LOPS

LOPS is an acronym used in different contexts to denote distinct concepts, depending on the domain. The most common meaning is Local Operating Procedures, which refer to facility- or site-specific instructions that govern routine operations and responses to incidents. Local Operating Procedures document how tasks should be performed within a particular organization or location, and they define authority, responsibilities, safety requirements, and escalation paths. They are intended to complement higher-level manuals by reflecting local equipment, personnel, and regulatory constraints. Typical contents include scope, roles and responsibilities, step-by-step procedures, safety precautions, quality checks, and documentation requirements.

In information technology and computing, LOPS is occasionally used informally to mean logical operations per second, a non-standard performance measure sometimes discussed as part of processor or system efficiency analyses. This usage is not widely standardized and is not interchangeable with established metrics such as FLOPS, which measure floating-point operations.

Other uses of the acronym exist in corporate, organizational, or project names, where LOPS may stand for different phrases. Because the meaning of LOPS is highly context-dependent, it is important to consult the specific documentation or glossaries relevant to the domain in which the term appears.

See also: Local operating procedures, operating procedures, performance metrics.

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