What to build before hiring another operations person

Hiring ops talent before fixing recurring handoffs usually scales the chaos. Software often removes the need for the hire entirely.

Run this before you write a job spec

1. List workflows that broke twice in the last 30 days.
2. Mark which breaks cost client trust vs internal annoyance.
3. Estimate hours spent weekly on glue work (status, reporting, routing).
4. Ask: would a system with rules fix this, or does it need human judgment every time?

Build before hire when…

• The same handoff fails the same way every week.
• Truth lives in one person's inbox.
• Meetings exist only to locate status.

Hire before build when…

• The problem is policy and client management, not tooling.
• Volume is unpredictable and relationship-heavy.
• You need negotiation, not queues.

Use this as a working checklist inside your team first. When the same steps repeat every week and spreadsheets start breaking, that is usually the moment to scope a lightweight admin dashboard with queues, owners, blockers and a founder view as an owned system. See the relevant Standen service · More guides · SaaS ops audit.