engineering presence on the factory floor to ensure a smooth operation is maintained.
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