Definition

The operator-presence driver of Detection Lag. The operator’s read requires the operator’s physical presence. Off-stage hours are blind hours — admin work, off-site meetings, multi-unit travel, family pull all take the read instrument dark for the hours they consume. Decline detection requires eyes on the room during the hours the room is actually running.

Explanation

The tell shows up on the calendar before it shows up in the numbers: the operator’s days look full, but stage hours during peak service have shrunk to a handful per week. Decisions start getting made off cast reports instead of direct read, because the operator hasn’t actually been on the stage to see what the reports are describing.

The fix is a locked minimum of stage hours per week, treated as non-negotiable — admin gets scheduled around stage hours, not the other way around. If admin volume is pushing stage hours below the minimum, the admin load itself is the problem to fix. Trading away the read to make room for administration is never the correct trade.