Operations and personnel
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| operations/ˌɒpəˈreɪʃnz/ | 运营 | yùn yíng |
| process/ˈprəʊses/ | 流程 | liú chéng |
| bottleneck/ˈbɒtəlnek/ | 瓶颈 | píng jǐng |
| job description/dʒɒb dɪˈskrɪpʃn/ | 职位描述 | zhí wèi miáo shù |
| person specification/ˈpɜːsn ˌspesɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/ | 人员要求 | rén yuán yāo qiú |
Operations turn promises into delivery
- Operations 运营 is the work that turns inputs into a product or service for customers.
- An operations plan identifies the process, resources, capacity, quality checks, suppliers, and likely delays.
- A good marketing promise is only useful if operations can deliver it consistently.
The delivery van cannot carry a promise the warehouse never packed.
Find the bottleneck
- A process 流程 is the ordered set of steps that produces an outcome.
- A bottleneck 瓶颈 is the slowest step that limits the whole process. Adding workers to a faster step does not fix it.
- Capacity is the maximum output possible in a stated time with available resources.
What is a bottleneck?
The whole process cannot move faster than its limiting step.
Adding staff to a step that is already faster than the bottleneck always raises total capacity.
The bottleneck still limits the whole process.
People need clear roles
- A job description 职位描述 states a role's tasks, responsibilities, and reporting line.
- A person specification 人员要求 describes the skills, experience, and qualities needed for that role.
- Recruitment brings applicants in; selection chooses the person who best fits the evidence and role.
Match the document to its purpose.
One defines the role; the other defines what a suitable applicant brings.
A bicycle-repair service promises a two-hour turnaround. One worker checks in bicycles, one repairs punctures, and one returns completed bikes. If only one pump is available, puncture repair becomes the bottleneck. Buying a second pump may increase capacity more than paying for another receptionist.
The operations decision follows the process evidence, not the most visible job title.
What should an operations plan identify? Choose all that apply.
Operations planning prepares delivery, not just publicity.
Write one English sentence explaining why a second pump may help the repair service more than another receptionist.
Example: “A second pump removes the puncture-repair bottleneck, so more bicycles can be completed within two hours.”
Name the step, then show why it limits output. “The pump is slow, so repaired bicycles wait and the two-hour promise fails” is a bottleneck explanation.
Do not recruit “a good person” without defining the role. Vague criteria make selection unfair and leave the new employee without a clear standard.